Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Senior Scientist with 10+ years of experience in antibody discovery, cancer biology, and metabolic disease research. Currently driving monoclonal (mAb) and polyclonal (pAb) antibody discovery using single B cell technology, with hands-on expertise in biophysical characterization (BLI, SPR, DLS), flow cytometry, multiplex assay development, and recombinant antibody expression in mammalian cells. Analyzed BCR repertoires and VH/VL sequences to identify optimal antibody candidates. Adept at leading teams and managing multiple projects in fast-paced biotech environments. Passionate about bridging fundamental science with translational applications in biotech and pharma
- Leading and mentoring the molecular biology team as Team Lead. - Conducting Primary cell isolation, culture and single B cell sorting for antibody discovery. - Conceptualizing, developing, and optimizing cell-based, flow cytometry, and multiplex assays across multiple platforms (BD Celesta, Accuri, Sartorius iQue3). - Evaluating antibody functionality through ELISA, MSD, Western blot. - Performing antibody characterization using bio-layer interferometry (Gator), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and dynamic light scattering (DLS/Uncle). - Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while meeting deadlines; strong problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional communication skills.
- Supervising and supporting the molecular biology team. - End-to-end antibody generation from single B cell VH/VL gene recovery to recombinant expression in HEK293 cells. - Conducted antibody characterization using bio-layer interferometry (Gator) - Assessed antibody functionality through ELISA. - Successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines; demonstrated strong problem-solving and cross-functional communication skills.
- Investigated the role of Hippo signaling and YAP/TEAD transcriptional activity in regulating intestinal homeostasis and gastrointestinal disease using mouse models. - Developed intestinal and hepatic organoid models to evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel TEAD inhibitors and pharmacological agents in cancer and polyposis. - Explored how tumor suppressors PTEN and LKB1 regulate mesenchymal cell populations to suppress gastrointestinal polyposis using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and qPCR. - Contributed to protein purification, RNA-seq analyses, and mass spectrometry-based studies across multiple projects.
- Identified a gut-derived lipase (Vaha) that communicates with insulin-producing neurons in the brain to regulate insulin secretion in response to dietary fat in Drosophila. - Demonstrated that loss of Vaha leads to diabetic features including hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, uncovering a molecular link between dietary fat and insulin regulation. - Employed immunofluorescence, cell-based assays, protein purification, and mass spectrometry-based lipidomics and metabolomics to characterize the mechanism.
Investigated if up-regulation of HNF4α could suppress the development of hepatocyte related disease by using SINEup system in mouse model.
- Investigated sphingolipid metabolism and its connections to intermediary metabolic pathways including glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and NAD metabolism using Drosophila and mammalian cell lines as model systems. - Delineated novel connections between sphingolipid metabolism and key metabolic pathways. - Discovered that modulating the sphingolipid pathway can alleviate defects in a Drosophila model of Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV) and in patient fibroblasts.