Juliani Rodriguez

Experience

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  UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, MEDICAL SCIENCES CAMPUS

  Jan 2015 - Jul 2017

  Undergraduate Research Assistant

  Dr. Sylvette Ayala - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus.• Conducted research on Huntington’s disease (HD) and the effects of increased mitochondrial-generated reactive oxygen species on the mitochondrial DNA of a Huntington induced mouse model.• Performed mitochondria extraction from both tissue liver and Q7 mouse cells and isolated mtDNA from the extracted organelle.• Carried out quality control assessments for DNA analysis such as: PicoGreen DNA quantification assay, agarose electrophoresis and determining nuclear DNA contamination through a PCR reaction using nuclear primers• Designed and optimized assays such as: mtDNA purification implementing a sucrose gradient centrifugation density separation technic and degradation of nuclear DNA using exonuclease V. Show less

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  Northwestern University

  Jun 2016 - Aug 2016

  Undergraduate Student Researcher

  Dr. Elizabeth M. McNally - Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University• Investigated the therapeutic potential of exon skipping to treat Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2C by optimizing a membrane permeability assay to assess functional rescue of Mini-Gamma (truncated form of γ-sarcoglycan).• Performed Immunofluorescent microscopy to determine myogenic differentiation success by targeting muscle markers such as 𝛼-actin and desmin.• Extracted RNA and completed a Real Time-PCR demonstrating expression of full length SGCG and LGMD 2C mutant transcript in reprogrammed cells.• Optimized a membrane permeability assay through hypo-osmotic shock, using creatine kinase release as a marker for cell membrane damage. Show less

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  University of Michigan

  Jul 2017 - Jul 2018

  Postbaccalaureate Research Associate

  Dr. Sharlene Day- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan• Screening of a small bioactive molecular library to find a molecule that will upregulate MYBPC in HCM model to increase its production and eliminate haploinsufficiency.• Optimized alphaLisa, a highly sensitive quantifying assay that measures MYBPC. Found an N and C terminal antibody pair that recognizes MYBPC’s 3D structure for the alphaLisa.• Corrected the Alphaplate reader’s plate measurements, minimizing corner effects and determined optimal antibody concentration, reaction time and temperature. Show less

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  Michigan State University

  Aug 2018 - Jul 2019

  Postbaccalaureate Research Associate

  Dr. Rita Strakovsky-Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University• Using SAS programing to analyze hormonal data collected from 291 pregnant women from IKIDS cohort study, to determine association of hormonal levels to nausea and vomiting throughout the pregnancy.• Assessed relationship between estrogen levels and NVP through covariate-adjusted logistic regression models. Explored modified associations regarding fetal sex, maternal age and pre-pregnancy on estrogen and NVP.• Concluded that increase estrogen during the first trimester is associated with having nausea, increase nausea frequency in overweight women and vomiting in women carrying male offspring. Show less

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  University of Wisconsin-Madison

  Aug 2019 - now

  • Using SAS programing to analyze surveys regarding public perception on health claims to determine if claims such as all natural, organic, and non-GMO creates consumer health bias.• Provided 216 surveyors with four cookies: one with a health claim, a conventional counterpart and two anonymous cookies, same as the first two but not labeled. Participants scored: taste, willingness to pay, their own perception healthiness and which cookie they perceived as healthier.• Study is still ongoing. Show less

  • Graduate Student

    Jan 2020 - now

  • Graduate Student

    Aug 2019 - now