Pritha Bagchi, PhD

Experience

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  Georgia Institute of Technology

  Aug 2007 - May 2013

  Graduate Research Assistant

  Dissertation: Expanding the metallomics toolbox: Development of chemical and biological methods in understanding copper biochemistry- Characterized a novel set of Cu(I)-affinity standards: Acquired and analyzed a large dataset of physicochemical parameters, including binding affinities, redox potentials, and acid-dissociation constants-Designed assays to detect and analyze Cu(I)-binding proteins from cellular extracts using gel electrophoretic techniques with fluorescently labeled proteins and peptide mass fingerprinting-Developed methods to identify Cu(I)-binding cysteine residues in proteins using differential labeling of proteins with heavy and light isotopes coupled with mass spectrometry - Initiated a collaboration with a colleague and invented a unique “in-gel” approach to detect copper trafficking proteins using a Cu(I) fluorescent sensor synthesized by the collaborator- Examined propensity of colloid formation of water insoluble Cu(I)-responsive fluorescent probes by dynamic light scattering-Investigated cell permeability of fluorescent dyes and their subcellular localizations Show less

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  Georgia Institute of Technology (The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering)

  May 2013 - Jun 2014

  Postdoctoral Fellow

  Project: Detection and analysis of protein oxidative modifications in human T lymphocytes (T cells) during signal transductions induced by oxidative stress- Conceptualized and developed high-throughput assays to selectively detect redox-sensitive proteins from cellular extracts using Redox-DIGE and mass spectrometry.-Applied for the Arthritis Foundation Innovative Research Grant entitled “Redox Biomarkers associated with Clinical Treatments of RA,” Score: 1.65/5.0, with 1.0 being the best.Conceived the project, acquired the preliminary experimental data to support the hypotheses, and coauthored the proposal. Show less

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  Tobacco and Volatiles Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Oct 2014 - May 2017

  Chemist/ ORISE Fellow

  - Measured urinary metabolites of 32 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using UPLC-MS/MS to assess national exposure levels to VOCs originating from tobacco smoke and other sources. - Set up the laboratory for high-throughput measurements to meet the needs of large projects, such as Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH, 10,000 samples per year) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1,500 samples per year).- Improved sensitivity and specificity of the current assay - identified and corrected mass spectrometric transitions that suffered from spectral overlap, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and cis-trans isomerization.- Managed instruments by performing regular in-house maintenance, troubleshooting problems, and scheduling timely services and repairs with engineers.- Wrote SOPs for the laboratory in compliance with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) guideline and prepared the laboratory for CLIA audit. - Performed statistical analysis on big data sets to assess exposure of chemicals (e.g., N,N dimethylformamide, crotonaldehyde) in U.S. populations and identify possible confounders. Show less

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  Emory University School of Medicine

  Jun 2017 - now

  Scientific Responsibilities: - Wrote detailed SOPs to improve reproducibility and efficacy of the wet-lab processing of samples.- Created a new website detailing sample submission policies and introducing data analysis tutorial videos to provide end-to-end service to EIPC users.- Communicate with clients and provide consultation regarding experimental design and data interpretation.- Help clients with technical details during grant writing and provide letters of support.- Represent the Proteomics Core in institutional meetings and conferences.- Wrote the P30 Cancer Center Support Grant application summarizing the performance of EIPC (e.g., expansion of services, contribution in literature, improvement in client communication, etc.).Organizational Responsibilities:- Developed sample management system using Stratocore PPMS software and Microsoft Excel to efficiently log all samples and track them through different phases of the workflow. - Ensure quick turnaround of projects—this is achieved achieved by removing downtime between different phases as well as dedicating resources for EIPC projects. - Serve as the first point of contact for all service requests that come through EIPC.- Meet prospective users from academia and industry to expand the usage of the core facility. - Provide administrative support to the Scientific Director of the core facility: wrote the emergency preparedness plan during Covid-19 pandemic, update the documents for EIPC facilities & resources annually, communicate with facility advisory committee, etc. Show less Scientific Responsibilities:- Oversee the operations of the Emory Integrated Proteomics Core (EIPC): sample management, sample preparation, data analysis, and reporting results to clients.- Perform proteomics analyses of a variety of samples (e.g., primary tissues, cell lines, plasma, serum, etc.). - Utilize the MaxQuant and the Proteome Discoverer software to analyze mass spectrometric data for different projects, including label-free quantification of differentially expressed proteins, identification of interacting partners of bait proteins, and determination of post-translational modifications.- Perform laboratory safety inspection and general maintenance.Organizational Responsibilities:- Serve as a liaison for the investigators of the Winship Cancer Institute to better meet their proteomics research needs. As a result of this initiative, the number of Winship investigators nearly doubled in FY2019 and the growth is continuing. Show less

  • Associate Director, Research Projects - Proteomics Core & Parkinson’s Disease Biomarkers Program

    Jan 2023 - now

  • Director (Analytical Services), Emory Integrated Proteomics Core (EIPC)

    Nov 2020 - Dec 2022

  • Associate Scientist

    Jun 2017 - Dec 2022
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  Atlanta Athens Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group (AAMSDG)

  May 2018 - now

  Program Coordinator

  - Created and maintain the organization’s website, disseminate news and job postings through the mailing list, communicate with the advisory board.- Key organizer of the annual symposium; the responsibilities include managing the event (venue booking, food ordering, etc), contacting the sponsors, communicating with the speakers and the attendees.

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  Southeastern Association of Shared Resources (SEASR)

  Jul 2018 - now

  My effort includes:-Selecting a venue, negotiating the terms with the hotel management, and planning food and beverage with the hotel staff.-Holding regular meetings with the EB members to plan conference sessions, invite speakers, and manage the budget.-Supporting the Sponsor Coordinators’ effort to meet the sponsorship goal.-Creating marketing material to promote the conference. Additionally, it is my mission to increase the reach of SEASR and bring new members from the universities that traditionally do not attend SEASR conferences. Show less - Work towards meeting the sponsorship goal of SEASR for the annual conference. I, along with the co-sponsor coordinator, raised $47,900 for the 2020 and $54,800 for the 2021 meeting.- Successfully negotiate with corporate and institutional sponsors. After the 2020 meeting got canceled due to Covid-19, I came up with a plan to roll over the sponsorship for 2020 meeting for as many sponsors as possible. This strategy was very successful as 64% sponsors pledged their support for 2021.- Build strategies to ensure high visibility for the sponsors in SEASR events. Update web manager with vendor information for sponsor promotion. - Organize the sponsor provided marketing materials for the SEASR events.- Communicate with the event coordinator to design the layout of the vendor show during the conference.- Serve as point of contact for communications with the sponsors. Show less

  • Past President

    Jun 2023 - now

  • President

    Jun 2022 - Jun 2023

  • President Elect

    Jun 2021 - Jun 2022

  • Sponsor Coordinator

    Jul 2018 - Jun 2021
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  Emory Staff Scientist Office

  Jan 2021 - now

  Associate Director (Communications & Outreach)

  - Communicate with all staff scientists in Emory through the mailing list and organize meetings.