Christopher Dasaro Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Bethesda, Md, United States

Molecular Neuropharmacology Section -- PI: Dr. David Sibley, Ph.D.Working at the NIH allowed me to explore pharmacology research and developments to unprecedented extent. As part of the Sibley group, I helped elucidate the matrix of variables involved in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, namely that of the Dopamine Receptor subtypes. By using an array of radioligand- and bioluminescent-based assays, I helped characterize various pieces of the D2 receptor's intracellular interactome such as B-arrestin-2 recruitment, G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) signaling, and agonist-induced conformational changes across these helper proteins.

Ingersoll/Teissere Lab; Muhlenberg College; Allentown, Pa

Ultimately taking on many forms, my projects in the Ingersoll & Teissere labs instilled within me an undying appreciation for nuance and a drive to continue asking questions ...For my first project, by using analytical chemistry methods such as HPLC-DAD and GC-MS, I discerned and quantified the constituents of various complex phyto-compounds. Under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Ingersoll, my lab strongly emphasized interdisciplinary study and communication--regularly collaborating with a neighboring neuropharmacology lab. Past ventures have included studying the degree to which plant-based compounds modulate the GABA[A] receptor and hypothesizing prospective compositional modulators. I have assisted in drafting abstracts for the American Chemical Society Expo., Lehigh Valley Society for Neuroscience, and an Honor's Thesis in chemistry. For this, I was nominated for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship during my sophomore and junior year.As my passion of molecular neuropharmacology blossomed later in my undergraduate career, I sought the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy A. Teissere in modeling the GABA[A] receptor and pertinent ligands. To do so, I independently learned a variety of open-source softwares and programs such as UCSF Chimera, PyMol, T-Coffee, and SWISS-MODEL. My ultimate aim was to conduct molecular dynamics simulations on the compounds the lab was assessing, model relevant point mutations, and ultimately give a more macroscopic perspective (on the computer) of the electrophysiology derived from the voltage clamp. After working on this project for ~1.5 years, I helped draft zDOPE-score validated α1β2γ, α1β2, and extrasynaptic δ pentamers.Such experiences reinforced to me the power of taking initiative and my love for independent instruction. They also taught me how to identify gaps in team projects--often filling them in novel ways, effectively forging a new path for the future.

Allentown, Pennsylvania Area

I worked primarily as a community builder and mentor for nearly 200 underclassmen residents. I regularly coordinated Hall programs to build a more cooperative atmosphere in the Residence Hall while also enforcing Campus policy via a mutualistic relationship with Muhlenberg's professional housing staff. Furthermore, I managed and worked with an independent staff of seven other Resident Advisors (RA).In reflecting on my role as a HD--and how I grew from an RA, I immediately appreciate my practiced capacity to, in an unprecedentedly nuanced fashion, wear a dearth of different hats, so to speak. When I conducted rounds through the Hall, I was very jovial with my Residents, yet consistently had to keep watch for potential safety hazards, violations, etc. This effectively gave my job a duality of sorts; in some settings I was an intermediate point-of-contact between Muhlenberg's Housing Office, Campus Safety, and the students. In others, I was a resource--a fellow, often more experienced student who could advise on classes to take and routes through which one could best succeed. Still, a hat that I always wore was that of a mentor and confidant. Regardless of the time of day/night, whenever a student made it clear they were struggling and in need, I sprang into action with a list of resources, possible avenues for self-growth and development, and reassurance. These moments cannot be neatly folded into the confines of a 40-hour pay-week, but perhaps that's what helped me derive the most fulfillment from the job.

I've always loved teaching. Yet, oddly enough, public speaking--like many others--has been one of my biggest fears for most of my life. So when Dr. Joseph Keane offered me the opportunity to TA his introductory chemistry class, I was initially hesitant. As the class was largely made up of freshmen who were newly adjusting to college and anxious about their first collegiate-level science course, I knew there would be quite a bit of tension involved as well.Unexpectedly, this role became one of the most transformative in my undergraduate career. My time as a TA has demonstrated to me the power that education has to change a student’s experience. To me, there was no better feeling than walking a student through a difficult problem-set and seeing them leave the workshop as a more confident student and scientist. However, to achieve this, I had to recognize and overcome the strong difference between understanding a concept and teaching that concept. To bridge this gap, I created brief lesson plans that break each topic down into steps. Doing so necessitated me to, at each step, ask myself “why?” and assess my capacity to explain the concept even deeper. Yet, when teaching, I also have the intuition to troubleshoot and readjust my teaching style, even if only one student seems lost. This taught me that teaching is not a one-size-fits-all skill, and editing my style—sometimes on the fly—is necessary for success as an educator. Though I became frustrated when a prepared walkthrough was not well-received, I overcame this by better connecting with my students and asking them to identify the exact moment of confusion.In the future, I want to use the skills and blessings derived from this experience in a mentorship and medical education-based setting.

Patchogue, Ny

Having had years of wet-lab research experience at this point, in the summer of 2019, I was awarded the Alumni Board Career Scholarship to extend my love for research into a novel and clinical setting. Here, I was challenged in new and exciting ways that have paid dividends in inspiring my future as a scientist ... At South Shore Neurologic, I largely oversaw, organized, and analyzed EHR (NeuroTax/NextGen) data for patients with varying severities of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As part of a retrospective study where icometrix volumetric MRI imaging was taken, I organized a multidimensional gate-based data framework and independently analyzed such data for correlations. Since my primary role here was a data analyst, I think the largest challenge that I faced was the sheer amount of data that I was tasked with organizing--over 500 patients each with upwards of 20 volumetric, gating, pharmacological, and IgG subclass profiles. To efficiently coordinate this data over the weeks that I handled it, I set independent goals hourly goals for myself whereby I aimed to analyze, e.g, fifty patients within a given timeframe before allowing myself a break. The intent here was two-fold: first to maintain my rhythm, but also to ensure that my stamina allowed me to effectively and honestly analyze each patient with minimal mistakes. All too often in academia (particularly recently, so it seems), investigators and colleagues feel a pressure to garner significant results for publication--a sentiment largely rooted in the time they have invested into a project, among other factors. By tackling the large dataset that I oversaw in a more piecewise fashion, I was able to more holistically and honestly appreciate the relationships (or lack thereof) without feeling any sense of sunk-cost when results were irrelevant or insignificant.

Doctor Of Medicine - Md

Bachelor Of Science, Neuroscience, Dana Scholar (Honors College); Magna Cum Laude

Activities and Societies: Alpha Epsilon Delta; Alpha Alpha Alpha; NCAA DIII Track & Field; End Overdose Together; Food Recovery Network *.

Medical Practice & Policy (Mpp)

Activities and Societies: As part of the MPP program, I took the following courses (accompanied projects designated in [#]): - Human.

Honors Graduate

Activities and Societies: National Honor Society; News 12 Long Island Scholar-Athlete Candidate; National AP Merit Award 2015, 2016; 3x.