Resume

Education

Cornell University

Ph.D. in Genetics, Genomics & Development

Lab of Jun (Kelly) Liu

December 2021

Daemen College

B.S. in Biology

May 2015

GPA: 3.9, summa cum laude

I am currently a graduate student in Kelly Liu's lab at Cornell University where I study how cells interact with each other.

I am passionate about sharing my experiences in the lab with others to highlight the importance of foundational research.

Education

Grants & Awards

Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) funding

National Science Foundation || 2016-2021

Wellnitz Award for Excellent Genetics Publication

Cornell University || 2019

Dean’s Excellence Fellowship in Support of Diversity

Cornell University || 2016-2017

Genetics & Development Predoctoral Training Grant

National Institutes of Health || 2015-2016

Interdisciplinary Research Think Tank Grant

Daemen College || 2014

Student Travel Award

Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) || 2014

Grants & Awards

Communication

Upstate New York C.elegans (UYCeM) meeting

virtual || April 2021

Presented story of working model with supporting data via oral presentation
Titled “Unraveling the molecular mechanism of secreted modular calcium binding protein (SMOC-1) as a positive regulator of the BMP pathway in C. elegans

Worm Club

Cornell University || March 2020

Presented current research questions with experimental designs and results
Discussed and developed possible working models with Cornell colleagues
Titled “The Caenorhabditis elegans SMOC-1 protein acts cell non-autonomously to promote bone morphogenetic protein signaling”

SciCommCamp

Simi Valley, CA || November 2019

Discussed use of C. elegans as model organism to study cell signaling
Engaged with scientists across disciplines
Titled “Small but mighty: Why we use worms to understand how cells work”

Science on Tap

Ithaca, NY || July 2019

Developed slides and delivered late-night talk in an informal setting
Spoke about the importance of model organisms and foundational research
Encouraged questions and discussion amongst audience members

Adventure Term expedition

Southern Arizona || June 2019

Learned fundamentals of storytelling
Recorded interviews (audio and video) about environmental impact of human activity featuring six NGOs across Arizona
Produced a short documentary film featuring an endangered owl species using Final Cut Pro

Free Science on the Go

Ithaca, NY || Summer 2019

Developed, built, and delivered an interactive portable science station
Fostered curiosity and discussion about insect communication and conservation
Engaged with Ithacans of all ages and backgrounds

Peer reviewed publication

Genetics || 2019

Demonstrated the previously uncharacterized gene, smoc-1, is a novel regulator of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans worms
DeGroot, MS, H Shi, A Eastman, AN McKillop & J Liu, 2019. The Caenorhabditis elegans SMOC-1 protein acts cell non-autonomously to promote bone morphogenetic protein signaling. Genetics 211: 683-702.

Biennial BMCB-GGD Symposium

Ithaca, NY || Fall 2018

Cooperated with colleagues to select and invite faculty speakers
Designed physical media including pamphlets, posters, and name tags

Research

Graduate research student

Cornell University || 2015-2021

Independently manage projects
Maintain flexibility with changing circumstances
Read and interpret scientific literature
Quickly assimilate new information
Design and execute experiments from beginning to end
Lead and participate in interdisciplinary journal clubs
Maintain open communication with advisor
Work as a team member of the lab
Secured funding support for duration of graduate work

Mentoring

Mentor molecular biology and genetics (MBG) graduate students (9)

Liu Lab || 2017-2021

Serve as a direct mentor to graduate students rotating in the lab
Train students on new protocols and procedures in the lab
Advise students on selecting a lab

Train lab technicians in the Liu lab (2)

Liu Lab || 2018, 2021

Introduce the scientific questions and approaches of the lab to new technicians
Teach standard procedures and protocols
Support acclimation into lab environment

Mentor NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) students

Liu Lab || Annually, 2016-2021

Serve as a direct mentor to undergraduate students working in the lab (4)
Guide students in their preparation of capstone posters and oral presentations

Mentored New York State Science & Technology Entry Program (NYS- STEP) high school student

Liu Lab || Summer 2019

Taught a high school student C. elegans husbandry and genotyping, and classical genetic analysis
Developed and delivered lessons with hands-on research components
Facilitated preparation and presentation of a capstone poster

Mentored New York Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Research Experience for Teachers (NYSTEM RET) teachers (2)

Liu Lab || Summers, 2018-2019

Served as a direct mentor to high school teachers working in the lab
Collaborated with teachers to develop a lab-based lesson plan for their classroom

Communcation

Research

Mentoring

While exploring how the building blocks of life fine-tune their communication, I discovered my affinity for communicating science to a wide variety of audiences.