Curriculum Vitae

Highly motivated Molecular Biologist seeking a scientist position in a biotech company. Deep repertoire of laboratory experience across multiple systems with expertise in molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry. 

Research interests: Cancer biology, RNA biology, translational research.

Education

Doctorate of Philosophy, Molecular Biology
Loyola University Chicago
August 2008 - December 2015
Dissertation Title: The miR-17~92 cluster contributes to MLL leukemia development through repression of    the MEIS1 competitor PKNOX1
          Mentor: Dr. Nancy Zeleznik-Le, Ph. D.
          External funding: NIH T32AI007508-11A1

Bachelor of Science, Biology
Bachelor of Arts, History
Loyola University Chicago                                                         
August 2000 - April 2004
          Minor, Chemistry
          Honors: Presidential Scholarship (2000-2004), Dean's List (2003-2004)

Experience

Hematogenix Laboratory Services                                                                                        March 2020 – February 2021 Scientist

  • Supported ongoing clinical trial studies and diagnostic functions in a CLIA certified clinical lab.

  • Performed quality control tests on new antibody lots, reagent batches, and instrument settings to ensure consistent results across flow cytometry platforms.

University of California San Diego
September 2016-August 2019
Postdoctoral fellow

  • Designed, implemented, and troubleshot experiments pertinent to ongoing projects within the lab.

  • Responsible for generating data pertinent to ongoing projects within the lab.

Loyola University Chicago, Zeleznik-Le Lab
August 2009 - September 2015
Graduate Student / Research Assistant  

  • Formulated the central hypothesis and project aims pertaining to miRNA function within MLL leukemias (Project information described below).

  • Designed, implemented, and troubleshot experiments.

  • Responsible for all technical writing and presentations pertaining to project, including: posters, presentations, manuscripts, and figure preparation.

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Band Lab
November 2007 - July 2008
Research Technologist                                                           

  • Continued research responsibilities from Evanston Northwestern Healthcare on hAda3 project.

  • Assisted in the relocation of the lab to the UNMC to quickly and seamlessly resume operations and experimental productivity.

Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Band Lab 
September 2005 - October 2007
Research Assistant                                                         

  • Implemented experiments under supervision of post-doctoral fellows and principal investigators in support of hypotheses being tested by the lab in both the hAda3 project and Notch projects (Project information described below).

  • Presented research updates in laboratory meetings, contributed to experimental planning, and provided feedback and questions for colleagues.

  • Oversaw organization for the C. elegans subgroup within the lab.

  • Managed the maintenance and replication of the C. elegans siRNA library for use future experiment and screens.

Skills/Areas of Research Experience

Isolation and quantification of nucleic acids

  • Highly proficient in isolation and purification of RNA and miRNA using TRI- and kit-based protocols, without degradation of RNA sample.

  • Quantification of RNA through real-time qPCR via Taqman based systems.

  • Performed southern blots to screen ES cells for homologous recombination.

  • Standardized purification and amplification conditions for genotyping single cells.

Isolation and quantification of proteins

  • Assessed protein levels by Western blotting in samples isolated from transgenic mice and in vitro experiments.

  • Performed co-immunoprecipitation experiments to determine complex composition of PBX-containing complexes.

Cloning

  • Proficient in all steps required to design and build constructs from scratch, including: restriction digests, PCR amplification, ligation, reverse transcription, single/multi- site-directed mutagenesis.

  • Designed and generated plasmid constructs including luciferase reporter constructs, and C. elegans expression constructs.

  • Contributed to the cloning and design of constructs required for generations of conditional knockout mice (Ada2b and GCN5).

  • Proficient in transformation and screening of colonies via: colony PCR, restriction mapping, and sequencing.

Basic microbiology techniques

  • Preparation of reagents and growth of bacteria as required for cloning experiments.

  • Tansformation via electroporation, and heat shock protocols.

  • Preparation of chemical competent cells via MnCl2 protocol (Scott lab protocol).

  • Isolation/purification of DNA plasmid from bacterial cultures via alkaline lysis protocols and kit based mini-, midi- and maxi-prep protocols.

Cell culture

  • Cultured cells in both adhesion and suspension cultures (including human leukemia cell lines, mammary epithelial cell lines, and MEFs).

  • Isolated murine bone marrow and purified for CD117+ stem/progenitor cells for use in leukemic transformation experiments.

  • Generated MEF cell lines from mouse embryos using 3T3 protocol, for Ada3 (wt), Ada3(+/-), Ada3(-/-).

  • Proficient in transfection using CaPO4 transfection, Lipofectamine® treatment, retroviral infections, and other methods of in vitro genetic manipulation.

  • Standardized experimental culture conditions for human methylcellulose colony assays. Developed and optimized a treatment protocol for antagomirs in human cell lines to be utilized in both liquid culture and methylcellulose colony assays.

Murine experiments

  • Managed the breeding and maintenance of several mouse colonies across multiple conditional knockout projects to efficiently generate desired genotypes and screen for phenotypes relevant to study.

  • Performed genotyping, tail-clipping, dissection to isolate specific organs and tissue for examination, embryo isolation/dissection.

Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) experiments

  • Examined cell cycle via Propidium Iodide staining.

  • Examined antagomir uptake through treatment with fluorescently labeled antagomirs.

  • Assessed success of viral transduction by GFP.

  • Examined cell surface markers using fluorophore conjugated antibodies.

C. elegans techniques

  • Maintained ongoing cultures, performed RNAi experiments, generated reagents.

  • Generated transgenic lines of animals by microinjection according to previously established protocols.

Publications

  1. The miR-17-92 cluster contributes to MLL leukemia development through repression of the MEIS1 competitor PKNOX1. Mian YA, Zeleznik-Le, NJ. Leuk. Res. 2016 Apr 16; 46:51-60. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2016.04.006. [Epub ahead of print]

  2. Mammalian alteration/deficiency in activation 3 (Ada3) is essential for embryonic development and cell cycle progression. Mohibi S, Gurumurthy CB, Nag A, Wang J, Mirza S, Mian Y, Quinn M, Katafiasz B, Eudy J, Pandey S, Guda C, Naramura M, Band H, Band V. J Biol Chem. 2012 Aug 24;287(35):29442-56. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.378901. Epub 2012 Jun 26.

  3. MicroRNAs in leukemias: emerging diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets. Mian YA, Zeleznik-Le NJ. Curr Drug Targets. 2010 Jul;11(7):801-11. Review.

  4. Upregulation of the let-7 microRNA with precocious development in lin-12/Notch hypermorphic Caenorhabditis elegans mutants. Solomon A, Mian Y, Ortega-Cava C, Liu VW, Gurumurthy CB, Naramura M, Band V, Band H.Dev Biol. 2008 Apr 15;316(2):191-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.12.046. 2008 Jan 11