Experience

Atsena Therapeutics

• Biotechnology
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Scientist II

  • Aug 2023 - Present

• Scientist

  • Apr 2021 - Aug 2023

  As a part of Atsena's CMC team, my role focuses on assay development activities for pre-clinical and FDA filing studies. My main focus is on potency assays, and I also help establish analytical capabilities to support various projects within Atsena. I enjoy mentoring research associates while implementing strong laboratory skills. My responsibilities support multiple inherited retinal disease programs at various phases of the gene therapy development pipeline.



Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC

• United States
• Research Services
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Research Scientist

  • Oct 2020 - Mar 2021

• Postdoctoral Associate

  • Sep 2015 - Oct 2020

  During my postdoctoral work in the Sontheimer laboratory, I was interested in molecular mechanisms of Glioblastoma multiforme invasion. These primary brain tumors bear poor patient prognosis even after treatment, thus finding novel avenues to mitigate tumor behavior are urgently needed. I specifically focused on 1) regulation of an amino acid transporter, System Xc- and 2) modeling perivascular glioma invasion in zebrafish. For the first aim, I investigated p53 as a negative transcriptional regulator of the SLC7A11 gene encoding System Xc-, as a means to modulate glutamate-mediated glioma biology. For my second aim, I established zebrafish as a suitable model system to investigate the mechanisms by which glioma tumors migrate along the brain vasculature. With these studies of “abnormal glia” and my graduate work on blood-brain barrier development in zebrafish, I then focused on studying glial-vascular interactions during brain development. Aspects of developmental biology parallel what goes awry in CNS diseases like glioma, so these studies were exciting for further elucidating how development and neurobiology diseases occur. Show less



University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Scholar

  • Jan 2015 - Aug 2015

  The Sontheimer laboratory investigated glial-vascular interactions in CNS disease, with a main focus on glioma and Alzheimer's disease. I also established zebrafish as a model organism in the lab to investigate the basic molecular underpinnings of glial-vascular biology in states of normal and diseased brain. The Sontheimer laboratory investigated glial-vascular interactions in CNS disease, with a main focus on glioma and Alzheimer's disease. I also established zebrafish as a model organism in the lab to investigate the basic molecular underpinnings of glial-vascular biology in states of normal and diseased brain.



St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - ALSAC

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Research Assistant

  • Aug 2009 - Dec 2014

  My PhD dissertation research focused on utilizing zebrafish as a model organism to genetically and chemically dissect blood-brain barrier development. I also collaborated with multiple groups to screen compounds in zebrafish related to various phenotypes/pathways (Wnt signaling, carboxylesterases, otolith development). My PhD dissertation research focused on utilizing zebrafish as a model organism to genetically and chemically dissect blood-brain barrier development. I also collaborated with multiple groups to screen compounds in zebrafish related to various phenotypes/pathways (Wnt signaling, carboxylesterases, otolith development).



Saint Thomas Health

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

• Anatomic Pathology Assistant

  • Jun 2008 - Aug 2009