Rafael (Rafi) Rojas Email & Phone Number

San Diego, California, United States

San Diego, California, Us

• Research areas: neuroscience, project management, high-throughput screening, fragment-based drug discovery, phenotypic screening, managed one direct report.• Developed a non-radioactive method for measuring protein synthesis in cells, ex vivo tissue, and in vivo, which was essential for the demonstration of protein synthesis-independent long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory formation.• Managed the development of a high-content screening (HCS) phenotypic assay used to detect the nuclear translocation of a transcriptional co-activator in primary neuronal cells. • Project co-leader for the Target Evaluation Team which was responsible for mining in-house genomic and cellular data, identifying novel gene targets, researching biology of genes, and presenting targets for promotion to pre-lead optimization stage.

• Developed assays for high-throughput screening (1,536-well) using a wide-ranging set of detection technologies (TR-FRET, FP, fluorescence, luminescence) and fragment-based screening using biophysical methods (SPR / Biacore, ITC, thermal shift).• Established a human platelet MAO-B target engagement assay that was used as a biomarker for MAO-B inhibition in three phase 1 clinical trials which was instrumental in establishing PK/PD relationship and guiding dose selection in future trials.

Darmstadt, De

• Research areas: biochemistry, product development, protein purification, assay development, cell culture, western blotting.• Led R&D efforts focused on magnetic bead-based sample preparation methods for organelle isolation and enzyme function.• Developed a biochemical assay for quality control of a recombinant protease product and then transferred the assay and SOP to a GMP protein production lab.

San Diego, California, Us

• Research areas: metabolic disorders, in vitro assay development, high-throughput screening.• Developed assays for a novel atherosclerosis enzyme target isolated from primary human cells, performed a high-throughput screening campaign, and established secondary assays to elucidate mechanism of action for hits.

Chapel Hill, Nc, Us

• Research areas: cancer biology, G-protein signal transduction, high-throughput screening.• Established a new high-throughput screening initiative focused on identifying novel chemical modulators of GTPases (Ras, Rho, Rac, Cdc42) and their regulators (Tiam1, Dbs, LARG).

Chapel Hill, Nc, Us

• Research areas: cancer biology, G-protein signal transduction, biochemistry, protein purification.• Dissertation title: “Guanine nucleotide exchange mediated by G-alpha-q responsive Dbl-family members and an atypical armadillo repeat-containing exchange factor.”• Identified the mechanism by which G-alpha-q leads to downstream activation of Rho GTPases is via the direct engagement of p63RhoGEF and Trio guanine nucleotide exchange factors.

La Jolla, Ca, Us

• Research areas: cancer biology, anti-oxidant gene regulation, animal handling and dosing, cancer model systems (cell-based and in vivo).• Performed in vivo tumor xenograft studies in athymic mice to support the IND application of the anti-cancer agent Irofulven by MGI Pharma.• Evaluated synergistic anti-tumor effects of combining Irofulven with approved anti-cancer agents with different mechanisms of action.

La Jolla, Ca, Us

• Performed independent research investigating GPCR signal transduction in cells.

Chippenham, Wiltshire, Gb

• Assisted scientists during in vivo animal studies evaluating the efficacy of experimental liquid oxygen respiration systems, artificial blood, and ultrasound contrasting agents.

Ph.D., Pharmacology

B.S., Animal Physiology & Neuroscience