Work with thought leaders and academic experts from South Dakota State University

I am a dedicated Scientist-I at Garuda Therapeutics, where I specialize in computational biology and genomics within the R&D department. My work primarily revolves around developing and optimizing pipelines for variant calling using Strelka2 and GATK4 with Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to identify oncogenes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This involves extensive work in the qualification and validation of these pipelines for regulatory filings, as well as leveraging databases such as ClinVar, COSMIC, and DepMap to craft targeted oncogenes panels for deep sequencing. I also apply Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for downstream sequencing to validate CRISPR knockouts, including the identification and validation of CRISPR off-targets using techniques like rhAMPseq and Induce-seq. Additionally, my expertise extends to single-cell sequencing analysis and understanding structural variants with Optical Genome Mapping (Bionano). Prior to joining Garuda Therapeutics, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in computational biology at Pennsylvania State University, where I honed my skills in identifying climate-adaptive variants and conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to uncover resistance genes against parasites and other stressors. My academic journey began at the University of Vermont, where I explored abiotic stress resistance genes using transcriptomics and developed a robust understanding of RNA-seq data analysis, from assembly to gene annotation. My work is driven by a passion for leveraging computational and genomics tools to address pressing challenges in biology and healthcare, combining my rigorous academic training with a practical, solution-oriented approach to research and development.

* PhD in Plant Pathology with 6+ years’ experience in research resulting in 7 publications including 2 in Plant Disease and 4 technical abstracts in Phytopathology of the American Phytopathological Society.   * Experienced in designing and executing assays including isolation, quantification and characterization of bacteria and fungi from diverse environments using molecular and standard biochemical tests leading to the development and fulfillment of new and existing projects with the ability to assess the current state of existing technology related to microbiology and plant pathology, as evidenced by 1 Book Chapter, and a news article in the American Phytopathological Society News.  * Strong communication skills with an ability to manage assigned projects relevant to the characterization and quantification of bacteria and fungi, as evidenced by 4 presentations at National Meetings of the American Phytopathological Society and 10 to stakeholders and collaborators.