Gilbert, Arizona, United States
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist with 10+ years of experience supporting drug discovery and preclinical research through multi-omics and single-cell analysis.
Led multi-omics and single-cell analyses across multiple client programs, owning analytical strategy, timelines, and delivery. Designed target identification frameworks integrating GWAS, eQTL/pQTL, expression, and pathway/network context. Applied structure-derived features and tree-based models to support antibody binding site and epitope prioritization. Developed automated analysis pipelines (e.g., spectral flow cytometry) adopted as primary client workflows.
Providing bioinformatic support for drug discovery.
My postdoctoral work in computational biology consisted of working with various cancer biology labs to analyze multi-comics data and developing novel computational methods for evaluating the statistical significance of changes in network modular structure in gene regulatory networks. • Investigated how structural changes in gene regulatory networks leads to disease states. • Developed a novel computational algorithm for evaluating the statistical significance of changes in network modular structure in gene regulatory networks (Lim et al., 2021). • Applied network analysis on multi-omics data to identify active biological processes using protein-protein interaction networks (Lim et al., 2020). • Analyzed multi-omics data and developed algorithms to find enrichment of disease associated variants in gene regulatory networks. • Created RNA-seq alignment pipeline using bash script and high-performance computing. • Advised and collaborated with other cancer biology labs on data analysis methods.
My dissertation focused on the role of the endocannabinoid system in modulating long-term anxiety brought on by acute stress in rats. Through series of experiments administering drugs that prevent the breakdown of endocannabinoids, I discovered that early intervention with a drug that enhance endocannabinoid mobilization in the basolateral amygdala produces a cannabinoid receptor-dependent suppressive effect on acute stress-induced anxiety in rats (Lim et al 2015). • Used predator odor exposure paradigm in conjunction with elevated plus maze to induce acute stress and assess anxiety-like behavior in rats. • Proficiently operated the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a mass spectrometry to analyze and quantify endocannabinoids and other lipid signaling components in rat brain and peripheral tissue. • Created dose response curves for newly discovered and synthesized drugs. • Performed stereotaxic surgery to implant cannulas to target the basolateral amygdala and the third ventricle for drug micro-infusion experiments. • Analyzed gene expression related to endocannabinoid production in various regions of the brain and peripheral tissue using immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blots. • Created a python program to automate the behavior scoring and statistical analysis for elevated plus maze, object location memory, and conditioned place preference paradigm. • Deployed machine learning algorithms and computer vision to analyze rat behavioral data.
Investigated how the integrins are involved in the stabilization of long term potentiation. • Used cre-loxP construct to knockout Integrin beta 1 in the CA1 of the hippocampus in mice and conducted electrophysiology experiments to induce long term potentiation (LTP) to hippocampal slices. • Performed micro-infusion of adeno-associated virus to deliver cre to the hippocampus.
Investigated the role of histone deacetylase complex 3 (HDAC3) in the regulation of gene expression after a contextual fear conditioning. • Dissected out the dorsal hippocampus from mice after contextual fear conditioning (CoFC) and prepared for mRNA quantification analysis through qRT-PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to look at HDAC3 related gene expression and interaction with the DNA.
Project 1:Investigated the top down control of inferior prefrontal gyrus (IFG) on fusiform face area during a facial recognition task on human subjects. Project 2:Investigated the role of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on semantic and relational memory. • Used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to create an artificial lesion to various brain regions in human subjects. • Operated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with a facial recognition task or a memory task for data collection and analysis. • Assisted in creating a statistical python script to analyze the temporal discrepancy of spin relaxation for a novel fMRI perfusion imaging technique called arteriole spin labeling.
Processed and imaged samples for transmission electron microscopy. • Proficiently operated the transmission electron microscope to analyze Ig-gold labeled toll-like receptor-9.
Researched the effect of high pressure freezing on the ultrastructure of rat pancreatic tissue. • Successfully operated the transmission electron microscope to visualize the pancreatic samples. • Prepared high pressure frozen pancreas, embedding in resin, and ultra-sectioning the samples. • Successfully operated the transmission electron microscope to visualize the prepared samples.
Worked on an independent research project investigating sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling in regards to the morphogen hypothesis on rat embryonic stem cells. • Cultured mouse embryonic stem cells and used homologous recombination with electroporation to generate a cell line lacking the exostoses 1 gene. • Successfully performed PCR and western blots.