Alan Vest Email & Phone Number

San Diego, California, United States

San Diego, California

San Diego, California

Receptos Inc., San Diego, CA

• Participate in pharmacology and PK studies in rodents using multiple administration routes
• Experimental set-up including compound formulation and preparation for sample and data collection
• Accurate application of clinical disease scores in models of disease
• Evaluate motor control and coordination, muscular strength, and locomotor activity in study animals using a variety of tests including: Grip Strength, Rotarod, and Open Field
• Prepare detailed summary of studies in laboratory notebook and arrange for peer review
• Preparation and preliminary analysis of data

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California

• Manage vivarium including Animal Biosafety Level 1 & 2
• Assist with animal studies by harvesting tissues, weighing animals, calculating dosage, and administering experimental compounds
• Purchase animals, equipment, and consumables for animal facility and support rooms
• Member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee responsible for reviewing protocols, inspecting facility, and training staff.

University Of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• Manage the Gnotobiotics Research Animal Facility at University of Chicago
• Oversee six technicians and daily operations of a rapidly growing gnotobiotic program with 50+ flexible film isolators used by 10 principal investigators
• Assist investigators with coordinating, designing, and performing experiments
• Perform annual reviews, disciplinary actions, conduct meetings, and develop work schedules and coverage
• Work closely with facility veterinarian to develop procedures to improve quality and efficiency of program
• Communicate facility needs, including space and equipment concerns, to client representatives

University Of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• Manage and expand the Gnotobiotics program at University of Chicago
• Construct, recycle, and maintain flexible film isolators
• Manage mouse inventory and maintain complex breeding schemes to ensure appropriate production levels
• Autoclave and introduce sterile husbandry supplies into isolators
• Interview candidates, train, and oversee additional Gnotobiotic technicians beginning Jan 2010
• Ensure germ-free status of isolators by collecting and culturing fecal samples weekly

University Of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• Lead technician responsible for providing daily husbandry care for an area of more than 500 cages of mice used for behavioral research
• Work in a specialized breeding area and complete requests for breeding, weaning, sacrificing, tagging and tail sampling for investigators
• Assist with husbandry work in flexible film isolators in the gnotobiotics facility

New York, NY

• Responsible for general maintenance and daily functioning of the lab
• Purchaser of lab supplies and equipment
• Assist with experiments by following set protocols
• Prepare stock solutions of media and reagents
• Manage several breeding colonies of mice, genotype mice by PCR, irradiate mice, collect blood, and harvest organs and bone marrow for scientific analysis
• Experience with cell culture, bacterial transformation, plasmid preparation and exposure to flow cytometry, and western blotting

University Of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• Provide daily husbandry care for several hundred cages of research mice
• Change cages, provide adequate food and water, and monitor the health and well being of the mice
• Perform rodent health inspections and communicate adverse findings to investigators, and administer veterinarian-supervised animal health treatments
• Comply with company and client policies and procedures, industry standards and all applicable government regulations
• Document complete and accurate animal care records
• Gain experience working with other research animals including: rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, dogs, pigs, African clawed frogs and Rhesus monkeys