Experience

• 

  Upmc

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2010

  Pulmonary laboratory research specialist in which my duties were: expose mice to cigarette smoke, tag mice, and take care of them. Laboratory work was: PCR, DNA, RNA and protein isolation, colony count, BA4 western blot, immunofluorescence, morphometry, cell culture, protein analysis, TOPO Cloning Reaction, histology, Cryostat training, Confocal microscopy, BAL (Bronchoalveolar lavage), mouse lung preservation and preparation for histological analysis, general lab duties (chemicals, bio-safety, ordering). I was also heavily involved in histology techniques as well as stem cell line growth and maintenance. Show less

  • Research Specialist

    Jan 2008 - Jan 2010

  • Research Tech

    Jan 2007 - Jan 2008
• 

  University of arkansas

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Masters student

  Animal handling (poultry), PCR, bioenergetic analysis using Seahorse XF24 flux analyzer, cell culture, transfection using immortalized cells (some HTC cells), intestinal research, mitochondrial isolation, plasmid preparation, fluorescence microscopy, general lab upkeep (making chemicals, clean up, bio-safety training, ordering). I also worked with a laboratory that developed Salmonella vaccines as well as worked with AI models. In addition, I studied poultry diseases and modes of transmission and was field trained to identify these diseases by a veterinarian.. Show less

• 

  University of arkansas

  Jul 2012 - Jan 2015

  Worked with UAMS in Little Rock, AR to compare murine and poultry fat deposits for a better understanding of fat development and storage in these two models as they were applicable to human health. This lead to a published paper on using poultry as a model for human obesity. I worked with many molecular techniques as well as microbiological assays. Most recently, I worked with adipokines, such as leptin, to determine their role in nutrition at times of stress and relaxation. This lead to development of understanding the initial pathway of leptin in avians. My research has contributed to understanding the existence and function of a cell survival pathway, autophagy, in avians. Furthermore, I have worked on translating these findings by using chicken and quail models which are either resistant or susceptible to stress, and studying how this pathway alters their tolerance to stressors, following the corticosterone pathway and its relation in avians to humans. I performed extensive work with bacterial transformation in this area as well as in determination of key genes involved in the leptin pathway in avians. Along these lines, we looked at bacterial and viral modes of action at a molecular level to try and understand these disease better for an easier method to treat in the field or alleviate incidences in the industry. This included immunoassay, molecular assay, and microbiological assay development and methodology. Show less

  • PhD candidate

    Feb 2014 - Jan 2015

  • PhD Student

    Jul 2012 - Jan 2015
• 

  Usda national institute of food and agriculture

  Jan 2016 - Mar 2017

  Postdoctoral fellow

  Studied the effect autophagy has on feed efficiency and heat stress in commercial broilers and other production birds and successfully delineated beginning of the leptin pathway in avians. Other projects included bird trials with feed additives from two separate companies to study their effect in helping to decrease use of antibiotics in poultry (1st experiment) as well as determined if the other additive can aid in the birds coping with heat stress and other environmental stressors. The additives role in feed efficiency and helping to decrease antibiotic usage in commercial poultry was also studied (2nd experiment) and has lead to marketing of a product which can protect just as well as antibiotics in the poultry industry. Study of autophagy and poultry diseases such as necrotic enteritis and avian influenza and the role autophagy plays during course of infection has also been studied and documented. Show less

• 

  Adisseo

  Apr 2017 - Jan 2020

  Poultry technical manager

  Technical Manager supporting all products with a focus on whole bird health. Lead on organic selenium and probiotic products surrounding whole animal health and gut health and how this translates to supporting customers operations and ROI.

• 

  Elanco

  Jan 2020 - now

  Senior monogastric technical consultant

  Involved in pre harvest food safety interventions in poultry operations. Supporting Elanco food safety products from vaccines to insecticides from a technical standpoint. I aid customers in determining a best choice for preventive measures around food safety, and provide support nutritional products as well. Lead technical consultant on our insecticide portfolio on both swine and poultry. This allows me to help customers with their integrated pest management programs, making on farm visits to help control pests as well as visits to help train personnel on bio protection. Show less