Emma Spikol Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, CA, US

I’m working with the Jacobo, Balla and Royer groups to build a versatile toolbox of genetically modified zebrafish, and deploy new molecular tools in diverse experimental contexts.

Baltimore, Maryland

• Designed and executed experiments to investigate neuronal subtypes in the poorly studied nucleus incertus brain region using genetic engineering and imaging in transparent larval zebrafish.
• Generated mutant and transgenic zebrafish using CRISPR-Cas9 and the Tol2 transposase system.
• Screened, genotyped, and propagated dozens of mutant and transgenic zebrafish lines, and maintained over 100 tanks.
• Analyzed data and regularly presented findings in lab meetings as well as regional and international conferences.
• Supervised and mentored undergraduate researchers and rotation students.

• Worked with student writers to develop blog post ideas and edit draft blog posts for content and clarity.

• Wrote posts about research, daily life as a graduate student, and events and happenings in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine community:https://biomedicalodyssey.blogs.hopkinsmedicine.org/author/espikol1/

• Oversaw eight subcommittees undertaking a variety of outreach initiatives including farmer’s market booths, science cafés where investigators to share their work in an informal setting, science slams in which trainees.
• Managed expenditures and wrote proposals to obtain thousands of dollars in funding to support outreach activities.
• Assisted interested individuals and student groups in making their budding outreach ideas a reality.

• Clarified difficult concepts and helped graduate students synthesize lectures on a wide variety of topics by presenting consolidated review material at regular “review lunches.”
• Organized interactive study activities at pre-exam review sessions.
• Addressed student questions and difficulties.

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

• Generated constructs to test eight candidate pan-neuronal promoters in Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito.
• Tested pan-neuronal expression constructs by electroporation of Aedes aegypti brain tissue.
• Confocal imaging of Aedes aegypti transgenic mosquitoes.

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

• Analyzed expression of inflammatory genes following retinal cell ablation and injury.
• Received training in confocal microscopy and molecular cloning.

Washington, D.C.

• Facilitated leadership and biotechnology activities to promote high school students’ confidence and academic achievement.
• Provided instruction for hands on activities such as the surgical implantation of neural interfaces in cockroaches and the construction of myoelectric prosthetic arms.
• Fostered thought-provoking discussion about current topics in biotechnology.

• Developed hypotheses and designed and executed experiments to investigate molecular control of oxytocin expression.
• Analyzed data, wrote and edited manuscripts.

• Guided students during laboratory activities.
• Tutored students both one-on-one and in a group setting.
• Graded lab reports, research papers, and exams, and provided critical feedback.
• Oversaw other TAs as a head TA.

• Maintained Drosophila stocks, prepared solutions, loaded activity-monitoring system and analyzed Drosophila activity data.
• Conducted pilot experiments to analyze the effect of propofol on sleep in Drosophila.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Neuroscience

Bs, Biology

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta KappaMagna Cum Laude

Education record

salutatorian