Resume

Scientific Career Positions                                                                                 

2010-              Assistant Professor, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Austria

2009-2010      Principal Investigator and Meitner Fellow, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Austria

2007-2008*     Senior Research Associate, Cancer Research Institute, University of Cambridge, UK

2003-2007*     Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA

1999-2003       Research Assistant, Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA

1997-1999       Research Assistant, Department of Zoology, Texas Tech University, USA

1999-2003       Research Assistant, Department of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA

1997-1999       Research Assistant, Department of Zoology, Texas Tech University, USA 

*Maternity leave in 2004 and 2008

Education                                                                                                                                           

2003                 Ph. D in Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. Thesis title: Quantification of Mutations Causing Achondroplasia: a Study of the Paternal Age Effect. Advisor: Norman Arnheim, Graduation date: August 12^th, 2003

1999                 M.S. in Zoology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA. Thesis title: Molecular systematics of the Peromyscus boylii species group. Advisor: Robert D. Bradley

1997                 B.Sc. and M.S. in Biology--summa cum laude, Universidad de las Américas, México. Thesis title: DNA sequence recognition by monoclonal anti-dsDNA antibodies. Advisor: Dr. Javier Garcés-Eisele.

1994-1995         One year exchange student at McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Funding                                                                                                                            

2009                Lise Meitner Fellowship, FWF the Austrian Science Fund (M1097-B12). “Development of a high throughput methodology to measure recombination in male meioses”. Principal Investigator. (€69,000)

2006-2007       Center of Excellence in Genomic Sciences (NHGRI), Pilot Grants for young researchers awarded by the College of the University of Southern California (ITI0701821). Principal Investigator. ($25,000)

1999-2003       Doctoral Grant for PhD studies. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, the Mexican Ministry of Science and Technology.

Awards                                                                                                        

2005 & 2006  Award for women with outstanding career track record in science and engineering--WiSE (Women  in Science and Engineering)

2003                Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

1999                Presentation on “The phylogentics of the Peromyscus boylii species group” was selected as one of  the ‘best’ talks of the American Society of Mammalogist

1999                Fellowship from the Association for the Advancement of Women in Science

1998 & 1999   Recognition given to highly promising researchers by the Chancellor of Texas Tech University as the Chancellor’s Fellowship, Texas Tech University.

1998                Graduate School Summer Award, Texas Tech University, USA

1997                Universidad de Las Americas. Summa cum laude. Silver medal given to students with the best curriculum in the school of science

Research Experience                                                                                 

(1) Development of a high throughput methodology to measure recombination in male meioses and methylation patterns in millions of cells. Expertise in single molecule amplification on microscopic beads, fluorescent biochemistry, labeling, and microscopy and image analysis.  

(2) Measurements of crossovers using sperm typing using long range allele-specific PCR, haplotyping of large DNA fragments, in house genotyping using real time PCR.

(3) Detection of rare mutations by PCR and allele specific ligations; whole genome amplification on single sperm.

(4) Small mammal survey in the deserts of Southwestern US; field experience, marking and trapping small mammals, bat netting, preparation of specimens; karyotyping.

Selected Journal Reviewer                                                                            

Analytical Chemistry (2009)

European Journal of Human Genetics (2006)

Genetics (2005)

Genome Research (2002 -2004)

Invited Seminars                                                                                      

2009                    Upper Austria Research, Linz. Seminar title: “Bead Emulsion amplification (BEA): its application to study recombination”

2009                    University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories. Seminar title: “What can we learn about meiotic recombination from human sperm?”

2008                    Johannes Kepler University, Linz. Seminar title: “Micro PCR reactors in emulsion to study genetic processes”.

2008                    Cancer Research Institute, Cambridge, UK. Seminar Title: “Can we track the human somatic cell tree using beads?”

2007                    Johannes Kepler University, Linz. Seminar title: “Measuring rare events in genomic DNA”.

2007                    Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien. Seminar title: “The human somatic cell ancestral tree. Can it be reconstructed using microscopic beads?”

2007                    University of Philadelphia, School of Medicine, Department of Genetics. Seminar title: “Spying on sperm to understand recombination”.

Teaching and Supervision                                                                        

Fall 2009              “Frontiers in Genomics”, Johannes Kepler University

Fall 2009              Supervison of Master’s student Barbara Arbeithuber, Johannes Kepler University

Spring 2009          Practical Course: “High-throughput micro-emulsion PCR”; Johannes Kepler University

2003-2005            Supervision of senior laboratory technician (level III), University of Southern California

Fall&Spring 2003. Supervision of Master’s student Mona Ahuja, University of Southern California