Experience

Rubius Therapeutics

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal Scientist /Associate Dir. Team Lead, cell membrane targeting, vector engineering

  • Dec 2015 - Present

  Cambridge, MA USA Platform Innovation Department: Project and team lead. • Cell membrane functionalization, weponizing, and cell targeting. • Designed and developed the next generation of a Red Cell for biomedical applications by conjugating small molecules and therapeutic proteins onto the RBC cell surface via click chemistry and lipid-spacer mediated membrane attachment. • Led in-vitro drug prototype functional testing as well as preclinical murine in-vivo studies (PK/PD) in Platform group… Show more Platform Innovation Department: Project and team lead. • Cell membrane functionalization, weponizing, and cell targeting. • Designed and developed the next generation of a Red Cell for biomedical applications by conjugating small molecules and therapeutic proteins onto the RBC cell surface via click chemistry and lipid-spacer mediated membrane attachment. • Led in-vitro drug prototype functional testing as well as preclinical murine in-vivo studies (PK/PD) in Platform group. Technical Operations Department: Team Lead For Vector Engineering, Gene Delivery Strategies, And Drug Safety. • Developed and delivered a non-viral /integrating drug prototype expression system at clinical scale with increased safety and larger gene-encoding capacity as an alternative to LVV for production of a Red Cell Therapy. • Optimized expression vector-mRNAs for increased protein expression and drug prototype half life • Successfully developed and optimized the methods for a Transposon-based expression system to manufacture a Red Cell Therapeutic at clinical scale. • Demonstrated prototype functionality in-vitro and in-vivo (PK/PD). • LVV vector engineering and manufacturing: • Led a team of scientists to design and construct viral vector plasmids and to manufacture LVV for prototype functional testing. • Supported Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, QC/QA groups and acted as CMC-liaison to Aldevron, Lentigen and Tri-Link for cGMP manufacturing. • Collaborated on establishing drug safety parameters and developed suicide switches for the Red Cell platform to augment its safety profile. • Improved efficacy of drug products by optimizing LVV transduction methods. Show less



AstraZeneca

• Senior Scientist

  • Jan 2014 - Dec 2015

  Waltham, MA. USA Major Focus: Identify small molecule inhibitors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) replication for lead optimization. Achievements: • Established a human Respiratory Syncytial Virus reverse genetics rescue system to construct and test recombinant RSV drug resistant mutants. • Utilized RSV rescue system to determine the MoA of lead compounds and conducted drug precipitation studies. • Led efforts in the development of lead compounds: screened HTS- hit compounds, tested… Show more Major Focus: Identify small molecule inhibitors of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) replication for lead optimization. Achievements: • Established a human Respiratory Syncytial Virus reverse genetics rescue system to construct and test recombinant RSV drug resistant mutants. • Utilized RSV rescue system to determine the MoA of lead compounds and conducted drug precipitation studies. • Led efforts in the development of lead compounds: screened HTS- hit compounds, tested compound serum binding activity, performed resistance studies on RSV entry and post-entry inhibitors, time of addition studies. • Utilized Illumina-NGS to characterize hRSV lab strains and clinical isolates. Show less



Boston University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoc

  • Jun 2007 - Dec 2013

  Major Focus: To identify the mechanisms by which vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) inhibits the translation of host cell proteins while maintaining the translation of viral proteins. Achievements: • Demonstrated that VSV replication represses specific host cell signaling pathways upon infection. • Characterized the intracellular signaling pathways that are activated/inhibited during viral replication. • Identified interactions between VSV viral proteins and the host cell… Show more Major Focus: To identify the mechanisms by which vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) inhibits the translation of host cell proteins while maintaining the translation of viral proteins. Achievements: • Demonstrated that VSV replication represses specific host cell signaling pathways upon infection. • Characterized the intracellular signaling pathways that are activated/inhibited during viral replication. • Identified interactions between VSV viral proteins and the host cell translation machinery using IP, LP Chromatography and MS. • Characterized new small molecule inhibitors of VSV replication. Show less



Dartmouth College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoc

  • 2000 - 2005

  Hanover , NH Major Focus: To understand the mechanisms by which mRNA is processed for export from the nucleus. Achievements: • Developed protocols to isolate mRNA/protein complexes by affinity precipitation. • Discovered and characterized functional domains of Poly-A binding protein important for the biogenesis of mRNA. • Identified novel genetic interactions with the PAB1 gene by screening genetic PAB1-mutants for high copy suppressors.



University of Glasgow, Institute of Virology.

• PHD Student

  • 1995 - 2001

  Doctor of Philosophy, Molecular Virology Thesis: Development of a reverse genetics system to investigate Bunyamwera virus RNA synthesis. Advisor: Prof. Richard M. Elliott. Achievements: • Established a novel in vitro plasmid based expression system involving the expression and recognition of artificial RNA viral mini genomes by recombinant viral proteins. • Utilized this system to study viral transcription and replication of the Bunyamwera virus RNA genome and to determine… Show more Doctor of Philosophy, Molecular Virology Thesis: Development of a reverse genetics system to investigate Bunyamwera virus RNA synthesis. Advisor: Prof. Richard M. Elliott. Achievements: • Established a novel in vitro plasmid based expression system involving the expression and recognition of artificial RNA viral mini genomes by recombinant viral proteins. • Utilized this system to study viral transcription and replication of the Bunyamwera virus RNA genome and to determine the minimum recombinant viral proteins requirements for viral-RNA recognition and transcription. Show less