This volunteer consulting engagement aimed to develop a marketing strategy for a volunteering platform that seeks to inform local volunteers and connect them with the organizations that need them.

Supervisors: Dr. Olivia Rissland & Dr. James Ellis | Hospital for Sick Children & University of TorontoThesis: Investigating the extent to which coding sequence regulates human transcript stabilityPublications:• Coding regions affect mRNA stability in human cells. Ashrut Narula, James Ellis, J. Matthew Taliaferro, Olivia S. Rissland. RNA. 2019 Dec;25(12):1751-1764. PMID 31527111.• Regulatory Expansion in Mammals of Multivalent hnRNP Assemblies that Globally Control Alternative… Show more Supervisors: Dr. Olivia Rissland & Dr. James Ellis | Hospital for Sick Children & University of TorontoThesis: Investigating the extent to which coding sequence regulates human transcript stabilityPublications:• Coding regions affect mRNA stability in human cells. Ashrut Narula, James Ellis, J. Matthew Taliaferro, Olivia S. Rissland. RNA. 2019 Dec;25(12):1751-1764. PMID 31527111.• Regulatory Expansion in Mammals of Multivalent hnRNP Assemblies that Globally Control Alternative Splicing. Serge Gueroussov*, Robert J. Weatheritt*, Dave O’Hanlon, Zhen-Yuan Lin, Ashrut Narula, Anne-Claude Gingras, Benjamin J. Blencowe. 2017. Cell 170(2):324-339. PMID 28709000.Highlights:• Awarded best all-round M.Sc. student in department (Top 1 of over 100) in 2016• Developed a novel RNA-sequencing based methodology to systematically investigate mRNA stability• Processed and analysed resultant Next-Generation Sequencing datasets using programming languages R, Perl, Bash, and external bioinformatic tools• Initiated and managed collaborative projects with 5 local and international scientific groups• Communicated scientific findings at 4 scientific symposia across Canada, the USA, and Europe, with up to 300 researchers in attendance; awarded 2 competitive travel bursaries and one poster prize (Top 7 of 137) • Secured over $25,000 in external grant funding from government and private sourcesThesis summary:My graduate work examines the contribution of open reading frame (ORF) sequence to the stability of mRNA transcripts on a global scale. I have developed and optimized a protocol that utilizes the human ORFeome library in such a way that the stability of all ORFs can be analyzed independently of their UTRs. We use this system to identify the extent to which codon usage affects human transcript stability, and determine the factors and pathways involved in this process. Show less

• Simulated the role of a market access specialist with an industry mentor, by developing and evaluating a strategy for an FDA approved therapy to expand into the Canadian patient market.• Conducted clinical review and competitor analysis to negotiate reimbursement terms with stakeholders.

• Provided pro-bono consulting services to a non-profit addressing food insecurity in northern Canada• Researched and parsed real-world data into a financial model framework to optimise client product portfolio• Quantified market demand and generated a pricing strategy targeting a 10-year break-even timeline• Presented regular progress updates in a team of 5 to the client over an 8-month engagement

As a Laboratory TA, I assisted in guiding and evaluating fourth year undergraduate students in the Dept. of Biochemistry’s advanced laboratory course, while ensuring they retained the underlying scientific principles

Supervisor: Dr. Grant W. BrownThesis: Characterising interactors of the DNA Damage Tolerance protein Rad5 in S. cerevisiaePublication: Rad5 Recruits Error-Prone DNA Polymerases for Mutagenic Repair of ssDNA Gaps on Undamaged Templates. David Gallo, TaeHyung Kim, Barnabas Szakal, Xanita Saayman, Ashrut Narula, Yoona Park, Dana Branzei, Zhaolei Zhang, Grant W. Brown. Mol Cell. 2019 Mar 7;73(5):900-914.e9. PMID 30733119.My senior undergraduate thesis characterized downstream… Show more Supervisor: Dr. Grant W. BrownThesis: Characterising interactors of the DNA Damage Tolerance protein Rad5 in S. cerevisiaePublication: Rad5 Recruits Error-Prone DNA Polymerases for Mutagenic Repair of ssDNA Gaps on Undamaged Templates. David Gallo, TaeHyung Kim, Barnabas Szakal, Xanita Saayman, Ashrut Narula, Yoona Park, Dana Branzei, Zhaolei Zhang, Grant W. Brown. Mol Cell. 2019 Mar 7;73(5):900-914.e9. PMID 30733119.My senior undergraduate thesis characterized downstream effectors of Rad5, a key protein in the DNA Damage Tolerance response. Using the budding yeast as a model system, I demonstrated that Rad5 physically interacts with the Mgs1 ATPase and Pso2 nuclease during replication stress. In addition, I engineered mutations at key conserved residues of Mgs1 and Pso2 and assayed their requirement for recruitment to stalled replication forks. I presented a poster summarizing this work at an international conference hosted at the University of Buffalo.Techniques employed: Confocal fluorescence microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation western blot, site-directed mutagenesis, common molecular biology and biochemistry tools, yeast genetics Show less

Supervisor: Dr. Marc D. MeneghiniThesis: Roles of the histone demethylase Jhd2 in gene expression and mitochondrial feedback control in S. cerevisiaePublication: Mitochondrial control through nutritionally regulated global histone H3 lysine-4 demethylation. Maria Soloveychik, Mengshu Xu, Olga Zaslaver, Kwanyin Lee, Ashrut Narula, River Jiang, Adam Rosebrock, Amy Caudy, Marc Meneghini. 2016. Nature Scientific Reports 6:37942. PMID 27897198.My junior thesis advanced our… Show more Supervisor: Dr. Marc D. MeneghiniThesis: Roles of the histone demethylase Jhd2 in gene expression and mitochondrial feedback control in S. cerevisiaePublication: Mitochondrial control through nutritionally regulated global histone H3 lysine-4 demethylation. Maria Soloveychik, Mengshu Xu, Olga Zaslaver, Kwanyin Lee, Ashrut Narula, River Jiang, Adam Rosebrock, Amy Caudy, Marc Meneghini. 2016. Nature Scientific Reports 6:37942. PMID 27897198.My junior thesis advanced our understanding of the role of chromatin in the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. Through my analysis of RNA transcript levels in various metabolic states, we were able to show that the H3K4 demethylase Jhd2 alters histone methylation status in response to nutrient conditions and mitochondrial cues. In addition, I also demonstrated a link between this histone modifying enzyme and the yeast replicative lifespan. My work was included in a recently published manuscript.Techniques employed: RT-qPCR, replicative lifespan analysis, genetic interaction, yeast genetics, common genetic and biochemistry techniques Show less

Supervisor: Dr. Jinrong MinThesis: Structural studies of the transcriptional regulators DPF2/3 and the oxidative stress mediator TXNIPPublication: Structural basis for the regulatory role of the PPxY motifs in the thioredoxin-interacting protein TXNIP. Yanli Liu, Johnathan Lau, Weiguo Li, Wolfram Tempel, Aiping Dong, Ashrut Narula, Su Qin, Jinrong Min. 2015. Biochem J. PMID 26527736.My work as a sophomore at the Structural Genomics Consortium’s Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics… Show more Supervisor: Dr. Jinrong MinThesis: Structural studies of the transcriptional regulators DPF2/3 and the oxidative stress mediator TXNIPPublication: Structural basis for the regulatory role of the PPxY motifs in the thioredoxin-interacting protein TXNIP. Yanli Liu, Johnathan Lau, Weiguo Li, Wolfram Tempel, Aiping Dong, Ashrut Narula, Su Qin, Jinrong Min. 2015. Biochem J. PMID 26527736.My work as a sophomore at the Structural Genomics Consortium’s Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics Group involved the structural characterization of multiple proteins. I used basic biochemical techniques to express and purify the transcriptional regulators DPF2/3. In addition, I was part of the team that solved and characterized the complexed crystal structure of Itch E3 ubiquitin ligase with its target TXNIP, a protein involved in negatively regulating the antioxidative activity of thioredoxin. I served as an author on the corresponding publication.Techniques employed: Affinity and size exclusion chromatography, protein crystallisation, isothermal titration calorimetry, common biochemistry and molecular biology techniques Show less