Joseph Fromm, Ph.D.

Experience

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  Wu Bioengineering Laboratories

  Nov 2013 - Apr 2016

  Undergraduate Research Assistant

  Assisting Post Doctorate students in their research on the effectiveness on targeted drug delivery systems via protein attachments.

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  Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

  Jun 2015 - Sept 2015

  Research Intern

  Assist Researchers in the Cosford Lab at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in their experiments to develop new drug therapies for patients around the world.

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  Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

  Jun 2016 - Sept 2016

  Research Assistant
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  Sanford Burnham Prebys - Cosford Lab

  Sept 2016 - May 2022

  Graduate Student Researcher

  I developed a testing funnel for novel small molecule inhibitors of fatty acid synthase utilizing biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assays. This led to the optimization of a new lead with promising properties for continued development. I also initiated a structural investigation into the mechanism of action of our target utilizing enzyme engineering and enzyme kinetic analysis.

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  Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

  Sept 2019 - Dec 2019

  Teacher Assistant

  I facilitated lectures, discussions, and journal clubs for first year graduate students in the Cancer Section of the Molecules to Systems course at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

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  Geno

  Jun 2022 - Jun 2023

  Research Scientist I, Enzyme Engineering

  I successfully drove 4 engineering campaigns seeking to improve activity of a non-native, central metabolism enzyme. After developing a novel assay for the company and integrating it into the established automated platform, I screened over 3,000 enzyme variants, identifying improved activity over wild-type. Lead hits were purified and profiled to understand Michaelis-Menten kinetics to identify the driving force behind the improved activity. The final enzyme displayed a 4-fold improvement in substrate affinity and was successfully integrated into production strains. Show less

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  Vertex Pharmaceuticals

  Aug 2023 - Feb 2025

  Contract Research Scientist, In Vitro Pharmacology

  I developed assays across multiple program pipelines to understand pharmacological principles underlying small molecule therapeutic treatments. I developed 3 assays as part of a target validation package to recapitulate disease phenotypes from patient derived primary cell lines. I presented results from these studies to the Research Leadership Team as part of the Go-No Go decision to pursue a Lead-Optimization campaign for a new disease program. I also conducted studies cotreating small molecules with mRNA therapeutics to evaluate optimal dosing windows. Lastly, I reevaluated established assays for continued use after the successful FDA approval of Alyftrek, the next-in-class treatment cystic fibrosis. Through these efforts, I identified new areas of chemical exploration for future development and some rate limitations in established assays. Show less