Dr. Alexander Cook Email & Phone Number

Mainz, Rp, De

Langen, Hesse, Germany

Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Relocation of all ongoing research activities from Mainz to the new laboratory at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) on time, within budget, and in accordance with regulations, without any losses in content, strategy, or interruptions in the workflow:• Strategic planning and management of relocation work, resource planning, personnel management, timelines, and action planning.• Ensuring consistent results of experiments at both locations by planning and carrying out numerous comparative studies.• Conception and supervision of comprehensive training sessions for new laboratory members and ensuring the necessary skills, including for operating the laboratory equipment, including comprehensible and binding written documentation.• Conception and coordination of the technically and legally secure transmission and transport of data, documents, resources, and devices.• Successful dismantling and closure of the animal husbandry facilities as well as preparation and support for successful official inspections and audits.

Mainz Area, Germany

• Scholarship from the International Doctoral Program from the IMB due to the excellent work in the master's program.• Preparation and publication of manuscripts on the effects of early childhood stress on behaviour, genetics, and physiology.• Systematic and continuous improvement of projects through interventions in the planning, implementation, and analysis of research results, with the aim of increasing the level of research results and the overall efficiency of the work.• Application of established and emerging laboratory techniques in an S2 laboratory setting, including CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering, RNA sequencing, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and ELISA.• Acquisition, preparation, and testing of pharmaceutical compounds in drug screening assays.• Data and statistical analysis and visualisation of complex data sets using various programs and languages, especially Python.• Active and sometimes independent development of cooperative relationships with several laboratories. Participation and presentations at international conferences. Internal development through discussions, lectures, and presentations.• Project lead for a team of five multidisciplinary scientists.

Division Of Stereotactic And Functional Neurosurgery, Freiburg, Germany

• Support in the surgical stereotactic implantation of medical devices for deep brain stimulation in rodent models.• Initiating and writing manuscripts and performing data analysis for publications.• Assisting in the organization, administration and documentation for the operation of a large animal husbandry facility with the aim of optimal animal welfare and efficient research.• Support of research projects with a wide range of topics and differentiated requirements.

Freiburg Area, Germany

I completed an eight month internship in the Division of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Universitätsklinikum, Freiburg, Germany. During this internship, I was to carry out my Masters research project which concerned rodent models of human depression.The aim of the research was to facilitate the developmental progress of alternative treatments for Major depressive disorder (MDD), including deep brain stimulation (DBS). A range of depressive phenotypes, with focus on olfactory and social functions were tested in the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, a well-established and valid model of human depression, with the aim to improve the validity of the model and to accentuate novel aspects of depression that the FSL rat may possess.During this placements I developed a range of skills:General: project design and development, problem solving, working in a research team, and oral presentations.Animal research: behavioural testing, basic surgical procedures, and regulation and general welfareHistology: brain section preparation, staining (TH), neuronal tracing (Cholera Toxin Subunit B), and microscopy Computational Skills: statisitcal analysis, data presentation and analysis, and advanced ExcelAs a result of the internship, I presented my research at the Congress of the European Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN 2016) in Madrid, I secured a job as a research assistant in the department, and I am currently attempting to publish my research.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Biology, Magna Cum Laude (1.3)

Master’S Degree, Neuroscience Research, Distinction

Modules: - International Research Report - International Research Training Portfolio - Postgraduate Research Skills - German A1

Bachelor’S Degree, Physiology & Pharmacology, 2:1

Year 1 - Introduction to Microbiology - Introduction to Pharmacology - Introduction to Biochemistry - Human Physiology - Genetics.