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Senior Biomedical Engineer

AI/ML Bioinformatics Consulting

In my current role as a bioinformatics consultant, I advise multiple clients on the technical direction of their drug discovery projects, architect machine learning algorithms to analyze multi-omics (e.g. RNASeq, protein abundance, enzyme activity) data pipelines, and use those pipelines to make protein property predictions.

• Nextflow
• PDB
• GO
• STRING
• Ray
• PyTorch
• scikit-learn
• High Performance Computing

Student Researcher

Khalil Lab, Boston University

For my Master's thesis, I worked in the Khalil lab to characterize the capabilities of a DIY bioreactor (eVOLVER) for luminescence detection in autonomous bioreactor control.

• Custom Python modules
• ML algorithms
• High-throughput automation integration
• Directed evolution
• Assay development
• Fluorescence/luminescence detection

Senior Research Associate

Resonance Medicine

I spent a few months helping to close the gaps for my friend's team at Resonance Medicine, where I scaled a directed evolution platform from manual assays to a semi-automated, high-throughput workflow. In the 10 weeks or so I spent at Resonance, my contributions resulted in reduced hands-on experimental time by 75%, directly resulting in improved experimental precision and associated reductions in cost for company’s drug discovery pipeline.

• High-throughput lab automation
• Drug discovery

Research Associate I/II

Joyn Bio

During my time at Joyn Bio (since acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks), I was the company evangelist for automated high-throughput robotics workflows on liquid handlers. I created and validated numerous SOPs to integrate high-throughput protocols throughout the company. I was liaison between internal teams and external collaborators, and communicated verbal and written results of my work at regular intervals to cross-functional teams like Strain Design, Bioengineering, and Leadership.

• High-throughput lab automation
• Drug discovery
• Hamilton STAR
• Opentrons
• Echo
• Biostack
• Synergy H1
• JESS

Research Assistant

Colorado State University

As an undergraduate student, I was hired by a PhD student to develop novel protocols for loading guest molecules into computationally designed protein hosts, and established chemical conjugation workflows to stabilize protein crystals. I continued working at CSU as an RA after my graduation, resulting in two publications.

• Chromatography
• Strain design
• DNA extraction
• Directed evolution

Health Advocacy Volunteer

Peace Corps - Ethiopia

I lived and worked in a small Ethiopian town, providing community health education initiatives. I planned and led a Girls' Health Retreat with other Peace Corps and community members, and I served as the chair of a committee with the inititive to help improve technological access, resources, and education throughout Ethiopia.

Sergeant of Marines

United States Marine Corps

I enlisted in the Marine Corps and was promoted from Private to Sergeant within 4 years. I was deployed to Iraq. By the time I finished my service, I was overseeing a unit of 40 Marines.

Master of Science

Boston University

Biomedical Engineering

Bachelor of Science

Colorado State University

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Luminescence detection in eVOLVER for autonomous bioreactor control.

Boston University (M.S. Thesis)

We describe the design, implementation, and limitations of a luminescence detection system for the eVOLVER parallel benchtop bioreactor system. This addition aims to expand eVOLVER's functionality, particularly in Phage Assisted Continuous Evolution (PACE) platforms by allowing real-time automated feedback control of selection pressure in PACE.

Installing Guest Molecules at Specific Sites within Scaffold Protein Crystals

Bioconjugate Chemistry

Protein crystals are porous self-assembling materials that can be rapidly evolved by mutagenesis. We aimed to develop scaffold assisted crystallography techniques in an engineered protein crystal with large pores (>13 nm). Guest molecules were installed via a single covalent bond to attempt to reduce the conformational freedom and achieve high-occupancy structures. We used four different conjugation strategies to attach guest molecules to three different cysteine sites within pre-existing protein crystals. In all but one case, the presence of the adduct was obvious in the electron density. Structure determination of larger guest molecules may be feasible due to the large pores of the engineered scaffold crystals.

Programmed Assembly of Host–Guest Protein Crystals

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)

We seek to develop comparably precise crystalline materials (nanometer precision) that are nonetheless modular and more easily engineered. Our approach uses highly porous protein crystals (pore diameter >8 nm) to decouple crystallization from subsequent assembly steps. We first prepare a porous scaffold crystal and afterward load guest domains within the host crystal.