Ashrifa Ali Email & Phone Number

Austin, Tx, Us

Austin, Texas, United States

Project: The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output cells of the retina, results in loss of vision in glaucoma and there are no FDA approved therapies to prevent this death. My postdoctoral research will identify novel protective pathways in RGCs that preserve them after damage. This work is significant in that protective pathways we discover can be leveraged to develop new therapies to preserve RGCs in glaucoma.Responsibilities/Duties:• Review the literature for research developments and progress in enhancing RGC survival during glaucoma and optic nerve injury.• Lead a small research team focused on identifying neuroprotective genes that could be reverse engineered to in-crease RGC survival in humans.• Work independently to conceptualize, execute, and interpret experiments while actively pursuing collaborations to enrich research outcomes.• Sustain expertise through continuous review of contemporary scientific literature and orchestrate journal club ses-sions to critically evaluate published data and review findings.• Flourish in high-paced settings, adeptly managing multiple tasks to bolster efficiency without compromising quality.• Present research findings and interpretations to peers, superiors, and non-science personnel on a regular basis.

Austin, Texas, United States

Key Responsibilities:1. Strategic Leadership: - Develop and execute the company’s strategic plan to achieve long-term business objectives. - Communicate the company's vision, mission, and strategy to employees, investors, and stakeholders. - Ensure the alignment of the company’s strategic initiatives with market opportunities and industry trends.2. Operational Management: - Oversee daily operations and ensure efficient management of resources. - Monitor performance metrics and organizational efficiency, making adjustments as needed. - Ensure the implementation of effective business practices and continuous improvement processes.3. Team Leadership: - Build and lead a high-performing executive team, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. - Provide guidance and support to senior management to achieve departmental goals. - Promote professional development and succession planning within the organization.4. Innovation and Growth: - Identify and pursue new business opportunities, markets, and partnerships. - Drive innovation within the company, encouraging the development of new products and services. - Lead initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction and expand the company’s market share.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Research Focus: Identifying the role of scaffolding protein AKAP12 in regulating endothelial cell biology, the dysfunction of which is an underlying factor in hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and tumor. Responsibilities/Duties:• Reviewed the cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome literature to identify the biomedical relevance of investigat-ing AKAP12 protein isoforms and determine the gaps in knowledge.• Designed and executed several projects that led to several oral and poster presentations. • Optimized protocols for the lab while utilizing critical thinking and problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles faced in research projects.• Presented at over 15 conferences (local/national/international) where I was able to solicit constructive feedback from peer-level and more experienced scientists.• Worked independently on my project while collaborating with core facilities and peers.• Instructed microbiology laboratory classes for Nursing undergrads.• Tutored biochemistry for 1st year medical students for 2 consecutive years.

United States Of America

Used:- CRISPR/Cas9 to knock out gene of interest- Cell based assays ( migration, proliferation, angiogenesis)- Protein assays (BCA, ELISA, IF, western blotting)- Molecular biology (DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, Sanger sequencing, RNA seq, plasmid construction, transfection, Lentiviral transductions, bacterial culture)- Immunofluorescence microscopy o Live cell imaging (DMi8 Leica Thunder)o Confocal imaging (Olympus FV1000 MPE, Olympus FV3000)o Epifluorescence imaging (DMi8 Leica Thunder)o Calcium imaging (Olympus IX83)o Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) (Zeiss LSM-510)-Bio-image informatics o Designed workflows for multi-parametric analysis of cellular images.o Used FIJI/Image J macros for batch processing of images.o Used FIJI/Image J plugins to quantify data from images in an unbiased manner. - Bioinformatics - oRNA- seq analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated knock out cell lines to identify protein variants, differentially expressed genes and off targets.- Mass Spectrometry - o Extraction of lipid oxidation products from pulverised fish samples. o Prepared samples and ran on UPLC – MS (Xevo TQ‐S, Waters)- Managed laboratory - Teaching Assistant ( Microbiology 2020- undergraduates & Methods for quantitative imaging - graduates)- Tutored Block I biochemistry for InMed program - medical students-Statistical Analysis using GraphPad Prism – Power Analysis, Student’s T Test, One- and Two-way ANOVA with multiple comparisons with post hoc analysis as corrections for multiple comparison. -Maintained laboratory operations, updating and revising standardised operating procedures and reordering raw materials and supplies to sustain experiments and workflow. -Managed and trained 4 students in laboratory.

Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka

- Taught (Theory and Practical) Microbiology, Plant and Animal Tissue Culture, Biotechnology- Initiated and facilitated the Journal Club - a forum for undergraduates to discuss primary literature- Counseled the undergraduates - career paths- Designed the foundation curriculum for SCQF accreditation- Designed and taught an elective course 'Health Research Methods and Evidence Based Medicine- Designed laboratory classes and taught biochemistry, biotechnology and tissue culture lab classes. -Maintained laboratory operations, updating and revising standardized operating procedures and reordering raw materials and supplies to sustain workflow.-Initiated the ‘Journal Club’ to promote a culture of primary reading and coached more than 75 undergraduates in scientific communication. -Designed and facilitated workshops to promote the undergraduate program among high school students. -Mentored the student editorial board to launch a student led magazine. -Designed marketing and promotional content to increase student registrations by 30%. -Liaised with press and social media promoters to increase institute’s visibility.

London, England, United Kingdom

- Attempted to 3-dimensionally construct a blood vessel using collagen scaffolds. - Practiced aseptic techniques and good laboratory practices. - Co-cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells in a collagen scaffold. - Performed immunohistochemistry of sectioned samples.

London, England, United Kingdom

Analyzing the proteome of C. difficile using MALDI mass spectrometry to be used as a rapid diagnostic tool.- Conducted MALDI mass spectrometry analysis of pathogenic vs non-pathogenic Clostridium difficile strains which led to development of a potential barcode that could be used as rapid diagnostic tool.- Maintained various strains Clostridium difficile and MRSA cultures. - Methanol sample preparation for MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. - Samples were analyzed using MALDI-ToF (Axima Performance (Shimadzu)).- The peak profiles were analyzed, and the identification was carried out using the Vitek MS/Vitek II (BioMerieux)

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Biomedical Sciences, General

Activities and Societies: North Dakota Academy of Science (NDAS) American Association of Anatomists American Society for Cell Biology.

Postdoctoral Research, Biomedical Sciences, General

The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output cells of the retina, results in loss of vision in glaucoma and there are no FDA.

Bachelor'S Degree, Biotechnology, Biochemistry And Microbiology