Chemistry PhD student

Organic Synthesis Core of Penn State’s Cancer Institute:Performing routine chemical syntheses of small molecules. Purification of compounds by column chromatography and/or HPLC. Characterization of chemical compounds. Develop, design and conduct research projects, under general direction of faculty and/or senior research personnel and according to standard protocols or research plans. Investigate and evaluate research methods and suggest options for improving experimental process and quality. Responsible for the operation of a specialized laboratory or research area within the department and related data analysis for a research project. Oversees day-to-day operation of project. Collect and correlate data, recognize discrepancies in results, and follow protocols through a series of related detailed steps or processes. Initiate or contribute data/analysis/design for use in technical reports, documents, proposals, or oral/written presentations. Prepares reports, drafts manuscripts, and present data at meetings and conferences. Train users in equipment operation and research techniques, explain and demonstrate technology and equipment capabilities, operations limitations and outcomes. Schedule and maintain records of equipment/facility. May assemble, test calibrate, clean or make minor repairs to equipment. Basic knowledge of organic chemistry and laboratory techniques. Understanding of Chemical synthesis of small molecules.

Research Scientist: Worked on internal research projects to produce manuscripts and grant applications.Grant writing- Worked with and without collaborators on different federal grant applications (mostly NIH). Consisted of; Running/developing preliminary experiments, writing the research strategy and specific aims sections of grants, working with collaborators on specific aptamer related sections for their grants, searching for Request for Proposals (RFPs), and coming up with ideas for aptamer related products that could be funded by a Grant/relevant RFP. Manuscript writing- Developing and editing protocol for different experiments. Writing/editing (sometimes as first author) manuscripts for publication/review. Worked on lab bench to assist on projectsWorked with: PCR, PAGE, aliquoting, transcription and reverse transctiption, NextGen Sequencing, Aptamer SELEX, Bioinformatics, and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Business Development: Worked on generating new sources of funding for Aptagen.Worked on: Developing ideas for grant submission to make potential products. Sought out potential business partners and potential collaborators. General sales support. Looked for and talked to potential investors in either Aptagen or related NewCo. Reviewing and following up on detailed market research reports. Other business related nuances.

Biomedical Engineering Department; Dr. Daniel Hayes’s lab in nanoparticle drug delivery• Worked on project in nanoparticle synthesis. o Conducting and analyzing data from DLS, Zeta potential, FT-IR, SEM, and XRD o Synthesized and functionalized nanoparticles • Worked on bioassays for drug delivery and effectivenessIsolated and cultured p0 hASCsCollaborate with other team members on experimental design, mostly in a molecular cell biology aspect.