Heather Young Email & Phone Number

Akron, Pa, Us

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States

As a Principal Scientist in the Cell and Molecular Method Development and Validation group, I have had the privilege to work with talented colleagues to expand my technical toolbox and enhance my critical thinking skills. Over the past 6+ years, I've worked on a variety of client-driven methods to assist with both early-phase and late-phase drug product testing needs. In addition, I've participated in the development of several in-house methods ranging from residual ELISAs, qPCR, cell-based assays, and DNA techniques, such as southern blotting. In addition to bench work, I independently manage projects by effectively communicating with clients via email and conference calls. I can produce clear and concise methods and protocols according GMP guidance documents to aid in validation activities. Recently, in collaboration with a colleague, I've helped to establish a summer internship program within my department. We successfully hosted the first interns during the summer of 2020 amidst COVID-19 challenges.

The Penn State Hershey College Of Medicine

I studied the mammalian dosage compensation mechanism of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI). While females are XX, males are XY. In order to achieve equal gene expression profiles, females undergo the process of X inactivation. During XCI, one X chromosome is randomly inactivated (either the maternal or paternal chromosome). The end result is a transcriptionally silent chromosome. While most genes on the inactive X are silenced, there are some genes, such as Kdm5c, that escape X inactivation. These escape genes are the research focus of the Carrel lab.

Penn State Berks

Penn State Berks

As a research assistant under the mentorship of Dr. Tami Mysliweic and Dr. Bert Eardly, I collaboratively worked with two other colleagues to expand upon a project started in my 400 level biochemistry lab. We worked to identify microorganisms present in remediated soil at a site near a former zinc smelting site in Palmerton, PA. The goal of the project was to determine if and what soil remediation efforts were successful in returning microorganisms to the surrounding soil. Prior to the soil remediation project, in 2009-2010 I collaboratively worked with two colleagues to publish an article in The American Phytopathological Society (APS) regarding the first report of a specific turf grass disease in West Virginia. My efforts during this project focused on isolating DNA from the fungus and identifying the species via DNA sequencing and database analysis.

Penn State Berks

I assisted students with hands-on techniques including, but not limited to, restriction enzyme digest, molecular cloning, bacterial tranformation, protein isolation, SDS page gel electrophoresis, and western blotting.

Master Of Science, Biomedical Sciences

Studied the potential role of a long, non-coding RNA in transcriptional regulation of an escape gene on the inactive X-chromosome.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Molecular & Developmental Biology

Activities and Societies: Participated in several undergraduate research projects, helped to found the Berks student chapter.

Minor, Chemistry