Spindle Biotech Inc. is developing a bench-top gene synthesizer. Synthesizing long DNA inexpensively and timely is crucial to advance both the synthetic biology industry and drug development. Our process employs enzymes to synthesize DNA by a method that is superior to the standard phosphoramidite chemistry.

Specializing in providing expert scientific advice on IVD trends, research and development of novel biomarkers and panels, microfluidics and microarrays, macromolecules, and reaction kinetics.• Offer counsel on IVD advancements, medical devices, molecular diagnostics, nanotechnology, nutrition and metabolism, and biomarkers of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infectious disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).• Provide scientific and mathematics instruction from elementary to college, including graduate and professional school levels.

Fort Bend Independent School District (ISD) (Fort Bend County TX, USA) 2016Substitute Teacher• Led Special Education - Severe Disabilities high school class on long-term assignment. Created lesson plans and taught arithmetic, biology, reading, and history of civil rights for students with autism-spectrum disorders, ADD, bipolar disorder, and Down's Syndrome.• Taught K-12 students mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, geometry), chemistry, physics, biology, and world history.Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls School (San Mateo CA, USA) 2000Volunteer Teacher• Provided one-on-one mathematics and reading instruction to K-12 students, including those with mild learning disabilities.Willow Oaks School - Math/Science Nucleus Volunteer Program (Menlo Park CA, USA) 1993 - 1994Volunteer Science Teacher• Taught science to young students from economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse community. Special attention was taken to provide safe and structured, yet highly interactive, hands-on environment to make learning science fun.University of Michigan (Ann Arbor MI, USA) 1983 - 1989Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological ChemistrySpecial Tutor for Schools of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, and Nursing• Provided lectures, special group recitations, test reviews, and individual tutoring sessions for undergraduate biochemistry lab, graduate biochemistry, physical biochemistry, and nursing/dental hygiene chemistry and biochemistry courses. Consistently received highest student evaluation among all co-instructors.• Invited as Guest Lecturer in Biological Chemistry to both Graduate School and Dental School classes. Dental students achieved a 97% pass rate on the National Dental Board Examination.

Attending Networking Events Researching Industry LeadersTracking Industry TrendsParticipating in Industry Discussions

Luminex® Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary biological testing technologies, with applications throughout the life-sciences industry.Led the Assay Research/Feasibility Team at the Luminex Molecular Diagnostics (LMD) site in Toronto. LMD specializes in creating and developing molecular diagnostics-based multiplexed infectious disease and genomics panels.

Led CLIA-approved Contract Research Organization (CRO) scientific team performing cellular and molecular analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for pharmaceutical companies and key opinion leader (KOL) clients.• Directed research efforts of six (6) senior scientists (5 Ph.D.s) in the isolation and characterization of rare cancer cell types, including CTCs. Downstream analyses of cancer biomarkers (proliferation, DNA damage, signal transduction, etc.) included both cellular (immunofluorescence (IF) by laser scanning cytometry (LSC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC)) and molecular diagnostics-based methods (quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and next generation sequencing (NGS)).• Presided over experimental designs, biomarker analyses, and budgets for over 30 client-sponsored cancer research projects associated with all phases of preclinical and clinical development.• Co-Authored three (3) state and federal grants for investigation of rare cell protein phenotypes and molecular markers.

Directed transcriptomics-driven biomarker discovery program and immunoassay development projects. Led efforts to assess new biomarkers for potential collaborations and licensing.• Directed cross-functional team in the development of an FDA-approved immunoassay on an automated instrument, with a projected revenue of US$27-33MM. Led all aspects of project management and coordination with Manufacturing (GMP), Regulatory (RA), QA/QC, Engineering, Software, Finance, Clinical Affairs, Product Support, and Marketing.• Conceived and designed six (6) biomarker panel studies for detection of early and recurrent cancers (breast, colorectal, lung), as stand-alone multi-analyte IVD efforts and cooperatively with In Vivo molecular imaging technologies.• Advised R&D on biomarker discovery technologies, cancer and cardiac markers, mathematical modeling of biochemical processes, enzymology, protein structure and purification, and macromolecular conjugation.• Awarded “Siemens Special Service Commendation” for IVD presentation at 2008 IFCC Conference (Fortaleza, Brazil).

• Directed research of 8-15 R&D scientists in cancer (breast, ovarian, prostate, lung) and cardiovascular disease biomarker discovery collaboration, which led to the identification of four (4) novel splice variant proteins.• Assessed over 120 IVD biomarkers for scientific and strategic feasibility. Tests targeted cancers, heart disease, as well as neurological (stroke, brain injury, Alzheimer's), autoimmune (diabetes, MS, etc.), hormonal, and infectious diseases.• Composed dozens of reports and presentations instrumental to more than 50 “go/no go” decisions regarding diagnostic collaborative efforts and synergies with imaging technologies.• Established over 60 communications with KOLs in clinical therapy, diagnostics, imaging, and biomarker discovery.• Averted US$1-2MM expenditure by cost-benefit feasibility analysis of potential proteomics discovery program.

Directed kinetics and precision teams. Formulated two new products with no new manufacturing via invention of method for monitoring thermostable DNA polymerases.• Invented DNA polymerase kinetic assay to assess inconsistent peak heights during DNA sequencing. Kit reformulation eliminated 75% of peak-to-peak variance, greatly improving automated sequence analysis.• Formulated Beckman's first SNP detection genomics kit employing only current product line reagents.• Led kinetics and precision teams in development of 42-spot multiplexed DNA-addressable protein microarray.• Invented a simple and inexpensive method for DNA-protein conjugation.• Decreased microarray analysis time by 90-99% by design of eight (8) computational spreadsheets.

Developed microfluidic chip high-throughput screening (HTS) methods for pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking to streamline and accelerate primary drug screening of compound libraries.• Formulated six (6) HTS microfluidics methods (> 10,000 tests/day/chip) to identify pharmaceutical lead compounds.• Devised Caliper’s first two (2) immobilized enzyme microfluidic chip assays for drug screening.• Created computational spreadsheet tools for design and analysis of enzymatic and ligand binding assays, compatible with UV-Vis absorbance, chemiluminescence, fluorescence, and fluorescence polarization spectrophotometry.• Consulted on enzyme kinetics, mechanisms, and four (4) novel formats for screening expanded array of protein targets.

(Syva was acquired by Roche, sold to Behring, which was acquired by Dade, and finally by Siemens, to become part of Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics)Identified novel disease markers, invented patented molecular diagnostics methodologies, developed immunoassays, and optimized protein chemistry and conjugation methods.• Identified a novel cardiac ischaemia marker, leading to the foundation of a new medical diagnostics company valued at US$22MM (purchase price in 2005).• Patented a method to increase sensitivity (up to 4-fold) for a genomic mutation and SNP detection system.• Co-invented PCR "hot-start" method to improve primer selectivity up to 36-fold.• Co-invented a molecular diagnostics assay panel to screen adult carriers and affected newborn children for more than 150 known mutations of cystic fibrosis, effective for at least 80% of known alleles.• Co-developed two (2) high-specificity osteoporosis immunoassays. Re-formulated the protein calibrator purification protocol, resulting in a 75% decrease in total preparation time, with enhanced yield and purity.• Invented methods to quantify binding and thermostability of streptavidin associated with high affinity biotin analogs.

(Advisor: Professor Jack F. Kirsch): Kinetic Epitope Mapping of the Hen Egg-White Lysozyme•HyHEL-10 Complex.Created the first protein-protein transition state model using over 25 specific mutations of a protein antigen. (Cover: Protein Science)

(Advisor: Professor Vincent Massey; deceased): Doctoral Dissertation: Mechanistic Studies on Phenol Hydroxylase.Elucidated the chemical and kinetic mechanism and structure-function relationships of an FAD-dependent aromatic oxygenase.