Project Management Assistant

RESEARCH SCIENTIST / SCIENTIST / INVESTIGATOR

QUALIFICATIONS PROFILE

Meticulous and resourceful scientist, offering proven success in vivo (animal) and ex vivo (cell culture) areas, including cell biology, molecular biology, protein chemistry, and immunology. Utilize excellent analytical thinking skills and troubleshooting expertise in the investigation of cellular mechanisms to proof of principle as well as disease relevance within in vivo animal models. Effective leader and motivator; expert at directing the conceptualization and development of quality initiatives to drive maximum potential. Excel at solving highly complicated problems and utilizing “out-of-the-box” thinking in making high-stake decisions.

* Recognized by senior management for the ability to execute deliverables, provide strong team leadership, and act as key agent of change

* Demonstrated willingness to take on new challenges in support of organizational goals

* Stay abreast on new developments in statistical methodologies and applications

* Adept at providing statistically sound study design and data analysis input to meet project objectives and regulatory requirements

* Well-versed communicator with fluency in German, English, and Russian

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Cell Biology (Ex Vivo / In Vitro)/ Immunology / Molecular Biology / Protein Biochemistry (Biochemical/ Cellular Assays) / Genetic Mouse Models (In Vivo Model) / Microscopy

Technical Skills: Microsoft Office 10, XP, 2000, and 1997; Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint); Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox; Adobe Creative Suite (Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, Photoshop Elements 7, and Distiller); Carl Zeiss AIM LSM Image Browser; FlowJo, Labworks4, BioRad IQ5; Vector NTI, BLAST, FASTA and ClustalW

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, RTP Durham, NC, USA

Research Fellow May 2010–Present

Visiting Fellow June 2007–Apr 2010

Career Highlights:

* Spearheaded the discovery and recognition of SLIP-GC in GC B cells which reduction is toxic to cells (cell transfection, gene knockout technologies protein over expression and purification/ quantification, in vitro assay , ligand based assay, cell based functional assays, IHC staining, colorimetric GTPase assay, immunoprecipitation)

* Generated unique interaction partners of novel protein Slip-GC by co-immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot

* Facilitated collaborations that resulted in peer-reviewed publications (2 first- author and one co-author paper)

* Mentored undergraduate students; supervised and designed student research projects

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY Blacksburg, VA, USA

Postdoctoral Researcher Aug 2005–Jun 2007

Performed isolation and culturing of mouse embryonic fibroblast/mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Stimulated human and mouse primary cells/cell lines with microbial pattern (LPS). Dealt with DNA/siRNA-cell transfection (electroporation and liposome based); immunoprecipitation; SDS-PAGE; NATIVE Gel; Western blot; RT-PCR, PCR; site-directed mutagenesis; biochemical characterization of proteins (phosphorylation, sumoylation); protein over expression; reporter-assay; CHIP-ASSAY; Cytokine-assay; plasmid purification; and RNA isolation.

Career Highlights:

* Led investigation of signalling events controlling the innate immunity, infection, and inflammation

* Successfully discovered novel interaction partners of Toll interacting protein (Tollip) by co-immunoprecipitation

* Learned that TOLLIP functions are very unique and important in both TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways

* Authored grant proposal for “AdvanceVT Postdoctoral Fellowship”

MAX-VON-PETTENKOFER-INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE MICROBIOLOGY AND HYGIENE Munich, Germany

Postdoctoral Researcher Aug 2004–Feb 2005

Led the development and implementation of a novel antibody against Y. enterocolitica bacterium being used in laboratories globally.

Career Highlights:

* Determined the key role of arginine-143 residue in recognizing the inhibitory impact of YopP on IKKbeta activity and survival of macrophages

* Exposed new interaction partners of Yersinia outer protein P (YopP) by yeast two hybrid system

URBAN CLINICAL CENTER DRESDEN FRIEDRICHSTADT Dresden, Germany

Research Assistant Feb 1997–Sep 1997

Evaluated blood specimens/ patient samples for digitoxin, theophylline, and gentamycin through fluorescence-immunoassay. Administered analysis on serum for alcohol, drugs, hepatitis, and HIV. Assessed urinary stones by infrared spectroscopy and triple test (?- fetoprotein, HCG, unconjugated estriol).

* Cell Biology (Ex Vivo)/ Pharmacodynamics / Immunology: execute cell staining/fluorescence-activated cell sorting (Flow Cytometry / FACS; clone screening)) Supervise the isolation / magnetic cell separation (MACS / FACS) / culturing of primary cells (human and mouse); carry out ligand-binding assays, cell transfection and cell-based bioassays (apoptosis-/proliferation (CFSE or colorimetric method MTS) / cytotoxicity–assay); administer different cell lines, including mammalian cell lines (inclusive Hybridoma) and patient samples

* Protein Biochemistry (Biochemical/Cellular Assays): Analytical gel filtration chromatography (SMART system); cytokine-assay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); immunoprecipitation (IP); SDS-PAGE; native gel; Western blot; protein over expression and purification/ quantification (bacterial- and mammalian recombinant protein expression); biochemical characterization of proteins (phosphorylation, sumoylation); in vitro caspase cleavage assay; colorimetric GTPase assay; Handle immunohistochemistry (IHC); yeast two-hybrid

* Molecular Biology: site-directed mutagenesis; DNA/RNA isolation and quantification (Nanodrop); cDNA conversion; DNA/siRNA-Transfection; TaqMan RT-PCR (TaqMan® real-time PCR/qRT-PCR); RT-PCR (Real-time PCR); PCR (polymerase chain reaction); Southern blot analysis; sequencing; Obtain experience on plasmid purification; CHIP-assay (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation)

* Genetic Mouse Models (In Vivo Model): Take full accountability in providing; care as well as facilitating; breeding and genotyping; characterization and utilization; Immunogenicity: injection/immunization, dissection, and cell isolation.

* Team-/ Project Management skills: Facilitated collaborations that resulted in peer-reviewed publications (4 first- and 8 co-author) ; Teaching at the NIEHS Summer Internship Program 2011 (lecture series within the Summers of Discovery (SOD) program); Mentored undergraduate students; supervised and designed student research projects; Judge at the NC Science and Engineering Fair 2010; Judge for the FARE 2010 Travel Award Competition ?Judge in the upcoming 2011 Travel Award Competition; Chairwomen at the NIEHS Trainees Assembly Steering Committee 2009; Hosted NIEHS Trainees Assembly Steering Committee guest speaker 2012 / 2009; Co-hosted international AID Workshop 2008; organizer of the German “Stammtisch” for Scientist in the RTP area; Regional ambassador for the Technical University Dresden

* Communication Skills: Posterpresentation: Keystone Symposia "Mutations, Malignancy and Memory - Antibodies and Immunity" 2012 / Posterpresentation: NIH Festival, Bethesda, Maryland 2010 / Blue Ridge Regional Conference on Innate Immunity and Inflammation 2006 / Fourteenth International Conference, Inflammation Research Association, Cambridge, Maryland 2006; Wrote grant proposal for “AdvanceVT Postdoctoral Fellowship”; in house Reviewer; fluent in German

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY: 2004

Max von Pettenkofer–Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene Munich, Germany

“Characterization of the Molecular Effects by the Yersinia Enterocolitica Effect Protein YopP in the Host Cell”

DIPLOMA: 1999

Technical University Dresden, Department of Biology Dresden, Germany

NIEHS “Teaching at the College Level”: 2009

Stem Cells: Principles and Methods: 2007

Intensive Advanced Project Management Training-Level 1+2: 2003

Chromatography by company Amersham: 2003

Protein Expression/Protein Purification in laboratory scale by Novagen: 2003

AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

American Institute of Biological Science / American Society for Cell Biology

* Judge, NC Science and Engineering Fair

* Judge, FARE 2011 Travel Award Competition

* Trainee Action Committee, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

* Educator, the NIEHS Summer Internship Program 2011 (lecture series within the Summers of Discovery (SOD) program)

* Organizer, the German “Stammtisch” for Scientist in the RTP area

* Regional Ambassador, the Technical University Dresden

KEY PUBLICATIONS

*Kathleen Richter, Lauranell Burch, Frank Chao, Chuacang Jiang, Janssen Daly, Madhumita Ray, Grace Kissling, and Marilyn Diaz “Altered Pattern of Immunoglobulin Hypermutation in Mice Deficient in SLIP-GC“ (submitted JBC 2012)

*Janssen Daly, Kasia Bebenek, Danielle Watt, Kathleen Richter, Chuancang Jiang, Ming-Lang Zhao, Madhumita Ray, McGregor, W. Glenn, Thomas Kunkel and Marilyn Diaz “DNA polymerase ? plays a direct role in somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes“ (submitted The Journal of Immunology 11-02629-FL). 2012.

*Kathleen Richter, Sukdev Brar, Madhumita Ray, Prapaporn Pisitkun, Silvia Bolland, Laurent Verkoczy, and Marilyn Diaz “Speckled-like pattern in the germinal center (SLIP-GC): A nuclear GTPase highly expressed in AID-positive lymphomas and in germinal center B cells” J Biol Chem. 2009.

*Jianmin Su, Kathleen Richter , Chunxiao Zhang , Qiang Gu , Liwu Li Differential regulation of interleukin-1 receptor associate kinase 1 (IRAK1) splice variants” Mol Immunol. 2007 Feb; 44(5):900-5. Epub. 2006.

*Richter K, Haase R, Pfaffinger G, Courtois G, Ruckdeschel K. “Yersinia Outer Protein P Suppresses TGF-{beta}-Activated Kinase-1 Activity to Impair Innate Immune Signaling in Yersinia enterocolitica-Infected Cells.” J. Immunol. 175(12):8209-17. 2005

*Ruckdeschel, K., Richter, K. and Aepfelbacher M. “Yersinia outer proteins (Yop`s)-versatile modulators of host cell signalling during bacterial infection.” BiomedicalProgress 16:15-19. 2003

*Richter K. and Ruckdeschel, K. ”Lipopolysaccharide desensitization of macrophages provides protection against Yersinia enterocolitica-induced apoptosis.” Infect. Immun. 70:5259-64. 2002.

*Ruckdeschel, K., Richter, K., Mannel, O. and Heesemann J. “Arginine-143 of Yersinia enterocolitica YopP crucially determines isotype-related NF-kappaB suppression and apoptosis induction in macrophages.” Infect. Immun. 69:7652-62. 2001.

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