Provide strategic organizational leadership and guidance on biological evaluation of devices using translational models to improve device performance and tissue response. Lead scientific team supporting cross-functional R&D of medical devices and combination products used to treat cardiovascular, structural heart, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases.

Served as technical director of scientific teams responsible for manufacture and R&D of in vitro organ models. Designed and managed GLP and non-GLP studies for investigative toxicology, safety assessment, mechanism of action and biocompatibility.

Developed and characterized novel in vitro models of skin and vaginal epithelia for internal testing related to skin health, developing target ID strategies, and to support in silico model development.

Developed and characterized transgenic mouse colonies using multiple gene manipulation strategies to study the function of two different genes involved in epidermal homeostasis and squamous cell carcinoma development

Project: Identification of the role of L3-Phosphoserine Phosphatase (PSPH) in epidermal homeostasis and squamous cell carincoma• In vivo: Generation of Transgenic mice/BAC Recombineering; Skin Reconstitution Assays; Genotyping and Colony Maintenance• In vitro: Primary Keratinocyte isolation and culture; Proliferation and Apoptosis Assays; Immunocytochemistry and Immunohistochemistry; Tissue histology; Recombinant Protein Expression and Purification; Retroviral and Lentiviral production (used in overexpression and shRNA studies); Antibody Production & Purification from hybridomas; Western & Southern blot; Identification of novel Protein-Protein Interactions using Tandem Affinity Purification; Immunoprecipitation; Flow cytometry (experience using BD LSRII Cell Analyzer) and analysis using FlowJo; Transfection; Subcloning and Mutagenesis; PCR and RT-PCR2007 National Research Service Award, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (F32) 2005 National Research Service Award, National Cancer Institute (T32)Collaborated with other lab and department members to assist in molecular biology techniques (cloning/vector construction, retroviral and lentiviral transduction)