Joseph Valdez Email and Phone Number

Provide full cycle sales support including COGS analysis, technical presentations to KOLs, addressing of technical objections and post-sales account management domestic and internationallyTrain internal stakeholders in molecular biology, NIPT and competitive offeringsDevelop educational and marketing collateral, provide tradeshow support, engage in Voice of Customer and direct follow-up actionsInitiate and manage technology transfer processes to domestic and international laboratories including laboratory setup, customer training, validation and certificationDrive product development – led an R&D team to develop a new functional NGS library preparation productCreated a JIRA system for efficient and transparent technology transfer processes across internal departments

Client liaison: Ensure that scope, execution and reporting of projects meets their expectations. Responsible for all communications and managing the account. Educate clients on next-generation sequencing procedures and data analysisPlan and manage project portfolios: Lead operations to ensure that projects are completed within budget and on time. Organize and drive interdepartmental activities and ensure buy-in from all parties. Operations manager: Schedule tasks to laboratory personnel and ensure cGLP/GMP compliance for all staff, protocols and instrumentation. Identify issues, formulate resolution and risk mitigation plans.Business development and finance: Work with sales on identifying potential business, defining project scope and bringing in new clients. Forecast all managed projects weekly and manage risk throughout the project lifecycle.Regulatory: Write and revise SOPs and ensure staff qualification. Write study protocols and reports for all cGLP/GMP projects. Perform audits of laboratory documentation. Work with QA to ensure compliance while facing operational challenges. Participate in regulatory inspections and audits.

Perform patent and non-patent research in a number of databases on concepts in the arena of biotechnology. Analyze patent applications and perform search analyses to determine prior art.

Investigated the function of Notch in prostate cancer. Analyzed clinical data sets, generated pre-clinical murine models of aggressive prostate cancer, and screened efficacy of Phase I validated chemical compounds.

My thesis work involved studying the function of Notch signaling in prostate stem cell biology and carcinogenesis.Duties and Responsibilities:• Design and validation of primers for PCR and qRT-PCR• Designed strategies and performed cloning of genes into expression vectors• Extracted DNA/RNA/Protein from blood, cells, and tissues and performed multiple downstream processes such as PCR/qRT-PCR/Reverse Transcription/SDS-PAGE/Western Blot/Immunoprecipitation/Chromatin Immunoprecipitation• Performed multicolor flow cytometry and cell sorting to assay for rare populations and identify biomarkers for stem cells and tumor initiating cells• Designed viral vectors and synthesized functional lentivirus• Performed genotyping and designed breeding strategy for large mouse colonies• 2D and 3D cell culture with High Throughput Drug Screening• Designed and generated plasmid reporters for functional candidate gene testing with site mutant controls• Dissected murine tissues and performed immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence• Performed castration and xenograft transplantation survival surgeries• Drug testing in murine models• Initiated and contributed to a SOP bank• Generated a tumor tissue bank• Performed troubleshooting independently to solve scientific and technical problems• Worked productively in a team environment and managed others to deliver results against timelines• Developed outlines, manuscripts, and professional images for publications in an efficient manner• Communicated effectively to manager, teammates, and outside audiences

My project involved understanding the function of the transcription factor C/EBPB in mammary epithelial cell biology.Duties and Responsibilities:Experimental design and processing of several plasmid constructsGeneration of several stable mammary epithelial cell lines overexpressing candidate genesDevelopment of SOP for viral synthesis and titeringValidation and characterization of primers for qRT-PCRValidation of antibodies for immunohistochemistry

I developed and tested a Tet regulated - doxycycline inducible Prestin expression system in an in vitro cultured cell line. This required molecular cloning strategies, transfection, selection, stable cell line generation, titration curve analyses, protein isolation, and western blot analyses.

I developed an in vitro culture system and extraction protocol for Myocilin. I tested this protein's role in chick axonal guidance assays. This project required molecular cloning and vector design, transfection and selection, protein expression and purification, and axonal growth stripe assays.

I assisted a postdoctoral fellow in determining the neurological signaling pathways associated with cocaine induced reward. I assisted in chemical treatment of animals, behavioral assays, collection of data, and statistical analyses.

I determined that group discussion based intervention was the single most important self-reported factor in tobacco cessation for teenagers. This was achieved by following up with patients that completed the program at the NIDA teen tobacco clinic, going over an end-of-program survey, collecting and organizing data from a single clinical cohort, and statistically determining the factors that were found to be valuable in tobacco cessation.

I developed a protocol to analyze the effects of cocaine withdrawal on Planaria. I demonstrated that locomotor activity was a metric that could be used to indicate withdrawal symptoms in Planaria. Additionally I was able to rescue cocaine withdrawal induced locomotor activity inhibition by exposing the Planaria to short wave UV light.

I demonstrated that (-)Sulpiride effectively inhibited Planaria locomotor activity in a dose dependent manner and this effect was abrogated by exposure of Planaria to short wave, but not long wave, UV light.