Greater Philadelphia
A highly collaborative and goal-driven individual with multiple years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Possesses a robust grasp of drug discovery for autoimmune and cancer immunotherapies, coupled with adept problem-solving abilities. Demonstrates clear and effective communication skills essential for fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. Proficient in drug discovery, translational plans, and analytical assay development, with the capacity to effectively lead both internal and external collaborated teams.
Led and managed rheumatology autoimmune disease projects for both large and small molecule development, in which the biologic molecule is successfully delivered as an Janssen’s NME. Developed and validated analytical methods for drug screening and PD biomarkers assessment in various matrices, which resulted in a successful completion of preclinical applications and translational qualification. Oversee assay development and optimization and supervise technical staffs. Investigate the target biology to interrogate and establish clinical biomarker for PD assessment and patients’ stratification strategies. Manage external collaborations with CROs for assays development and reagents generation to ensure quality project execution. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop strategies for solving projects cumbersomes and facilitate project progression.
Led cross-functional teams to study novel immune checkpoint targets and generate quality data package for cancer immunotherapy portfolio entry. Oversee assay development and supervise technical staffs. Design, validate and execute CRISPR screening which verifies known POC immunotherapy targets and identify novel immune modulatory targets. Establish drug screening assays assays to enable therapeutic mAbs screening and profiling. Perform due diligence for implementing external collaborating strategies on T cells redirection therapeutics.
Championed the innovation and development of surfactome CRISPR screening in human primary T cells and successfully establish in vitro T exhaustion platform to enable high-throughput screening for cancer immunotherapies. Led the efforts with data science and statistical teams to develop the decision tree as the functional screening funnel and triage the outcomes, which led to robust decisions making. Manage junior scientists for immunoassay development, optimization and projects execution. As the lead scientist within oncology discovery to guide the biology strategy and coordinate the efforts across multi-functional groups. Awarded with Team Lilly recognition award for outstanding collaborative research.
Awarded as a two-years Lymphoma Research Foundation fellow. Implement CRISPR-Cas9 screen to identify the resistant mechanisms of Imbruvica® in MCL cells. Collaborated with the external partners to successfully validate the resistant key drivers using patients derived xenograft in vivo models.
Identify and characterize PLCG2 gain-of-function mutations conferring resistance to Imbruvica® from CLL patients and published in Blood Journal. Develop and characterize pre-clinical chemical therapeutics (OSU-T315) for treating CLL patients and published in Blood Journal. Supervise junior students to design and execute experimental plans.
Awardee for Pelotonia graduate fellowship. Identify acquired BTK mutations conferring resistance to Imbruvica® in CLL patients. Outstanding Research Award at ASH meetings in 2013 & 2014 Outstanding Graduate Research Award at OSU
Discover epigenetic landscape by oncogenic PI3K-AKT pathway in ER+ breast cancer Supervise junior students to design and execute experimental plans.