Principal Scientist

• May 2020 - Present

Senior Scientist

• Jan 2017 - May 2020

Responsible for initiating, directing and executing research and development in support of Mercaptor’s multiple programs, directly managing the bench team of researchers. Serve as key strategic resource for the company’s translational development path, ensuring projects hit key milestones, capturing and managing the data that will drive Mercaptor’s lead advancement. Responsible for designing and coordinating animal studies, establishing partnering plans with leading research groups and contract research organizations to transition Captons® from the bench to appropriate disease models and further progressing compounds into pre-clinical safety and efficacy studies necessary to file Investigational New Drug applications.

Associate Scientist

• Oct 2016 - Dec 2016

Associate Scientist

• May 2006 - Oct 2016

Developed and performed methods for project advancement; analyzed and interpreted data; organized and presented relevant findings to the discovery team.Projects/experiments include: neuronal excitotoxicity rescue/mechanisms; enzyme production and characterization; cystinosis/cysteamine MOA studies; compound screening and characterization in HCC lines; post-translational proteomic studies; genetic screening; redox and metabolic studies; large-scale maintenance of multiple mammalian cell lines; crystallization of potential second generation drug candidates, etc. Support development of protein-based biopharmaceuticals. Created a library of domain-shuffled variants based on the human receptor-associated protein (RAP). Advanced positions over a 10-year period from Research Assistant, Research Associate, and Senior Research Associate to Associate Scientist.

Graduate Extern

• Mar 2011 - Mar 2012

Created and maintained 27 different cell lines using a combination of oncogenes to transduce mesenchymal stem cells into pre-cancerous and transformed, cancer-like cells. These cell lines were used to model sarcomagenesis and cancer stem cells. Each cell line was characterized and compared to a mesenchymal stem cell control as well as two sarcoma cell lines: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) and Ewing’s sarcoma (ES). Select lines were then used as a platform to screen for novel tumor suppressors.

Clinical Operations Assistant

• Jun 2009 - Aug 2010

Performed administrative duties, organized quality and regulatory documents and maintained correspondence with potential principle investigators and coordinators at multiple study sites around the United States.