EMMANUEL OSEI BREFO
www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-osei-brefo-53b3341a2 Location: Commerce, Texas
Phone: +1-430-***-****. E-mail: *****************@*****.*** An energetic, results-oriented, versatile and productive graduate of biochemistry with great research skills. I am an autonomous, open-minded team player and passionate about pursuing a career in research and academia. I hope to make significant contributions in society and academia through cutting edge research in areas of biomedical science. EDUCATION
East Texas A&M University
• Master of Science- Chemistry 2023- 2025
• Thesis Title: Influence of Pyrimidine Base Supplementation on Pullulan Production by Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 201253
• Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Thomas West (Head of Chemistry Department) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana 2018 - 2022
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Biochemistry
• Final Grade: Second Class Honors (Upper Division)
• Thesis Title: Hepatoprotective effects of Dialium guineense pulp extracts against CCl4 induced liver toxicity in Wistar Rats
• Principal Investigator (PI): Professor Christopher Larbie (Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, KNUST). SKILLSET
Laboratory: PCR Blood Chemistries Staining ELISA Working with animals and wide range of specimens Spectroscopy Electrophoresis Cell & Tissue Culture Microarray Biosafety Microscopy Gene Cloning & Editing Sequencing Extraction
& Purification of Biomolecules Blotting Mass Spectrometry Chromatography Immunohistochemistry Proximate analysis Biochemical assays Phytochemical analysis Qualitative screening etc. Personal Strengths: Innovative Leader & Team Player Result-oriented Communication skills Presentation skills Work independently Organizational skills Resourceful Time-conscious Project Management English Proficient Curious etc. Software: R Linux Python MATLAB SPSS LIMS Graphic Design Microsoft Office Suite HTML . RESEARCH INTERESTS
• Microbial Infection and Pathogenesis.
• Antimicrobial Resistance and Therapeutics.
• Biodata Analytics.
• Immunology and Infectious Diseases.
• Drug Discovery and Precision Medicine.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Post-baccalaureate Research Assistant Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (DBB), KNUST 2022 - 2023
• Liaise with lab technicians, students, faculty members and researchers in the various lab techniques and analysis.
• Graduate and undergraduate research support.
• Assist in the supervision of undergraduate students’ research projects.
• Involved in academic writing, scientific and manuscript writing.
• Involved in data collection and conducting interviews. Research topic: “Investigating the Genomic Variation of H. pylori and Their Effects on Clinical Outcomes” 2023
• Research done in the Biodata Analytics and Computational Genomics lab with Dr. S. P. Salifu as the PI.
• Involved in investigating the comparative genomics of H. Pylori isolates in different organisms.
• Involved in identifying the antibiotic resistance genes and virulent factors in H. Pylori isolates.
• Involved in identifying Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and clinical pathologies by in H. Pylori. Research on the topic “Decoding the Role of Glycans in Helminth Infection” 2023
• Research done in the Immunology and Infectious Diseases lab
• Involved in identifying how glycans aid helminths to evade the host’s immune system and data analysis.
• Involved in investigating the mechanism of helminth infection.
• Involved in identifying measures to counteract helminth infection. Research on the topic “Prevalence of Resistant Hypertension in Ghana” 2023
• Research done in the Biodata Analytics and Computational Genomics lab with Dr. S. P. Salifu as the PI.
• Involved in systematic review and data analysis. Research on the topic "Determination of the Phytoconstituents and Antioxidant Activity in Lippia multiflora Tea and Some Selected Commercial Teas in Ghana". 2022 - 2023
• Bio actives, Nutraceuticals and Therapeutic Diets lab
• Collaborative research with Prof. Corinna Walsh (Department of Nutrition and Diabetics, University of the Free States), Prof. F. C. Mills-Robertson (DBB, KNUST), Dr. Daniel Boamah (Centre for Plant Medicine Research
(CPMR), Dr. Mavis Boakye-Yiadom (CPMR) and Miss Eunice Afia Amponsah (DBB, KNUST).
• Involved in preparation of samples and performed phytochemical screening.
• Involved in data collection and analysis. • I interviewed volunteers and measured their anthropometrics. Research on the topic “Role of Beneficial Microbes in Preparation of Fermented Foods” 2021
• Research done in the Enzyme and Microbial Biotechnology lab
• Involved in preparation of the culture media and substrates.
• Involved in the downstream processes.
PUBLICATION
Jemima Owusuah Asante, Christopher Larbie, Paul Opoku, Emmanuel Osei Brefo et al. Health and Toxicity Effects of Solanum torvum and Solanum nigrum Berries Extract on Rats (2024), Doi: https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2024.482.495 AWARDS AND HONORS
• Welch Foundation Fellowship 2024-2025
• Southwest Regional Meeting for the American Chemical Society July,2024
• Jai &Susan Nagarkatti Fellowship Endowment for Summer Research October 2024 TEACHING EXPERIENCE
East Texas A&M University 2023 – Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Part-time)
• Assisting faculty with classroom instruction, records and assignment
• Proctoring examinations and grading
• Preparing laboratory materials and enforcing laboratory rules and procedures Post-baccalaureate Teaching Assistant 2022 – 2023 Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, KNUST
• Teach over 200 undergraduate students across 4 undergraduate courses.
• Reviewing students’ thesis, academic writings and scientific writings.
• Involved in grading and assessment of exams and assignments. Academic Mentor Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, KNUST. 2019 - 2022
• Tutored and mentored several undergraduates assigned to me as my academic tutees.
• Prepared academic materials and organized tutorials for colleagues and other students at lower levels. CONFERENCE / WORKSHOPS ATTENDED
RAIN-Africa Workshop - Generative AI: Opportunities and Responsible Use. July 2023 Public Lecture by Professor Melissa Nobles (Chancellor of MIT, USA). July 2023 The Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis: Transitioning from Blame Game to Synergistic Solutions. July 2023 Faculty of Biosciences Seminar Series. June 2023
Neurobiology of the World’s Most Dangerous Animal by Africa STEM Network (Afrisnet). May 2023 Plant Sciences and Biotechnology by aBIOTECH. May 2023 Introduction to Biomedical and Health Research (B-HERE) by ASM, KCCR & GHID. May 2023 Higher Education Prospects with Dr. Alexander Kwarteng. May 2023 Regional Cancer Genomics Training 1.0 February 2023 Mentorship Program for Research and Teaching Assistants. December 2022 12th Annual Ghana Biochemistry Students’ Association Congress. August 2022 Ghana Biochemistry Students’ Association Seminar. May 2022 Combating Stress Through Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Conference. February 2022 Ghana Biochemistry Students’ Association Congress. July 2021 Omega Brains International Academic and Business Symposium. March 2021 Mentors and Counsellors Academy (MCA) Capacity Building Conference. December 2020 SHORT COURSES
• International Webinar Series for Life Scientists
An online seminar organized by Genomac Institute Inc. December 2024
• Fully Funded International Genomics and Bioinformatics Bootcamp
An online course provided by Genomac Institute Inc. November 2024
• Basic Molecular Biology Module 4: PCR and Real-Time PCR
An online course provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 2024
• Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety August 2024
An online course provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
•
Introduction to the LIMS & Other Information Systems
An online course provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 2024
• Summer Computational Biochemistry Training
An online course provided by the Ghana Youth Research Program (GYPR). July 2024
• Differential expression analysis using edgeR
An online course offered through Udemy.
July 2024
• Pathway enrichment with gProfiler, clusterProfiler and fgsea
An online course offered through Udemy.
July 2024
• Hands-On Genomics Evolution in Biotechnology
An online course provided by Gen’Omics Research (GENOMAC) Hub. June 2024
• Introduction to Cybersecurity
An online course provided by CISCO Networking Academy. May 2024
• Basics of Digital Marketing April 2024
Developed and delivered by UniAthena in partnership with Cambridge International Qualifications, UK.
• Personal Safety and Security
An online course provided by Disaster Ready and Save the Children. April 2024
• Education in Emergencies Global Course
An online course provided by UNICEF.
April 2024
• Bioinformatics Course 201
An online course provided by Genomics Research (GENOMAC) Hub. March 2024
• Antimicrobial Resistance - Theory and Methods March 2024
An online non-credit course authorized by Technical University of Denmark and offered through Coursera.
• Stanford Introduction to Food and Health March, 2024
An online non-credit course authorized by Stanford University and offered through Coursera
• Training for Staff, Investigators and Students Handling Biohazards February 2024
An online non-credit course authorized by the CITI Program
• Introductory Basic Bioinformatics and Immunoinformatics January 2024
A 3-day online course affiliated with Helix Biogen Institute. INTERNSHIPS
Hepatoprotective and Oxidative Stress Research Centre Laboratory Assistant February 2022-September 2022
Managed to help with the upkeep of experimental lab rats Helped in studying and recorded nutritional animals:
Assisted in the harvesting of organs (liver and kidney) of experimental animals to assess the consequences of given dosages of toxic chemicals and plant extracts for their medicinal potential: Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine Laboratory Intern October 2021-September 2021
Responsible for daily disinfection and recording of freezer and incubator temperatures
Assisted in making agar for bacteria culture, Crude DNA extraction for PCR and Gel electrophoresis
Data Collection, Data entry and Processing of received samples LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
• KNUST Faculty of Biosciences Seminar Series. June 2023
Presentation on the topic “Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer in Africa”.
• KNUST Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Presentations. September 2022
Poster presentation on the topic “Determination of Phytoconstituents of Lippia Tea”.
• KNUST Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Presentations. July 2021
Presentation on the topic “Osteogenesis imperfecta”.
• KNUST Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Presentations. April 2021
Presentation on the topic “Role of Beneficial Microbes in Preparation of Fermented Foods”.
• Rural Africa Aid Foundation Public Relations Officer (full time)
Covid-19 outreach on safety and precaution to rural Ghana and Basic schools March 2021
Climate Change Conference in rural Communities in Ashanti and Ahafo regions of Ghana
Girls Empowerment Summit at KNUST
REFERENCES
Dr. Thomas West Dr. Bukuo Ni
Department of Chemistry, East Texas A&M University Department of Chemistry, East Texas A&M University ******.****@*****.***. *****.**@*****.***.
Head of Department and Research Supervisor
Prof. Christopher Larbie
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, KNUST *******.***@*****.***.**
Graduate Advisor