Melissa Cantú Email & Phone Number

Houston, Tx, Us

Houston, Texas, United States

PhD in Bioengineering

South San Francisco, Californie, États-Unis

- Executed cytotoxicity assay, qPCR, bulk RNA seq, secretion assay, wound-healing assay, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy to analyze functional and molecular characteristics of ocular cells in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)- Delivered three multi-departmental technical presentations on research findings- Developed a nuclear antibody quantification algorithm from confocal microscope images using MATLAB's image processing toolbox

Houston, Texas, United States

- Co-coded a HIPAA-compliant web platform (JS React frontend and Python Flask backend) assisted by ChatGPT that 1) integrates 4 cardiology medical tools to store physical exam data in the cloud and 2) facilitates subsequent virtual patient-cardiologist consultations...thereby improving access to low-supply cardiology care- Managed interdisciplinary team of a computer scientist and electrical engineers through weekly meetings, Gantt chart creation, and bi-semesterly team reflection meetings

Houston, Texas, United States

- Leveraged DNA cloning, primary T cell culture, flow cytometry, and next generation (Illumina) sequencing to construct and screen T cell state-specific transcription factor, T-cell receptor (TCR), Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR), and EGFP barcode libraries, integrating them lentivirally into primary T cells- Presented results of "Developing a Pooled Library Platform for Therapeutic Receptor Engineering in T Cells" at GCURS and SHPE National convention- Led independent project to optimize epitope tag type and placement within CAR construct for accurate quantification of membrane-bound CARs via flow cytometry- Designed and performed proliferation and adhesion assay experiments for HEK293T, NIH/3T3, and CHO-K1 cells in varying serum and surface treatment conditions and created a poster to demonstrate that a TC-treated surface should be used in a 3T3 cell bioreactor to maximize cell attachment-cost ratio- Won $1,000 in funding for an independent senior year project through the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program, a competitive grant supporting undergraduate researchers' projects and facilitating the transition to research careers

Houston, Texas, United States

- Implemented DNA Cloning skills to build a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) barcoded library for lentiviral integration and screening in primary T cells to advance scientific understanding of and optimize adaptive cancer immunotherapies- Learned and implemented DNA Cloning skills for a 4OHT inducible therapeutic genetic circuit in human T cells

Houston, Texas, United States

HACER is a prominent Rice University organization with over 500 members- Managed a team of 8 executive board members, 12 college representatives, and 25 committee members to plan, coordinate, and execute 30+ events during the 2023-24 academic year- boosting the visibility of the Latine community at Rice University while celebrating Latin American cultures- Spearheaded a campus-wide campaign for new name suggestions for HACER, moving away from historically exclusionary and categorizing terms like Hispanic, an initiative featured in The Rice Thresher- Coordinated and served as the emcee for a hybrid New Student & Parent Reception attracting over 230 student, family, and faculty attendees, for which I secured $1,450 in donations and 2 in-kind sponsorships- Established an HACER Senior Retreat, providing crucial educational tools for the class of 2024's transition to post-Rice life and addressing early-career challenges highlighted by national data on Black and Latinx graduates

Houston, Texas, United States

- Launched 3 research initiatives to better understand the needs and diversity within the Rice Latine community to appropriately direct our yearly organizational goals, resulting in HACER earning the 2022-23 Spirit of Service Award- Secured $1000+ in funding grants to independently organize and lead 20+ events, applying my project management and public speaking skills to foster the Rice Latine community- Reinvigorated post-COVID student engagement with HACER, successfully increasing General Body Meeting attendance by 150%- Closely followed administrative financial protocols for 2 Rice financial departments, obtaining positive feedback from both of the departments for my outstanding reliability, ease to work with, and professionalism

San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

- Collaborated with a team member to develop low, medium, and high-fidelity prototypes for a cost-effective (40% cost reduction) sedimentation tank siphon, reducing maintenance frequency in a wetland residual water treatment system- Translated and synthesized technical documents into bilingual (English & Spanish) device overviews, construction instructions, material lists, and user manuals for Mark OS and Mark III rainwater home purification systems; and distributed these resources to clients and project partners

Houston, Texas, United States

- Conceptualized and prototyped affordable (under $100) robotic assistive drinking device for individuals with limited upper-body dexterity, using tools such as SOLIDWORKS, Adobe Illustrator, 3D Printing, and laser cutting for woodworking- Maintained open communication with our client via monthly prototype reviews and bi-weekly technical progress reports, ensuring a continuous feedback loop to inform product improvements

Houston, Texas, United States

- Prototyped a rocket stand which fulfilled evolving client criteria utilizing CAD software (SolidWorks, Easel, Adobe Illustrator), machining wood-working tools (X-carve), and essential woodworking tools- Drove rapid project progress through personal initiative and leadership by creating a Gantt chart, delegating tasks, stimulating in-team communication, and analyzing and communicating team strengths and weaknesses to improve team dynamic- Elucidated problem and narrowed-down team goals by conducting client interview and deep-dive research- Polished my writing and presentation skills by delivering technical memos and progress presentations to 30+ peers and faculty in a timely manner

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Bioengineering

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Bioengineering, 3.3/4.0

Honors and awards: Student Center Values Award (Development, Excellence, Community); George Miner Rice University Service Award; REA.

High School Diploma, Stem, 4.0/4.0

Awards and Distinctions: National AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Hispanic Scholar, National Merit Commended Scholar.

4.0/4.0