Boroughbridge, England, United Kingdom
Experienced Analytical Scientist with a demonstrated history of working in the (bio)pharmaceuticals industry. Skilled in Method Development, LC-MS, glycan profiling and peptide mapping. Strong research professional with a PhD focused in Analytical Chemistry (mass spectrometry based glycan profiling) from University of York.
- Project leader. Monitoring activities across process and analytical teams through lead molecule declaration to material & methods transfer post-candidate selection. Represented the department on cross-functional project teams to solve project issues, report and discuss data and contribute to, and authoring of, reports supporting candidate selection. - Technology development lead for Analytical Characterisation team. Writing proposals, instrument evaluations and embedding new technologies to benefit the team/department by supporting timeline acceleration and expansion of capabilities. Being a positive advocate for new technologies and process improvements. - Provide presentations, training and technical advice to scientists across multiple departments to share learnings and promote scientific and strategic understanding around the area of analysis and processing of Biopharms. - Supervisor on two BBSRC-funded PhD studentships on CHO glycoengineering and mathematical modelling for predicting glycosylation on secreted glycoproteins. - Departmental hiring manager for recruitment of staff and students, working closely with HR teams. - Reviewing colleagues written experimental reports to ensure a high standard, compliance and data integrity. - Associate Fellow activities; organising committee for GSK annual fellows conference, developing peers by providing technical support to colleagues outside of the department, mentoring apprentices and junior staff and peer review of project proposals.
- Analytical team project leader on monoclonal antibody projects from lead declaration to candidate selection and subsequent transfer of materials and methods to US colleagues for Tox manufacture. Lead author on all Analytical documentation and contributed to reports that supported candidate selection. - LC-MS(/MS) methods used for molecule characterisation across multiple monoclonal antibody and recombinant protein projects. Intact and subunit mass analysis, forced-stress studies to determine degradation pathways and potential critical quality attributes, by peptide mapping. Identification of host-cell proteins, supporting downstream process development. Providing data critical to project decision making. - Embedded a high throughput N-glycan screening tool for rapid product quality assessment, aiding faster cell line selection decisions, supporting Upstream Processing. - Glycosylation strategy lead; investigate/develop understanding of how glycosylation impacts cell line, (bio)process and molecule. Planned and tracked glycosylation activities, presented progress in technology review meetings. - Proposed, set up and supervising of two BBSRC-funded PhD studentships with University of York. - Elected to society of Fellows in 2018, demonstrating scientific leadership, visibility and credibility. Activities included hosting departmental science seminars, setting up and hosting a glycomics forum, organising committee for GSKs Biopharm Process Development symposium
Thesis title: ‘One sample, one pot and the whole glycome: towards a system to study disorders of protein glycosylation’ (funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Chemistry Department at the University of York as teaching studentship) Supervisors: Professor Jane Thomas-Oates, Dr Ed Bergström and Dr Graham Clarke. The multidisciplinary PhD project, involving collaboration with BMS (including a work placement in the USA) and two groups in biology at the University of York, involved development of a one-pot method for release and isolation of N- and O-glycans from glycoproteins from cultured whole cell lysates, for analysis by mass spectrometry. The method allows subsequent analysis of the protein by LC-MS/MS, after glycan release. The approach offers a simple way to assess the often subtle changes to glycan profiles in differentiation and disease progression and offers insight into functional roles of such cellular processes in a statistically robust way. Additional responsibilities included planning and supervising a research project for a final year undergraduate Masters student. Teaching studentship involved working as a graduate teaching assistant, in undergraduate teaching labs (see in more detail below), with time spent developing and improving experiments for undergraduate labs.
As a graduate teaching assistant, I taught and supervised undergraduates on a range of courses including year one Synthesis, Analysis, and Integrated Chemistry, year one and year two Maths, and year three Advanced Separations Science and Mass Spectrometry workshops. I taught students how to use HPLC, GC, IR and UV-vis instruments. One of my responsibilities was to give briefings before experiments, so I had to deliver the most important information in an engaging manner. I was responsible for helping students through experiments safely, trouble shooting experimental issues and engaging with students to check they understood the chemistry behind what they were trying to achieve. Flexibility was important as there were multiple experiments happening simultaneously. In addition I marked lab reports, gave individual written feedback and group verbal feedback. I have mentored new graduate teaching assistants, and planned and supervised a final year MChem student project. With this and four years as a private tutor (for GCSE and A-level chemistry and maths students), I have excellent leadership and influential qualities. One of my students, who once struggled with chemistry, is now studying it at University! Developed an experiment for the year one Analysis course, on extraction of hydrocarbons from the leaves of herbs, for analysis by GC.
Provided one-to-one tuition in GCSE and A-level Chemistry and Maths
Preparation and analysis of monoclonal antibody glycans, glycopeptides and intact proteins by a suite of 2D NMR techniques (HSQC, TOCSY, COSY, NOESY). Also including some analysis by HPLC and MALDI ToF/ToF. This experience enabled me to develop an understanding of the challenges involved in working with therapeutic proteins, and to gain hands-on skills in handling and analysing such therapeutic (glyco)proteins.