• Involved in all aspects of scientific program strategy and lab operations in evaluating early-stage drug development projects spanning various modalities, including functional antibody, T-cell engager, antibody-drug-conjugate, and radiopharmaceutical approaches• Developed protocols, managed work orders, and led day-to-day oversight of biologic drug discovery campaigns and in vitro/in vivo preclinical studies at over 40 CROs that total 104 projects worth $3M• Mentored and supervised two research associates in optimizing and troubleshooting molecular and cell biology assays across various R&D programs• Delivered impactful presentations on scientific progress to the Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board• Authored non-confidential and confidential reports and presentations for potential investors and strategic partners

• Extensive experience in designing, executing, analyzing, interpreting, and troubleshooting cell-based pharmacological assays and in vivo models to evaluate mechanism of action, exploratory biomarkers, and efficacy of drug candidates• Synthesized available data, expertise from subject-matter experts, and published literature to facilitate decision-making and meet corporate goals• Contributed significantly to the development and implementation of patient selection and clinical biomarker strategies for ZielBio’s Phase 1 clinical trial, including immunophenotyping patient biopsies by multiplex-IF• Presented scientific updates to corporate leadership and at cross-functional project team meetings• Co-authored and reviewed two successful Orphan Drug Designation applications as well as multiple national conference presentations, peer-reviewed articles, and press releases

Faculty Advisor: Kimberly Kelly, Ph.D.• Evaluated therapeutic targeting of cell-surface plectin with a tool antibody as a novel anti-cancer strategy• Designed and executed extensive in-vitro/in-vivo efficacy and MOA studies• Contributed research findings to a successful Investigational New Drug (IND) application• Secured over $160,000 in dissertation funding during academic tenure (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Raven Society)

Secured a prestigious $120,000 national grant to leverage biomedical research findings to inform policy decisions aimed at dismantling cancer health disparities

Faculty Advisors: William M. Reichert, Ph.D. & George A. Truskey, Ph.D.• Received the Pratt Research Fellowship to research strategies for enhancing extracellular matrix production in tissue-engineered blood vessels• Presented research findings at national conferences, including the Biomedical Engineering Society's annual meeting (BMES) and SHPE's annual convention, and published in a peer-reviewed journal• Honored with the Helmholtz Award, which recognizes the top undergraduate research project in the engineering school

Faculty Advisor: William M. Reichert, Ph.D.• Generated stable co-cultures to act as 2D vascular wall models for tissue-engineered blood vessels• Evaluated the effects of various tool compounds on 2D co-culture stability.

Advisors: Jeffrey Ohmen, Ph.D. & Rick Friedman, M.D., Ph.D.• Examined the effects of a high-fat diet on age-related hearing loss in mice• Researched how processes of systemic aging impact hearing impairment