I am a highly self-motivated scientist with an expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and science communication. I am enthusiastic about public speaking, scientific writing, translational research, relationship building, and mentoring.

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Skills

Work Experience

NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Scientific Program Manager
(February 2023 – present)

• As a Scientific Program Manager, I research and evaluate the scientific programs within the NCATS Early Translation Branch (ETB).
• I leverage my research and technical background in conjunction with my communication and project management skills to research, draft, and edit a variety of scientific reports for internal and external audiences in support of ETB programs and initiatives.
• More details to come as I explore my new role!

Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow
(2016 – 2018)

• As an NIH Postbac fellow, I performed translational research at the interface of organic synthesis and chemical biology: developing novel chemical probes for promising therapeutic targets for movement disorders and metabolic syndrome.
• Alongside a team of talented medicinal chemists, I conducted structure-activity relationships (SAR) studies and hit-to-lead optimization with small-molecule high-throughput screening (HTS) hits.
• I advanced multiple projects in parallel within a matrix environment, and developed in-depth knowledge of project-relevant therapeutic areas
• I collaborated with assay biologists to design and execute cytotoxicity and fluorescence imaging studies to investigate select molecules.
• I evaluated multi-assay data sets generated through HTS of a crowd-sourced library of natural products (Canvass) and strategized the progression of compounds that displayed significant bioactivity (this work resulted in my first, first-author publication!).

University of Florida

Doctoral Research Assistant
(2018 – present)

• My doctoral research focuses on developing the synthesis of novel cannabinoids (cannabinoids are prime targets for therapeutic innovation, particularly as potential alternatives to addictive opioid pain medications as well as treatments for diseases of the Central Nervous System!).
• I collaborate with molecular pharmacologists and agricultural scientists to explore the biological activity of my synthesized compounds.
• I independently author scientific documents including technical protocols, SOPs, abstracts, and posters  
• I compose and deliver research presentations for internal group meetings and scientific conferences, including the Organic Reactions & Processes Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and the Florida Heterocyclic and Synthetic Chemistry Conference (FloHet!) hosted by UF Chemistry.
• I review and edit all scientific documents (grant proposals, journal publications, research summaries) created by my team members and principal investigator
• I also train and mentor junior graduate and undergraduate students (one of my favorites aspects of my current position!). As part of this effort, I drafted the “Grenning Laboratory Handbook” to help orient new members of the team!

Volunteer Research Assistant
(Summer 2016)

• I sought to diversify my educational experience (and try something outside my comfort zone!) by volunteering in the biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory of Professor Yousong Ding.
• I worked on heterologous expression of cyanobacterial recombinant Sfp-like phosphopantetheinyl transferases (“PPTases,” these are a family enzymes necessary for biosynthetic processes) to obtain detailed biochemical characterization and perform kinetic analyses (my contribution led to authorship on my first scientific publication!)
• I developed skills in molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), bacterial cell culture, and gel electrophoresis.