I currently oversee all aspects of our pre-clinical drug development programs and scientific narrative focusing on small molecule inhibitors for use in oncology. In this capacity I am responsible for the generation and interpretation of a wide variety of data that informs our drug development programs, scientific rationale and feeds directly into our clinical development program.

I was responsible for all pre-clinical and translational research on our 2nd generation VCP/p97 inhibitor for use in oncology, this includes planning and designing both in-vitro and in-vivo studies to define efficacy, mechanism of action and combination potential in a broad range of cancer model systems as well as shaping the scientific narrative behind our oncology program. Additionally, I spearheaded a novel program for the company in neurodegenerative disease, extending the reach of our previous oncology efforts into a new disease area.

Drug discovery scientist working on assay development for characterization of small molecule oncology therapeutic candidates and responsible for overseeing and coordinating day to day research operations including equipment procurement and training / compliance for staff. In this role I am also involved in pre-IND and IND filing for potential new therapeutics and positioning our chemical matter in new disease areas from a scientific rationale and mechanistic standpoint.

I worked on various assay development projects and interrogated mechanism of action for potential therapeutic targets in the oncology arena. Much of my work was high throughput in 96well or 384well format as screening approaches to quickly address questions of efficacy and mechanism. Daily work involved automation and robotic systems as well as plate based readers and imaging systems for data acquisition. I assumed responsibilities for compliance with state and local regulations and oversaw training of all staff to maintain compliance with occupational and laboratory safety requirements, and coordinated and managed all safety related filings and permitting for office and laboratory personnel.

Seed CG is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides pro-bono consulting to influential organizations in the environmental and public health sector, pioneering a healthier and more environmentally sustainable California. My work here involves developing business strategies for Bay Area Nonprofits to better achieve their organizational and impact goals. Here I worked on a small team that prepared a strategy for branding, communication, outreach and fundraising for a large Bay Area non-profit that lead to a well received deliverable and request for feedback on the implementation as they put the plan into action.

Microscopy specialist using live-cell imaging approaches to interrogate biological signaling pathways. I advise several graduate students and post-grads in the proper design of imaging based assays and collection and analysis of imaging data. I have worked closely with lab members on diverse projects from transcriptional responses to inflammation signaling and implemented efficient workflows for fixed immunofluorescent assays as well as live cell imaging assays of dynamic cellular responses. I have also played an instrumental role in the publication of several research manuscripts in immune response signaling and computational systems biology.

I was brought on as a Microscopy Specialist and quickly worked to integrate my expertise with existing research projects. Initially I completely overhauled three existing fluorescent live imaging microscopes for proper quantitative data acquisition and trained users on assay design and implementation. This led to data sets that would become part of 9 publications in top journals. I also spear-headed the acquisition of a fourth microscope, a laser based spinning disc confocal system with TIRF for live cell imaging and single molecule studies, that I went on to develop assays for and train graduate students and post-doc users on proper assay design and use of this instrument. I implemented an open-source web based resource scheduling package and oversaw day to day management for the various systems.

I conducted research in molecular and cell biology at the Salk Institute where I used a confocal live cell imaging assay to characterize nuclear envelope formation, discovering a novel capacity of protein redundancy and cooperativity in the post-mitotic reformation of the nuclear envelope. I then developed an imaging based assay to characterize a previously unknown phenomenon in human cancer cells where cancer cell nuclei spontaneously rupture and repair themselves, leading to stress on the nuclear genome, with subsequent work showing massive genome alterations. Each of these endeavors led to publications, and the latter to a new area of research for the lab that has become an active area of interest in the field with several different groups working on the implications of nuclear instability in cancer specifically and human health and disease more broadly.

Served as Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Graduate Student Council. In this capacity I served on numerous campus committees on planning and policy, including the Academic Senate, Graduate Council, Educational Policy and Diversity and Equity Committees. I was selected by the Graduate Council and my peers for the Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of my advocacy and policy work as VP. Acting as departmental representative I served on numerous Admissions Committees and played a key role in the overhaul of the Division of Biological Sciences outreach and recruitment efforts that resulted in increases in the number and quality of applicants from diverse backgrounds.

MS research in cellular and molecular physiology. My research centered on tumor suppressor transcription factors implicated in human disease. I worked primarily on protein-DNA interactions and described novel binding modalities of the DEAF-1 protein, implicated in cancer and in neurological disorders. As part of my curriculum I instructed undergraduate students in human physiology and anatomy laboratory courses. I was also actively involved in several campus-wide as well as STEM specific diversity initiatives.

In this role I managed a staff of between 40 and 60 direct report employees as advanced subject matter tutors each quarter and was responsible for all aspects of their employment from applicant screening and interviews to onboarding, training and evaluation of performance. I also was the primary instructor for university level supplemental instruction courses in biology and general and organic chemistry. I had an active role in the development of training curriculum across the department and provided input and recommendations on best practices and policy.

Oversaw all aspects of intensive residential experience program as part of a diversity enrichment/outreach program at a large public university. Managed a staff of 5-10 direct reports employed as mentors/tutors and coordinated faculty engagements with attendees (80-100 incoming freshman). I was ultimately responsible for the planning, implementation and operational budget for the program, as well as the academic curriculum.

Advanced mentor tutor in Organic Chemistry. Tutored 3-4 small groups (8-10 students) of undergraduate students per quarter in Organic Chemistry. Supervised less experienced tutors and observed their interaction with students, providing feedback to improve tutorial service/efficacy. Over the course of 4 years working as a tutor for the University Departmental Level program I tutored over 2500 students from diverse backgrounds and in various subjects in chemistry and biology. My command of subject matter was such that on multiple occasions I was asked by two professors in organic chemistry to conduct their lectures in their absence and the combined experience of interacting with so many students is one of my proudest accomplishments and comprises some of my best memories of my undergraduate education.

Conducted research in small molecule organic synthesis. Was responsible for producing and purifying 100+ mg quantities of Diels-Alder cycle-adducts using a variety of organic synthesis methods and IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy to validate synthesis reaction products.

Tutored 3-4 small (8-12 students) groups per quarter in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry.