Scientist / Manager Scientist

Leonid Sitailo, PhD

**** ****** ***, **********, ** 60513 Home: 708-***-**** - sm0676@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Result-oriented senior scientist experienced in problem solving as a collaborator on several NIH funded grants, with demonstrated abilities in scientific data analysis. Recognized presenter at local and international meetings. Experienced biochemist and molecular biologist with extensive knowledge of methods and techniques, hard worker at the bench. Highly committed to results and with good writing, communication, presentation and computer skills. Flexible and self-motivated professional who works well individually or as part of a team.

Objective:

To obtain a full time position in academia or industry that will enable me to use my extensive expertise and skills in cancer research.

Professional Overview

2011

University of Chicago. Senior Researcher with primary interests of talactoferrin effect on colon cancer cell line.

2000-2011

Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center

Research Associate Scientist. Department of Pathology. Signal transduction lab. Major project: Role of PKC in UV-induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes. Broad range of experiments to investigate molecular pathways of skin cancer development. Extensive bench work related to the project. Teaching and training numerous students, graduate students, technician, post-doc, fellows. Working and assist to PI on different competitive grant application. Organizer of lab and department seminar series. Perform lab manager duties.

1995-2000

Loyola University/Hines VA Hospital.

Research Associate. Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases. Molecular pathway(s) of antibiotic resistance transfer in human gut. Major project: DNA transfer factors of Bacteroides spp. Mechanisms of rapid spread of antibiotic resistance determinants. Transferrable transposons and plasmids responsible for antibiotics dissemination in human gut. Molecular biology experiments with aerobic and anaerobic bacteria including clinical isolates.

1993-1995

Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research.

Visiting Scientist. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Gatersleben, Germany. Primary activities: Identification of plant genes involved in early somatic embryogenesis. Subtractive hybridization. Cloning of calreticulin gene from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

1989-1993

.Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, Kiev, Ukraine.

Research Scientist. Chromatin structure and regulation. DNA topoisomerases I and II types. Research interest: biochemical characterization DNA / DNA topoisomerases complexes. Conducted an independent line of research to isolate, characterize DNA topoisomerases I and II types from chloroplasts and nuclei of Pisum sativum. Developed the chloroplast DNA recombination model in plants based on the chloroplast DNA gyrase like enzymatic activity.

Core Qualifications

• Molecular biology techniques: DNA cloning, restriction DNA analysis, sequencing, PCR, RT-PCR, qPCR, gel shift, Southern, Northern, Western hybridization. PCR mutagenesis. Transient and stable transfection of mammalian cell lines. Primary or cancer mammalian cell culture. Bacterial vectors. Anaerobe cell culture. Retroviral systems. siRNA, shRNA.

• Protein chromatography and electrophoresis. Protein Kinase assays. Protein-protein interaction analysis, Protein modifications.

• GST, His-Recombinant proteins in E. coli and SF-9 cells. 1 and-2 dimensional gel electrophoresis. Mass-spectroscopy of protein analysis.

• Transgenic mouse. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry.

Accomplishments

Transferable antibiotic resistance determinants were identified on clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis group at Loyola Medical Center. MbpB is one of proteins characterized to be involved in antibiotic dissemination model proposed. Mcl-1 transgenic mouse model was established as a valuable tool to study UV induced cancerogenesis of the skin. Extrinsic and intrinsic UV-induced apoptotic pathway was validated in human keratinocytes. In depth studies were performed on the role of PKC delta and anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 protein in UV-induced apoptosis of human keratinocytes.

Education

1980-1985

The Kiev State University

Kiev, Ukraine

M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Histone proteins from higher plants. 2d-Electophoretic analysis of histone proteins from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

Thesis/Dissertation

1986 -1991

Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Kiev, Ukraine

Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

“The comparative analysis of DNA topoisomerases I from E.coli and leaves of Pisum sativum.”

Experience

November 2000 - August 2011

Research Assistant Professor

Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL

2006-2011. Investigator. NIH/NIC-2R01CA083784-06A2. Project title:” PKC ä as a Tumor Suppressor for Human Skin Cancer”. Loss of PKC ä expression as prerequisite condition of SCC development.

2010. Co-IP. Submitted to NIH/NIC-1R21AR060694-01A. Project title: “Epidermal Deletion of Mcl-1”. Elucidating role of Mcl-1 in skin differentiation.

2009-2010. Investigator. National Cancer Society, Illinois Division. Project title:” PKC Expression in Melanocytes and Melanoma”. Loss of PKCâ expression correlates with tumorigenic activity of melanoma cell lines.

2004-2006. Investigator. Loyola University Cancer Center Development Grant. Project title: “Generation and Phenotypic Analysis of Transgenic Mice with Epidermal Mcl-1 Expression”. Generation of K5-Mcl-1 Tg mouse model as a tool to study epidermal differentiation and UVB induced apoptosis.

2000-2005. Co-Investigator. NIH/NIC-5RO1CA83784. Project title: “Protein Kinase C Signaling in Apoptosis and Skin Cancer”. Understanding unique role of PKC ä in UVB induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes.

June 1995 – November 2000

Research Associate

Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center / VA Hines Hospital, Chicago, IL

1995-2000. Investigator. VA Merit Review Grant 002. Project title: “Molecular mechanism of antibiotic resistance transfer in Bacteroides spp”.

Fellowships and Awards

1. Travel Award Society of Investigative Dermatology Kyoto, Japan (2008)

2. Travel Award Society of Investigative Dermatology, Washington, DC (2006)

3. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Stipendium, IPK Gatersleben, Germany (1994-1995).

Selected Publications

1. The influence of antibiotics and antitumor agents on the relaxation activity of Pisum sativum leaf chloroplast topoisomerase I. Zagariya AM, Sitailo LA. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1995 Jun 20;320(1):177-81.

2. Calreticulin expression in plant cells: developmental regulation, tissue specificity and intracellular distribution. N. Borisjuk, Sitailo L., K. Adler, L. Malysheva, A. Tewes, L. Borisjuk and R. Manteuffel. Planta. 1998;206:504-514.

3. The Bacteroides fragilis BtgA mobilization protein binds to the oriT region of pBFTM10. Sitailo LA, Zagariya AM, Arnold PJ, Vedantam G, Hecht DW. J Bacteriol. 1998 Sep;180(18):4922-8.

4. Activation of caspase-9 is required for UV-induced apoptosis of human keratinocytes. Sitailo LA, Tibudan SS, Denning MF.J Biol Chem. 2002 May 31;277(22):19346- 52. Epub 2002 Mar 27.

5. Low-dose UV-radiation sensitizes keratinocytes to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Qin JZ, Bacon P, Panella J, Sitailo LA, Denning MF, Nickoloff BJ. J Cell Physiol. 2004 Jul;200(1):155-66.

6. Bax activation and induction of apoptosis in human keratinocytes by the protein kinase C delta catalytic domain. Sitailo LA, Tibudan SS, Denning MF. J Invest Dermatol. 2004 Sep;123(3):434-43.

7. Knockdown of p53 levels in human keratinocytes accelerates Mcl-1 and Bcl-x(L) reduction thereby enhancing UV-light induced apoptosis. Chaturvedi V, Sitailo LA, Qin JZ, Bodner B, Denning MF, Curry J, Zhang W, Brash D, Nickoloff BJ. Oncogene. 2005 Aug 11;24(34):5299-312.

8. Defining the caspase-containing apoptotic machinery contributing to cornification in human epidermal equivalents. Chaturvedi V, Sitailo LA, Bodner B, Denning MF, Nickoloff B. J.Exp Dermatol. 2006 Jan;15(1):14-22.

9. The protein kinase C delta catalytic fragment targets Mcl-1 for degradation to trigger apoptosis. Sitailo LA, Tibudan SS, Denning MF. J Biol Chem. 2006 Oct 6;281(40):29703-10. Epub 2006 Aug 10.

10. Enhanced killing of melanoma cells by simultaneously targeting Mcl-1 and NOXA. Qin JZ, Xin H, Sitailo LA, Denning MF, Nickoloff BJ. Cancer Res. 2006 Oct 1;66(19):9636-45.

11. Mcl-1 functions as major epidermal survival protein required for proper keratinocyte differentiation. Sitailo LA, Jerome-Morais A, Denning MF. J Invest Dermatol. 2009 Jun;129(6):1351-60.

12. Functional alterations in protein kinase C beta II expression in melanoma. Voris JP, Sitailo LA, Rahn HR, Defnet A, Gerds AT, Sprague R, Yadav V, Caroline Le Poole I, Denning MF. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2010 Apr;23(2):216-24. Epub 2009 Dec 14.

13. The protein kinase Cdelta catalytic fragment is critical for maintenance of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint. LaGory EL, Sitailo LA, Denning MF. J Biol Chem. 2010 Jan 15;285(3):1879-87. Epub 2009 Nov 16.

Selected Presentations

Isolation and characterization of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia genes expressed during early somatic embryogenesis. Borisjuk N., Sitailo L., Tewes A., Manteuffel R. Thesis of 4-th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology. 1994, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Is calreticulin involved into the secretion pathway? N. Borisjuk, K. Adler, L. Borisjuk, Sitailo L., A. Tewes and R. Manteuffel. Thesis in The plant secretory system: mechanisms, pathways and applications in Biotechnology. July 1997, University of York, England. Be consistent: senior author with initials before or after the last name

Disruption of Mitochondrial Function During UV-Induced Apoptosis of Human Keratinocytes Requires Activation of Protein Kinase C. M.Denning, Sitailo L., S. Tibudan, Y. Wang, and S. Alkan.

Thesis to 62nd Annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. May 9- 12, 2001, Washington, DC. (be consistent in including dates or months only)

Caspase-9 is reqiured for UV-induced apoptosis of human keratinocytes. Sitailo L.A., J. Qin, S.S. Tibudan, B.J. Nickoloff and M.F. Denning.Thesis to 63nd Annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. May 15-18, 2002, Los Angeles, CA.

Apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe in human keratinocytes expressing the protein kinase C delta catalytic domain. Sitailo L. A., SS Tibudan and MF Denning. Thesis to the Fourth Joint Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research, Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology and Society for Investigative Dermatology. April 30– May 3, 2003, Miami Beach, Florida.

Over-expression of Mcl-1 in mouse epidermis induces epidermal hyperplasia and resistance to UV apoptosis. Sitailo L. A., P. Sethupathi and Mitchell F. Denning.Thesis and Oral Presentation to International Investigative Dermatology Meeting. May 14 – May 16, 2008, Kyoto, Japan

Memberships/Scholarly Societies

Membership in Society of Investigative Dermatology (2006 – )

Membership in American Association for Cancer Research (2003- 2005, 2010)

Membership in American Society of Microbiology (1999)

Membership in Anaerobe Society of the Americas (1999)

Keywords

PhD Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Cancer Research

Contact this candidate