Research Associate Iii
Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area
▪ Collaborated with a team to isolate and sequence the first locally-acquired Zika virus (ZIKV) isolate in the US. ▪ Created a novel, highly-specific ZIKV serological diagnostic test with no bacterial cross-reactivity, eventually leading to the creation of Z-Quick, LLC. ▪ Patented and bioengineered a human monoclonal antibody to bind ZIKV and developed this tool into a diagnostic test. ▪ Spearheaded projects resulting in $2.8M in total grants. ▪ Conducted a field-based, randomized clinical trial to determine the feasibility and acceptability of at-home rapid HIV test kits in an at-risk, low SES, African American community. ▪ Demonstrated, for the first time, the ability of Dengue virus (DENV) to escape highly-potent monoclonal antibody therapy in Rhesus Macaques.▪ 10+ publications in scientific journal