Blake Karavas Email and Phone Number

As a MOVE Strength and Performance Coach, I perform movement screens, design personalized strength and conditioning programs, and coach clients toward their fitness goals. I work with athletes of all levels, from high-level runners to athletes returning to exercise after injury. I have led warm-up and cool-down sessions for Marathon Sports Run Club runners to educate runners about the importance of dynamic warm-ups and stretching for physical performance and injury prevention. I also assist with marketing and outreach by promoting our run-specific strengthening and endurance program at the 2022 Boston Marathon Exposition and promoting exercise programs and group fitness classes for residents at Boston-based apartment and condominium complexes.

I helped develop antibiotics that selectively treat Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens (i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Escherichia coli, or Borreliella burgdorferi in the lab of Dr. Kim Lewis. These antibiotics were isolated from bacteria in global microbiomes (i.e., the soil, ocean, and nematode gut microbiomes). I also developed a high-throughput screening platform to identify compounds with antimicrobial activity, and I computationally identified, modeled, and tested new antibiotics to determine their activity and mechanism of action. I have demonstrated leadership by mentoring a post-doctoral researcher, a visiting scientist, a lab technician, and three undergraduate volunteers in antibiotic discovery and molecular biology.

Motion capture camera data of gait mechanics was collected during participant visits to study the effects of walking interventions on knee osteoarthritis in the lab of Dr. Joshua Stefanik. I analyzed the motion capture data using Qualisys Track Manager and Visual3D to calculate kinematics and kinetics measures. I presented articles and participated in journal club discussions on gait modification as an intervention for knee osteoarthritis. For my Senior Biology Capstone, I wrote the research proposal “Effects of Walking Mechanics on Knee Osteoarthritis Related Muscle Activity in Females”.

Constructed a library of small molecules re-purposed for targeting single molecular targets in the nervous system believed to play a role in the progression of cancer and inflammatory diseases (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease, colitis, and endometriosis) as a Research Associate on the Small-molecule Drug Discovery Team. I also helped with the identification of new molecular targets in the nervous system through literature reviews and presented these findings at team meetings. Meeting feedback was used to improve target identification and small-molecule search strategies. At the end of my Co-op, I mentored the next Small-molecule Drug Discovery Research Associate as a part of succession planning and to create a seamless role transition.

Coached clients towards their fitness goals.Conducted workshops for campus staff, teaching proper exercise technique, supervision, and policies.Developed and taught the “Campus Recreation and Employee Training” course for classes of 20 prospective personal trainers.Hired and mentored new personal trainers throughout the onboarding process.

Corrected assessments for 36 students enrolled in the Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology course.

Provided instruction and guidance for first-year biochemistry majors.

Studied the neurobiological mechanisms regulating motivational behavior using optogenetic, RNAi, and Gal4/UAS tools in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. By studying the inter- and intra-courtship behavior of diverse Drosophila species, and mounting and staining D. melanogaster dissections for fluorescence imaging, we investigated molecular targets in the D. melanogaster nervous system that increase motivational drive. I presented project results and further directions at joint lab meetings and used feedback to improve our experimental design.

Installed and terminated fiber optic and Cat5e cables, with SC and RJ45 connectors, for security systems.

I supported a team of 27 Physical Therapists at the Outpatient Physical Therapy Center (OPTC) and Spine Therapy Clinic, capable of treating over 200 patients a day. At the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) clinics, I helped Physical Therapists and patients with exercise programs, the setup of modalities, and general facility maintenance. Aside from the day-to-day tasks at the rehabilitation facilities, I assisted a nationally preeminent bike fitting specialist at the Tisch Sports Performance Center and Motion Analysis Lab, conducted a literature review of total knee replacement outcomes for use in clinical research (i.e., by a team of MDs, PTs, and PAs), and volunteered at NYRR races (i.e., the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half-marathon, and the 2018 Popular Brooklyn Half-marathon). by effective goal-setting and prioritization strategies• • Mentored new volunteers and Rehabilitation Technicians at the OPTC and Spine Therapy Clinics• Participated in cervical spine, Schroth method, Pilates, Kinesio Taping, and blood flow restriction training workshops• Performed an in-service presentation on the applications of blood flow restriction training for athletes and patients with knee osteoarthritis• Awarded 2nd Floor Rehab MVP of the month (June 2018) • Invited by the Hospital for Special Surgery staff to extend my co-op employment an additional month beyond my originally scheduled date (highly unusual)

Taught science, math, and humanities courses at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.Temporary Full-Time Physical Education SubstitutePlanned and taught daily exercise activities for four Physical Education courses at the Amherst Middle School.

Assembled and collated label packages for rush orders and large orders.

Completed a diverse selection of jobs for the community, such as tutoring, painting, landscaping, and moving.

Provided software consulting through the summer.