Julia Graham Email and Phone Number

Scales up and banks internal and externally deposited iPSC and ESC into 10-72 vial banks. Experienced in differentiation management (clean up via marking and aspiration, pick-to-remove, and pick-to-keep) and can confidently clean up cell lines to produce high quality stem cell banks. Familiar with cGMP stem cell banking practices and has experience scaling up material for 300 vial banks. Plans and executes culture evaluations to improve processes. Evaluates matrices, media, and reagents via quality control testing. Tests cell lines for pluripotency via trilineage differentiation, lineage specific staining, and flow cytometry asessment of marker expression. Assesses undifferentiated status of iPSC and ESC via flow cytometry. Verifies authenticity of human cell lines via short tandem repeat (STR) testing. Prepares all medias and matrices used in feeder dependent and feeder independent culture. Cultures MEFs and distributes them to researchers. Tests cultures for mycoplasma and generates reports for clients. Ships stem cells world wide. Trains new lab technicians on all aspects of stem cell culture.

Responsible for daily maintenance of human stem cells, and cells at different stages of astrocyte differentiation with guidance from post-doctoral researchers. Inoculated bacteria, created glycerol stocks of bacteria, and isolated plasmid DNA for lab member’s projects. Used cholesterol and protein assays to produce data for the study cell secretion in culture media. Performed rodent tissue processing and staining for histological analysis. Created videos from stacks of confocal images to show the difference between Alexander disease astrocytes and healthy astrocytes. Attended weekly laboratory meetings.

Assisted post-doctoral researchers with stem cell based research focused on neurological disorders. Conducted and obtained data from mouse behavior tests, and collected brain samples via perfusion fixation for later sectioning and staining. Maintain ESC and iPSC, and assisted with differentiation into astrocytes. Primarily worked on two projects: a Parkinson’s disease project that found that injected hESC derived midbrain dopamine neurons functionally restored the nigrostriatal circuit and improved motor function in Parkinson’s disease mice, and an Alexander’s disease project that used iPSC derived astrocytes to study GFAP function and model Alexander’s disease. Trained new lab members in cell culture and molecular techniques.

Spent two summers working with post-doctoral researcher to establish stage II conditions for generation of amygdalar neurons from rhesus induced pluripotent stem cells. Varied concentrations of SAG and/or SAG agonist in stage II media; and utilized RT-qPCR and immunostaining for analysis at end of stage II and III. Attended weekly meeting and learned about different aspects of anxiety. Gave presentation of findings at end of each summer.

Worked as a seasonal team member as a cashier, stocker, sales floor assistant and as part of the early morning unloading crew.

Tended to the needs of children between the ages of zero to seven. Updated parents on child's activity and progress. Supervised child care assistants.