Thomas Franklin

Student-Athlete and Johnson Scholar at Washington and Lee University | 2026 Yale BioMed Amgen Scholar

Lexington, Virginia, United States

About

I am a current student at Washington and Lee University with a great interest in research and development in the biotechnology and life science fields. I intend to major in Biochemistry with a minor in Data Science. I have around 2 years of lab experience in bench techniques and hope to continue to improve my skills in both wet and dry lab research. At Washington and Lee, I am on the varsity cross country teams, the varsity track teams as well as student leadership roles such as the first-year orientation leadership committee.

Experience

  • Student Reseacher: Yale BioMed Amgen ACS Scholar at Yale School of Medicine
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

  • Washington and Lee University (On-site)
    • Organic Chemistry TA
      Aug 2025 - Present · 11 mos

    • Student Researcher
      Aug 2024 - Present · 1 yr 11 mos

      ▪ Conducted research under Dr. Sarah Kim involving liposome formulation and characterization using thin-film hydration, extrusion, and active loading to encapsulate chemotherapeutic agents for pediatric brain cancers ▪ Optimized liposomal parameters increasing encapsulation efficiency of tazemetostat by over 6,000%. ▪ Explored novel methods for tazemetostat loading of anionic liposomal depots, investigating how artificial cerebrospinal fluid and high concentrations of divalent cation affect aggregation of anionic liposomes ▪ Characterized topotecan loaded liposomes for further in vivo studies in mice

    • Summer Research Assistant
      May 2025 - Aug 2025 · 4 mos

  • VSFS Intern for the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Devlopment at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    Aug 2024 - May 2025 · 10 mos

    Finding risk assessors and working to integrate kinetic data into human health risk assessment. Data curation of Physiologically based pharmacokinetic models and using them to help mitigate the risk of environmental chemicals that could cause adverse health effects.

  • Summer Lab Technician at The University of Toledo
    May 2024 - Aug 2024 · 4 mos

    Summer lab technician at the University of Toledo measuring how algal toxins prevalent in Lake Erie affect root respiration and the overall metabolism of Zea mays

  • Student Research Assistant at The University of Toledo
    Oct 2021 - Sep 2023 · 2 yrs

    Research Assistant who evaluated plant interactions with iron and the relevant physiological changes. Evaluated plant-algal toxin interactions and uptake in a USDA-funded Biosafety level II research lab. Worked with data entry and graphical interfaces, as well as experiment design and execution. Also worked with various bench techniques and assays such as ELISA, western blot, slot-blot techniques, Lowry assays, and others, as well as spectrophotometry.