Brendan Alejandro Lara Email & Phone Number

Watertown, Massachusetts, United States

Lab Technician on the Viral Vectors team supporting the production and quality control of AAV particles containing specialized plasmids for shipment to research facilities globally. Involved in full production of AAV particles from transfection to harvest, to purification and concentration. Perform quality control assays of AAV particles including sterility and expression testing, and viral DNA extraction for sequencing. Maintain mammalian cell culture lines for both AAVPro cells and N2a cells. Complete accurate documentation for all data and information associated with viral preparations and quality control progress and results. Participate in team meetings and collaborate with team members. Support lab operations as needed including maintaining a clean working environment and decontamination of waste.

Provided feedback on AI model prompts and responses. Most recent project involved a Spanish Large Language AI Model. Checked for safety violations on the part of the user prompt or AI response. Checked for grammar, spelling, and cultural errors in AI responses. Verified accuracy of information provided by the AI. Created prompts for AI to test ability to follow instructions and creativity. Rated quality of responses on the basis of helpfulness, harmlessness, and honesty.

English tutor for students and professionals in Korea. Scheduled tutoring sessions, prepared lesson plans, and performed background research on client's goals. Led 20 or 40 minute virtual lessons involving conversation with client on preplanned topic or free discussion. Provided real time, high quality feedback on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency. After each session, completed an in-depth feedback report to record client progress and set future goals.

Medford, Massachusetts, United States

Quality assurance for an MBTA call center. Audited phone calls of employees to ensure quality customer service. Analyzed large data sets to verify that drivers were providing timely rides and quality service to our clients. Addressed customer complaints through in-depth, data-driven investigation of the incidents and high-quality feedback. Answered phone calls and booked rides for elderly and medical patients, employing empathy and de-escalation.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Harvard’s undergraduate student-run chain of gift shops. Maintained high standards of customer service, performed day-to-day store management, managed inventory, performed cash register reconciliation, and remained current with all things Harvard to provide accurate and helpful information to the public.

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Wainford Lab at Boston University Medical School. Worked closely with graduate students in the study of hypertension, particularly the neural and cardiac methods of blood pressure regulation. Focusing on the hypothalamus: performed rat perfusion, brain extraction, and immunohistochemistry with cFos. Performed statistical analysis by implementing ImageJ software and Excel spreadsheets. Other general tasks in the lab included making stock solutions, mounting slides, and participating in lab-wide meetings.