Responsibilities include:• Manage a research laboratory of 20, maintaining inventory and efficient communication across the lab areas to keep everyone on the same page in a fast-paced environment• Set up a new laboratory, organizing the transition of the cell culture team to the new space, stocking the lab for functional use, and overseeing vendor interactions (liquid nitrogen fills, carbon dioxide cylinder refills, equipment drop-off, etc.)• Train 8-10 student researchers in cell culture protocols and aseptic technique in a biosafety cabinet (BSC), preparing them to carry out individual projects and to contribute to the lab’s cross-functional studies

The Microcirculation and Vascular Regeneration Lab at Cal Poly, led by Dr. Trevor Cardinal, focuses on developing a cell therapy for ischemic disease. The lab aims to understand how the regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow is impacted by arteriogenesis and risk factors for vascular disease.As an undergraduate researcher, my experience consists of:• Perform primary skeletal muscle progenitor cell (myoblast) isolation for culture and studies investigating Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD); characterize and analyze myoblasts for therapeutic potential in ischemic disease• Collaborate in cross-functional teams for cell transplantation studies, coordinate cell product hand-off to polymer team and in vivo surgery team • Facilitate informative shadowing assignments for potential student researchers by demonstrating procedures and explaining significance to the medical field; coordinate hands-on experiences with various members in the lab and evaluate fit as an applicant in weekly lab meetings with PI

A2 Biotherapeutics is innovating new treatments for solid tumor cancers using logic-gated CAR-T cells to differentiate between cancerous and normal cells.During my internship, my most notable accomplishments were:• Optimized IL-2 concentrations in CAR-T cell culture by analyzing proliferation and maturation phenotypes using flow cytometry in a series of two separate studies• Compiled the data from small scale experimental studies, drew conclusions, and proposed future directions in a cumulative presentation to Technical Operations and company leadership• Assisted process team in operating and running CliniMACS Prodigy instruments, a closed-system automated cell processing unit; troubleshooted error messages, prepared materials, and analyzed proliferation throughout studies• Presented a journal article in a weekly department meeting, highlighting how current research can inform the company’s future directions in process development

• Assisted professor in 6 hours of weekly laboratory & lecture studio learning format• Evaluated 60+ students’ work in lab reports and comprehensive assignments• Attended weekly seminar to learn STEM pedagogy• Tutored and guided students to learn foundational concepts

Under Dr. Hiroshi Otani, through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, I worked on engineering Saccharopolyspora erythraea for secondary metabolite production via integration of an attachment site for heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs).During my internship, my most notable accomplishments were:• Developed and wrote a 17-page research report with the guidance of weekly workshops to learn the structure of research papers• Presented an informative poster presentation through a virtual poster symposium to research scientists and the general public• Designed a biological system using molecular biology techniques to further genome sequencing discovery research in metabolite production• Prepared 30 novel plasmid vectors to test in new bacterial hosts