Aaron Keeler, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Raleigh, NC, US

Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Durham, North Carolina, United States

• Accomplishments include:
• Expressed, purified, and characterized a novel Plasmodium protein (Pfsa3), implicated in malaria infection of over 20% of sickle celled individuals
• Determined substrate scope, binding affinity, and kinetic parameters of Pfsa3 through optimization of an in vitro assay; conducted a high-throughput screening endeavor using a 3,500 compound library to identify.

Durham, NC

• Employed diverse analytical techniques (FPLC, LCMS-QQQ, GCMS, HPLC, MALDI-TOF) to purify and enzymatically characterize >30 atypical parasitic proteins for the first time
• Developed high throughput assays to identify drug-like small molecule inhibitors of essential parasite proteins for use as novel anti-malarial agents, enabling 3 first author publications in leading scientific journals
• Characterized the binding location and affinity of drug-like inhibitors through proteomic techniques, biochemical assays, and computational methods, resulting in the identification of 4 prioritized drug candidates
• Led high-impact collaborations with both medical and academic professionals and helped secure over $2.5 million dollars in NIH funding through R01 grants

Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina Area

• Spearheaded the formulation and development of customer product modifications, optimized over 50 small-scale batches and conducted rigorous quality assurance tests, resulting in enhanced product performance and.
• Led a team that reformulated a new high-gloss cabinet coating that generated new 7-figure business from a large industrial client
• Developed and validated low cost coatings formulations using cheaper raw material alternatives, which decreased costs on average by 10% per batch

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area

Development of a Repressor-Protein Biosensor for Non-Natural Malonyl-CoAs, Spring 2017 – Present - Williams Lab- Designed and cloned FapR protein into MatB containing plasmid producing fluorescence in the presence of malonyl-CoAs- Utilized directed evolution and FACS sorting to rapidly screen error-prone mutants for improved variantsDevelopment and Testing.

North Carolina State University

Responsible for providing assistance and help to NC State students at any hour. Assisted University housing in placing work orders and giving needed materials to custodial staff, as well as logged and delivered packages to both students and staff. Worked directly with each student and staff member to ensure their needs were fulfilled

Mebane, NC

Responsible for overseeing up to four wash assistants each shift, as well as hand detailed, washed, and inspected cars throughout the car wash process. Also worked directly with each customer to ensure their needs were met in an appropriate and respectful fashion.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Chemistry

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Chemistry, 3.90/4.0

Activities and Societies: American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Ambassador, Cosmetic Chemistry Club, Howard Satterfield Chemistry Merit.