Boston, Massachusetts, United States
I am a driven experimental biologist with 13+ years of wide-ranging experience in oncology, such as drug development, immuno-oncology, cancer biology (including metastasis), and prevention. My research centers around improving patient outcome and quality of life, with preclinical studies designed to mimic clinical settings - using a wide range of tumor, PK/PD, and toxicity models. I'm also proficient in clinical and preclinical biomarker analysis, including proteomics, exosome analysis, and immune profiling (flow- and staining-based methods). Throughout my career I’ve pioneered multiple studies within interdisciplinary teams of clinicians and computational biologists as well as established and maintained collaborations across multiple institutions and countries. I am a versatile communicator who is eager to learn and venture outside of my comfort zone to find solutions to problems, bringing a wide-ranging set of skills to cross-functional teams.
Laboratory of Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD • Developing improved immuno-therapeutic strategies by combining immune checkpoint inhibition with other anti-cancer drugs using immuno-competent murine breast cancer models. Characterizing tumor & immune cells (incl. infiltration, activation, exhaustion) after various single and combination treatments to understand mechanisms responsible for improved immune and anti-tumor responses. • Investigating breast cancer prevention strategies in rat models. Characterizing mammary gland epithelial & immune cell populations altered upon cancer prevention. Identified a novel epithelial population associated with increased breast cancer risk in rats & humans. • Participating in cross-institutional (Broad Institute, MIT, Harvard Medical School, DFCI, etc.) & cross-disciplinary collaborations with researchers, data scientists, & clinicians, incl. a clinical trial related to the combination treatment study. • Mentored two college students. Supervised a Harvard undergraduate senior thesis. Trained several students & postdoctoral fellows.
Laboratory of Dr. Yibin Kang 10 publications, 2 teaching experiences • Identified novel proteins promoting bone & lung metastasis of breast & melanoma cells using proteomics. Correlated protein expression with clinical outcome. Functionally characterized a novel lung metastasis mediator using in vitro & in vivo/ex vivo models. • Identified a novel role for breast cancer exosomes in bone metastasis using tissue culture & mouse breast cancer models. • Cross-institutional collaborations on melanoma exosomes in lung metastasis (Cornell Weill Medical School) & on PGAM1 & PDP1 in tumor growth (Emory Medical School) resulting in multiple publications. • Teaching assistant of two undergraduate courses. Mentored several undergraduate, master’s, & junior graduate students. Selected workshops & conferences - Presented at • SPSAS – Advances in Molecular Oncology, São Paulo, Brazil (February 2013) • Molecular Biology Department Retreat, Princeton University, New Jersey, US (September 2012) • ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, Vancouver, Canada (May 2012)
Genes, Health and Society • Developed course curriculum materials, created & graded exams (formative & summative assessments), ensuring alignment with learning objectives. • Supported lectures, held precepts (discussion groups) with 15 students & provided academic support to enhance student comprehension of genetic concepts.
Valencian Branch of the National Stem Cell Bank, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe Laboratory of Dr. Carlos Simón • Participated in the derivation of new human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines of therapeutic grade • Maintained and characterized hESCs obtained from normal pre-embryos and embryos with monogenic alterations