Cell Culture Consultant: Breast Cancer Research, Human Epithelial Cells, Endothelial Cells, Stem Cells and Production of Mammalian Cells

Expertise

• Culture of established cell lines (attached or in suspension) for production of biologicals, such as CHO cells and hybridomas.
• Design and optimization of cell culture media with emphasis on the development of animal component-free formulations for biopharmaceutical applications.
• Scale up and process optimization of mammalian cell cultures from research and development to pilot production.
• Application of design of experiment software to the development, scale up and optimization of cell culture processes for increased productivity and reduced costs.
• Research and development of innovative cell culture products manufactured under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) for use in research and biopharmaceutical applications.

Expertise in morphological and histological procedures

• Organ and tissue dissection, especially in small mammals.
• Tissue processing, i.e. section preparation for microscopy and staining.
• Microscopic examination and interpretation, including electron microscopy.

Contract Research Services

• Biotechnology, contract research and laboratory services.
• Contract research, cell culture assays, immunoassays.
• Testing services, protein analysis culture optimization, flow cytometry.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Founder & Co-Partner, Arizona, 2001 - Present

• Offers consulting services in mammalian cell culture, with emphasis on media design and optimization.
• Uses statistical tools, i.e. design of experiment (DOE) software for screening tests, media design and scale up studies for better results and reduced costs.
• Presently assisting a Brazilian University establish a cell culture program.

Becton-Dickinson, Maryland, Program Manager, Cell Culture, 2000-2001

• Established and directed a new cell culture program.
• Implemented and managed the development and commercialization of proprietary cell culture formulations for industrial production of antibodies.
• Successfully solved performance and manufacturing issues of a serum-free hybridoma formulation, releasing product from back orders.
• Provided technical expertise to company management and recommended strategic areas and technologies for the cell culture industrial market.

Sigma-Aldrich, Manager, Missouri, Cell Biology and Cell Culture, 1997 - 1999

• Led team to launch successfully the first line of cell biology products manufactured in house, which included test kits for the neuroscience market.
• Implemented management tools to better monitor product development in R&D and product transfer to manufacturing.
• Created a cell culture team and developed a new line of cytogenetic products and serum-free cell culture media for vaccine production. Led team to successful launch five new products for in vitro diagnostics.
• Supervised the development and release of four new serum-free formulations in a kit format, optimized in bioreactors for use in veterinary vaccine production.
• Coordinated the research and development activities of a cell culture team and doubled product output by updating design protocols and increasing team performance.

BioWhittaker, Inc., Maryland, Manager, Cell Culture, 1992 - 1997

• Coordinated the release of fifteen new products for application in the biopharmaceutical and clinical diagnostic markets including:
• Serum free formulations cell lines used in the production of antibodies, recombinant proteins and viral vaccines.
• FDA (510k) approved transport medium for clinical specimens.
• Formulation for growth of amniocytes.
• Improved serum free culture medium for human keratinocytes with increased stability and lower protein content.
• Implemented microfluidics technology for in-house production of lipid solutions.
• Designed and implemented the company's new cell culture facility.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Research Fellow, 1990 - 1992

• Developed a cell culture system for transfection of normal human mammary cells with SV40 large T antigen and E6/E7 papilloma virus.
• Examined the mechanisms of senescence and analyzed the frequency of immortalization.
• Examined the karyotype of immortal clones and demonstrated less constraint in the immortalization of epithelial cells.

Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Vice-Chairman, Department of Morphology, 1986 - 1990

• Studied the role of matrix glycoproteins in regulating fetal growth of the mammary gland.
• Implemented a database system to correlate patient clinical history, mammographic patterns and risks for breast cancer.
• Coordinated the implementation of a new Cell Biology curriculum.

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, 1984 - 1986

• Developed organotypic cultures as in vitro models for studies of stromal-epithelial interactions during growth and differentiation of fetal and transformed mammary cells.
• Demonstrated the generation of carcinogenic metabolites by mammary stromal cells in vitro.

Honors & Publications

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Arizona BioIndustry Association
• Research Fellowship, Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
• Research Grant, Brazilian Research Council (CNPq)

Credentials

• Post-Doctoral Training, Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
• Medical Residency in Pathology, University Hospital, Federal University, Bahia, Brazil.
• Instructor of Histology and Pathology, Brazil.

Languages

• Fluent and excellent writing skills in English, Portuguese and French.
• Over one dozen publications and articles written, and over 20 presentations given.

Education

• Ph.D. Cellular Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• M.D. School of Medicine, Federal University, Bahia, Brazil
• M.A. Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO