Molecular Biologist Resume Example

Molecular biologist with 4 years of experience in Next Generation Sequencing techniques and practice, providing expert technical support for malaria advanced molecular detection activities for both domestic and international partners. I have experience in novel and innovative tools to track molecular changes in drug resistance as well as to determine conserved DNA sequences that can be used to develop new malaria diagnostic tests. I have developed laboratory protocols, and have experience with interfacing protocols with MaRS bioinformatics pipeline and Clarity Laboratory Information Management Software, and have acted as the laboratory and quality manager for the division core sequencing facility for 4 years.

• Work and Research Experience at CDC Center for Global Health, Malaria Branch
• Completed Master's in Public Health Epidemiology (MPH) at University of South Florida December 2019
• KSU Center for Student Leadership – Presidents Emerging Global Scholars (PEGS)
• Student athlete with KSU's NCAA Division I Soccer team
• Able to overcome moderate hearing loss

• Isolate and sequence malaria parasite genes to track molecular changes in drug resistance
• Trained in CDC laboratory safety procedures
• Proper handling techniques for blood-borne pathogens
• Trained in PCR, genetic sequencing, electrophoresis gel preparation and analysis
• Trained in microsatellite sequencing and analysis
• Laboratory manager for the Advanced Molecular Detection division core facility
• Quality manager for the AMD division core laboratory
• Isolate and sequence malaria parasite genes using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques to track molecular changes in drug resistance as well as to determine conserved DNA sequences that can be used to develop new malaria diagnostic tests
• Genotype drug resistant mutations using conventional and advanced molecular detection techniques
• Microsatellite marker analyses and other methods to characterize malaria parasites obtained from international malaria surveillance studies
• Perform molecular diagnosis of malaria parasites using different PCR-based methods
• Provide trainings to domestic and international collaborators
• Detection of HRP2 deletion and species characterization using nested and unnested PCR techniques, as well as Next Generation Sequencing methods
• Development and testing of emerging markers for drug resistance using NGS techniques
• Laboratory protocol development and interfacing protocols with MaRS bioinformatics pipeline and Clarity Laboratory Information Management Software
• Training on human subjects research protection and SmartSolve quality management software
• Member of CDC Building Evacuation Team, 2 years and Division of Parasitic Diseases Safety and Quality Team
• Quality manager for the AMD division core laboratory
o Safety Inspection survey
o SOP conversion and competency evaluations
o Automation of Eppendorf epMotion 5073 robot

Provided training instruction to domestic and international collaborators:

2016

• Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science (AFRIMS) – Bangkok, Thailand
• Guinea
• National Institute for Medical Research – Tanzania

2017

• New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center
• Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Department of Infectious Diseases – Rome, Italy
  Aga Khan University – Karachi, Pakistan
  Georgia Institute of Technology – Atlanta, Georgia

2018

• Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Department of Infectious Diseases – Rome, Italy
• Emory University – Atlanta, Georgia

2019

• Univsersidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia – Lima, Peru
• Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar – Dakar,
• Senegal
• University of Texas – Austin, Texas
• University of California Los Angeles – LA, California
• National Institute for Medical Research – Tanga, Tanzania

2020

• Angola (PARMA) – Luanda, Angola

June 2019 NGS Training Workshop - Lima, Peru

• Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Carlos Fernandez Ph. D candidate, Christopher Delgado Ratto Ph. D
• Workshop collaboration with the Global Health Institute – University of Antwerp, Belgium organized in Peru, Lima to train key malaria partners in the region on MaRS (MAlaria Drug Resistance) protocol
• Https://cienciayesquina.github.io/vlir-ngs/

Kennesaw State University, President's Emerging Global Scholars program (2011-2013)

• Spring 2012, Travel Experience to Salvador, Brazil- to gain an understanding of emerging global markets
• Spring 2013, Travel Experience to San Jose, Costa Rica- volunteer time building schools for the women's addiction clinic and further explore the emerging markets of the world

Kennesaw State University Women's Soccer team (2011-2015)

• Played collegiate soccer in an NCAA Division I program
• Forward/ Midfield, #20

US National Women's Deaf Team (2012-2015)

• Ankara, Turkey 2012 World Deaf Football Championship- Gold medal and Golden Boot (most goals scored in tournament)
• Sofia, Bulgaria 2013 Deaf Olympic Games- Gold medal and Golden Boot Award

Language: English (written, reading, and spoken) and French (basic reading and conversation)

Hobbies: soccer, cooking, and travel (Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Caribbean, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Monaco, Austria, United Kingdom, Turkey, Bulgaria)

Volunteer Work

• KSU Soccer Program- Girls Scouts of America exercise promotion
• “Jr. Owls Reading Challenge” at Chalker Elementary School
• North Atlanta Soccer Association volunteer with “TOP Soccer” for physically challenged kids
• Global Soap Project in Atlanta for PEGS
• “Jr. Owls Reading Challenge” at Baker Elementary School

• Talundzic. E., Chenet, S.M., Goldman, I.F., Patel, D.S, Nelson, J.A., Plucinski, M.M., Barnwell J.W., and Udhayakumar V., Genetic Analysis and Species Specific Amplification of the Artemisinin Resistance-Associated Kelch Propeller Domain in P. falciparum and P. vivax. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 20;10(8):e0136099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136099.
• Talundzic E, Ravishankar S, Kelley J, Patel D, Plucinski M, Schmedes S, Ljolje D, Clemons B, Madison-Antenucci S, Arguin PM, Lucchi NW, Vannberg F, Udhayakumar V., Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Protocol for Malaria Drug Resistance Marker Surveillance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 Mar 27;62(4). pii: e02474-17. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02474-17. Print 2018 Apr.
• Plucinski MM, Dimbu PR, Macaia AP, Ferreira CM, Samutondo C, Quivinja J, Afonso M, Kiniffo R, Mbounga E, Kelley JS, Patel DS, He Y, Talundzic E, Garrett DO, Halsey ES, Udhayakumar V, Ringwald P, Fortes F., Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Angola, 2015. Malar J. 2017 Feb 2;16(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s12936-017-1712-4.
• Chenet SM, Okoth SA, Kelley J, Lucchi N, Huber CS, Vreden S, Macedo de Oliveira A, Barnwell JW, Udhayakumar V, Adhin MR, Molecular Profile of Malaria Drug Resistance Markers of Plasmodium falciparum in Suriname. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017 Jun 27;61(7). pii: e02655-16. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02655-16. Print 2017 Jul.
• Talundzic E, Chenet SM, Goldman IF, Patel DS, Nelson JA, Plucinski MM, Barnwell JW, Udhayakumar V. Genetic Analysis and Species Specific Amplification of the Artemisinin Resistance-Associated Kelch Propeller Domain in P. falciparum and P. vivax. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 20;10(8):e0136099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136099. eCollection 2015.
• Ljolje, D., Dimbu PR, Kelley J, Goldman I, Nace D, Macaia A, Halsey ES, Ringwald P, Fortes F, Udhayakumar V, Talundzic E, Lucchi NW, Plucinski MM. Prevalence of molecular markers of artemisinin and lumefantrine resistance among patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in three provinces in Angola, 2015. Malar J. 2018 Feb 20;17(1):84. doi: 10.1186/s12936-018-2233-5.
• Schmedes, SE., Patel, D., Kelley, J., Udhayakumar V., and Talundzic, E. Using the Plasmodium mitochondrial genome for classifying mixed-species infections and inferring the geographical origin of P. falciparum parasites imported to the U.S. PLoS ONE 14(4): e0215754. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215754
• M. Andreina Pacheco, Esha R. Kadakia, Zainab Chaudhary, Douglas J. Perkins, Julia Kelley, Shashidhar Ravishankar, Michael Cranfield, Eldin Talundzic, Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, and Ananias Escalante. Evolution and Genetic Diversity of the k13 Gene Associated with Artemisinin Delayed Parasite Clearance in Plasmodium falciparum. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy May 2019;63(8). DOI: 10.1128/AAC.02550-18

• Targeted deep amplicon sequencing of kelch 13 and cytochrome b in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from a malaria endemic African country using the Malaria Resistance Surveillance (MaRS) protocol – L'Episcopia M., Kelley J., Patel D., Schmedes S., Ravishankar S., Menegon M., Perrotti E, Nurahmed A.M., Talha A.A., Nour B.Y., Lucchi N., Udhayakumar V., Severini C., Talundzic E.
• Plasmodium falciparum kelch 13 mutations in nine African countries from 2015–2018 – Sarah E. Schmedes,#, Dhruviben Patel#, Simran Dhal, Julia Kelley, Samaly Santos, Pedro Rafael Dimbu, Adicatou-Laï Adeothy, Mesia Kahunu, Papi Mandoko, Abdoul Habib Beavogui, Simon Kariuki, Don P. Mathanga, Ousmane Koita, Deus Ishengoma, Moonga Hawela, Leah Moriarty, Aaron M. Samuels, Julie Gutman, Mateusz M. Plucinski, Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, Naomi W. Lucchi, Meera Venkatesan, Eric S. Halsey, and Eldin Talundzic.
• Cyclosporiasis case-linkage using targeted amplicon sequencing and unsupervised similarity-based classifiers – Fernanda S. Nascimento†, Joel Barratt †*, Katelyn Houghton, Mateusz Plucinski, Julia Kelley, Shannon Casillas, Carolyne (Cody) Bennett, Cathy Snider, Rashmi Tuladhar, Jenny Zhang, Brooke Clemons, Susan Madison-Antenucci, Alexis Russell, Elizabeth Cebelinski, Jisun Haan, Trisha Robinson, Michael J. Arrowood, Eldin Talundzic, Richard S. Bradbury, and Yvonne Qvarnstrom.
• Recent Advances in the Universal Detection of Parasites by Deep Amplicon Sequencing and Host DNA Exclusion – Meredith Lane, Briana Flaherty, Joel Barratt, Julia Kelley, Mili Sheth, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Eldin Talundzic, Richard Bradbury