Akber Shaikh

Experience

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  University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

  May 2018 - May 2021

  Intern

  I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Uday Kompella in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy on the Anschutz Medical campus. I spent some of my time in the lab assisting lab members with their projects by carrying out incubations, writing up summaries, preparing samples, and doing data analysis. One of the primary focuses of this lab was nanotechnology, and the projects that I worked on often dealt with the application of nanotechnology to ocular drug delivery and drug stability. Through my work in this lab, I was able to acquire skills in basic laboratory procedures, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, linear regression analysis, buffer preparation, and drug incubations.In addition to my work helping the lab with their on-going projects, I was given the opportunity to work on my own individual research projects. I worked on a unique project each of the three years I worked in this lab and was able to present the results at the science fair each year. My work covered things like cancer immunotherapy, drug stability, and drug delivery to the brain. On each of the projects that I worked on individually, I was responsible for every part, including developing methodology, acquiring materials, safety, coordination with other labs, and drafting paperwork. In an effort to design comprehensive projects and fulfill all of my responsibilities, I spent dozens of hours reading hundreds of papers to choose the right materials and methods for my projects. I, also, prepared written reports, posters, and power point presentations to present my work at fairs and conferences. Show less

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  Georgia Institute of Technology

  Aug 2021 - now

  I currently work for the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I help conduct business analysis with the goal of improving the efficiency of workflows for OIT as they work on projects throughout the year. I am responsible for project management, which includes task board development, report development, trend tracking, and consumer data analytics. After completing theses analyses I am responsible for writing written or presenting verbal reports to my superiors to help them make changes that can improve our consumer experience. Show less I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Saad Bhamla in the department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering conducting research towards the understanding of behaviors and mechanisms of learning in single cell organisms. In pursuit of this project, I have applied methods in cell culture and cell handling, while, also, developing novel methodologies to manipulate and interact with small organisms in order to better understand and quantify their behavior. The lab hopes to use the insights derived from this project to drive further insights into bio-inspired designs, as it has done with many other projects in the past. Show less I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Ravi Kane in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering for three semesters. The main area of focus in the laboratory that I worked on was protein-based therapeutics and their development. My work in the lab focused mainly on supporting a graduate student in their work to design therapeutics. I worked on cell cultures, protein purification and protein characterization assays to help my mentoring grad student develop her drug and optimize the process of producing the proteins that she needs. Show less

  • Junior Business Analyst

    Mar 2022 - now

  • Research Intern

    Jan 2023 - May 2024

  • Intern

    Aug 2021 - Dec 2022
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  Children's Hospital Colorado

  Jun 2022 - Aug 2022

  Intern

  I was a part of the Children's Hospital Child Health Internship program for the Summer of 2022. As an intern in the program, I conducted research centered around pediatric diseases and learned tools and new skills to help me in future research endeavors. More specifically, I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Nick Foreman where we conducted research into pediatric ependymoma, a severe cancer of the nervous system. My project for the summer explored the immunomodulatory effects of drugs against ependymomas. While working on this project, I have applied several techniques, including mammalian cell culture, RNA purification, qRTPCR, coculture experimentation, cell viability assays, and cytokine release assays. Show less

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  United Therapeutics Corporation

  May 2023 - Aug 2023

  Regenerative Medicine Intern

  I worked as an intern in the Regenerative Medicine Lab at United Therapeutics. My work involved projects related to furthering ongoing ventures in the development of lab grown organs for transplant. More specifically, I worked on projects involving the use of cell culture, molecular biology, and genetic engineering to further the company's goal of developing transplantable engineered lungs as a potential cure for end-stage lung disease.

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  Humacyte

  May 2024 - Aug 2024

  IPSC Research and Development Intern

  I worked as an intern at Humacyte on projects aimed at furthering the development of their BioVascular Pancreas, a device utilizing transplanted acellular arterial scaffolds as a delivery vehicle for pancreatic islets to treat type 1 diabetes. Through the application of techniques in cell culture, cellular analysis, and cellular engineering, I optimized the design of the BioVascular Pancreas to help bring it to clinic. My work ensured that the system is both safe to use in patients as well as effective enough to treat type 1 diabetes. Show less