Experience

Emulate, Inc.

• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal Scientist, Scientific Liaison

  • Nov 2021 - Present



Abbott

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Field Clinical Scientist

  • Feb 2021 - Nov 2021

  Providing field perspective to clinical study teams throughout study protocol development and execution. Facilitating communications between science groups (internal and external) and physician partners. Engaging Applied Research, Medical Affairs, and Investigator Initiated Study teams to support clinical strategy. Providing field perspective to clinical study teams throughout study protocol development and execution. Facilitating communications between science groups (internal and external) and physician partners. Engaging Applied Research, Medical Affairs, and Investigator Initiated Study teams to support clinical strategy.



University of Pennsylvania

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Jul 2019 - Feb 2021

  University of Pennsylvania Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research Post-Doctoral Scientist • Investigating and validating novel small molecule therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis using both in vitro cell culture based and in vivo models.

• Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Jul 2019 - Feb 2021



Wake Forest University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Student

  • Aug 2015 - Jul 2019

  Graduate Research Assistant – Organoid Fabrication, Blood Brain Barrier Modeling, Neurobiology, Neurodegenerative Diseases • Designed and developed a human cell-based 3D organoid model of the neurovascular unit with a functional blood-brain barrier to bridge the gap between animal models and human studies. Designed this model to allow for the evaluation of drug penetration into the human brain and to assess their subsequent effect on brain cells • Discovered that an in vitro human cell-based blood brain barrier 3D model resembles many of the adult human blood brain barrier characteristics • Discovered that a 3D neurovascular unit model can be utilized to evaluate hypoxia induced neuroinflammation. • Revealed that 3D bio-printed brain tissue allows for proper differentiation and maturation of brain cells and hence providing novel platforms to screen drugs for clinical applications against neurological diseases • Applied regenerative medicine techniques to develop an in vitro model that can be utilized in high throughput screening schemes and disease modeling studies for use in pre-clinical studies • Developed protocols for the incorporation of the aforementioned 3D model in body on a chip system containing up to six organ specific organoids. This complex body on chip system was utilized to discover complex drug effects on brain cells and other organoids in order to emulate normal drug distribution and effects in different organs in the human body • Trained 5 undergraduate students, 4 visiting scholars, 1 laboratory technician and mentored 2 graduate students • Represented graduate students in Molecular Medicine monthly departmental meetings



Nazareth College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Private Tutor

  • Aug 2013 - May 2015

  Private Tutor – Teaching• Taught college Level Physics, Calculus, Biology and Chemistry to undergraduates• Prepared individual lesson plans for students based on current knowledge and aptitude for material• Designed student-specific study guides and practice problems founded on class-taught material

• Student

  • Aug 2011 - May 2015

  Graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Biology.Research Assistant – HIV/AIDS, Synthetic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry• Synthesized, purified, and analyzed small molecules geared toward protection against HIV-1 viral entry into human CD4 T-cells using organic synthetic chemistry• Developed a phytochemical extraction protocol to extract medicinal molecules from traditional herbs to evaluate antimicrobial activity in herbal plants traditionally utilized in wound healing• Developed a protocol to extract heavy metal from contaminated water using chelation chemistry approaches



Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

• United States
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Summer Scholar

  • Jun 2014 - Aug 2014

  Research Intern – Medicinal Chemistry • Established a chemical scheme to synthesize small molecule drug candidates against heart diseases such as atrial fibrillation • Developed a new and general approach to poly-substituted quinolones to increase molecular diversity and target binding capabilities thereby allowing for the development of novel small molecule drugs for clinical applications Research Intern – Medicinal Chemistry • Established a chemical scheme to synthesize small molecule drug candidates against heart diseases such as atrial fibrillation • Developed a new and general approach to poly-substituted quinolones to increase molecular diversity and target binding capabilities thereby allowing for the development of novel small molecule drugs for clinical applications



UC San Diego

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Summer Research Fellow

  • Jun 2013 - Aug 2013

  Research Intern – Molecular Biology • Established PCR conditions for specific chemokine cloning • Created and analyzed chemokine clones for protein crystallization using molecular biology techniques to obtain protein crystals that can be used in silico studies to evaluate drug and protein interaction in drug discovery pipelines Research Intern – Molecular Biology • Established PCR conditions for specific chemokine cloning • Created and analyzed chemokine clones for protein crystallization using molecular biology techniques to obtain protein crystals that can be used in silico studies to evaluate drug and protein interaction in drug discovery pipelines



Pacific Eye Associates

• 2100 Webster St, San Francisco, CA 94115

• Patient Care Co-ordinator

  • Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  Patient Care Coordinator – Customer Service • Documented care plans for individual patients, educated patients on therapeutic plans, implemented clinical practice guidelines and work process/patient flow improvements • Assisted the patients in coordination of any additional consults with specialists and provided specific education regarding their clinic visits and routine eye examinations • Assisted patients in recognizing and removing barriers to care to improve overall health outcomes • Demonstrated ability to be self-directed, highly organized, multi-tasked, and proficient in problem solving skills



Mater Dei Hospital -Bulawayo

• Bulawayo.

• Pharmacy Assistant

  • Jan 2011 - Jun 2011

  Pharmacy Technician. Assisted the pharmacists on duty in dispensing medications to all wards in the Hospital. Pharmacy Technician. Assisted the pharmacists on duty in dispensing medications to all wards in the Hospital.