Professional Experience
Senior Scientist
Pfizer, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
2022 - Present
Internal Medicine Research Unit (IMRU) / Portfolio Strategy/Cardio-Renal:
Research strategy to address the increasing global impact of the dysmetabolic state, with key focus in the areas of Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, and associated indications including NASH, T2DM, and Cachexia.
Scientist I, II to Senior Scientist I, II
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2013 - 2022
Chemical Biology and Therapeutics / Chemical Genetics:
Scouting, evaluating and deploying emerging methods and technologies to identify novel first-in-class mechanisms, creating collaboratively early target and drug discovery and drug discovery programs with a strong grasp of the fundamentals of Chemical Biology.
Chemical Biology and Therapeutics / Early Translational Biology:
Co-creating discovery projects across all NIBR portfolio space, collaboratively define the strategy, distill essentials of programs and building experimental systems to address key scientific questions. Exploratory phase engagement with diseased areas to transfer complex models to high throughput screens, biochemical, cellular, high content and genetic screening.
Chemical Biology and Therapeutics / Discovery Biology I:
Catalyzing the discovery of proprietary targets and paths to drug discovery combining genetics, low molecular weight tools and physiologically relevant models, detailed expertise in key areas of biology and target classes. Primary focus in Neuroscience programs: Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
Center for Proteomic Chemistry / Integrated Lead Discovery and Screening Sciences:
In close collaboration with NIBR partners, to discover leads for NIBR targets or pathways; bring contributions to target identification and lead optimization. Primary focus: microRNA biogenesis and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
Center for Proteomic Chemistry / Facilitated Access to Screening Technologies (FAST) Laboratory:
Support all disease areas within NIBR partners with proof of concept projects and focused screens. Primary consultant for internal and external collaborations not limited to assay development, miniaturization up to 1536w, automation adaptation and screening over 150K compounds in various HTS phases utilizing biochemical, cellular and high content screening technologies.
Scientific Associate II
Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2009 - 2013
Bacterial Serology specialist responsible for assay development and screening of pre-clinical and clinical trials for bacterial vaccine candidates. R&D project work on innate immunity and vaccine development for meningococcal vaccine (Bexsero®), with additional support for viral vaccines group including influenza, Yellow Fever and cytomegalovirus programs.
Technical Expertise
Molecular Biology
(Sub)cloning, (RT-q)PCR, DNA, RNA, Sequencing, Extractions, Digestions, Site-directed mutagenesis, Southern/Western(traditional and Jess/Wes)/Eastern blotting
Cell Biology
Bacterial and mammalian cell culture (including primary cell lines and human induced pluripotent stem cells), glucose uptake assay, metabolic assays (Agilent Seahorse), in vitro transcription and translation, Fluorescence in situ hybridization FISH
Biochemistry
Protein transformations/expression/purification, antibody purifications, immunoprecipitations, chromatography (ion exchange, size exclusion, hydrophobic interactions, and affinity), SDS-PAGE (native and denaturing) and native zone (zymograms), and isoelectric focusing electrophoreses
Enzymology / in vitro Pharmacology
Enzymatic assays, carbohydrate enzymatic reactions, protein modifications, determination of steady-state (Km and Vmax), inhibition studies, pre-steady state parameters (rate constants), chemical quench flow method (Kintek Corp. Rapid Quencher). Cell viability, proliferation, functional assays, cell based assays, biochemical assays. Processing of in vivo samples for assay development, target validation, cAMP assays (GPCRs).
Microscopy
Confocal/Fluorescence microscopy for high content imaging: live and fixed modalities: Carl Zeiss confocal microscope, GE Healthcare Life Sciences IN Cell Analyzer 6000, PerkinElmer Opera Phenix (Plus), Agilent Cytation 5/10, and Yokogawa CellVoyager CV7000/8000. Electron microscopy (EM), sample preparation and transmission and scanning.
Isotopes
Extensive experience in working with Carbon-14, Phosphorus-32 and Sulfur-35
Biohazard Levels
Experimentation at BSL-1, BSL-2 and BSL-3
Computer Skills
MS Office, Spotfire/Tableau, Electronic notebooks (IDBS SmartBook/e-Workbook, Revvity Signals), Molecular modeling (PyMOL, "O", PDB Swiss Viewer), Kinetic modeling ProFit and GraphPad Prism, Molecular Biology software: VectorNTI/DNASTAR/Lasergene, Sequencher, CodonCode Aligner, SnapGene
Screening Systems and Instruments
Tecan robotic systems, Hamilton Automated Liquid Handling STAR system, Beckman BioMek i7, BioRad Bio-Plex Luminex system, Cybio CyBi/FELIX, Perkin Elmer Flexdrop Matrix, Integra Viaflo 3847, Thermo liquid handling dispensers: CombiNL, multidrop combi, GNF systems bottlevalve washer/dispenser, Biotek multiflow, EL405, EL406. Compound dispensers: Labcyte/Beckman ECHO 555/650, EDC Biosystems ATS, Tecan D300, and pintool. Western blotting: Protein Simple/Biotechne Wes/Jess, Licor Odyssey imagers, BioRad ChemiDoc, Amersham ImageQuant800. RT-qPCR: Thermofisher QuantStudio systems. RNA/DNA extraction: Promega Maxwell 48, etc. Readers: Viewlux, Pherastar, Envision/Nexus. Automation software: Thermo Scientific POLARA scheduling, HighRES Bio Cellario Scheduler, ThermoFisher Momentum Automation scheduling, NOVARTIS HELIOS, GeneData Screener.
Vaccines
Immunoassays: ELISA, MSD and multiplex (magnetic) assays, radial immunodiffusion (RID), serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assay and cell based neutralization assays (for Yellow fever), serum/plasma collection, (pre)clinical analysis for Bexsero® meningococcal Group B Vaccine, bacteria growth and handling of Neisseria meningitidis and Group A Streptococcus.