Molecular Biology Consultant: Genetics, Oncology, Endocrinology, Estrogens, Pharmacology and Expert Witness

Technical Consultant #1528

Pharmacology: Mechanisms of drug action and side-effects.
Oncology: Specializing in breast cancer, endocrine regulated cancers and lung cancer.
Endocrinology: Hormone replacement therapy with estrogens and progestins.
Steroid receptors, steroid hormones and mechanisms of action.
Dose-response curves: Tamoxifen, raloxifene, fulvestrant, SERMs, letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane and aromatase inhibitors.
Molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics.
Recombinant DNA technology, PCR, mutagenesis, cloning, DNA sequence analysis and hybridization blots.
Gene expression: Protein production, translation, purification, phosphorylation and immunobloting.
Transcription: RNA polymerases, transfer RNAs, RNA processing, RNA interference and microRNAs.
Assay development - reporter assays with luciferase and green fluorescent protein GFP.
In vitro mammalian cell culture: immunohistochemistry IHC, tissue preparation and human histology.
Genetics-cancer genetics and pharmacogenetics.
Microbiology: E. coli, and yeasts S. cerevisiae and S. pombe.
Genetic screens in yeasts S. cerevisiae and S. pombe and %u03B2-galactosidase.
Teaching medicine and medical topics; adept at researching complex topics, simplifying them, and teaching others.
Pharmaceutical drug development, safety and patent protection.
Interpreting expert in scientific literature.
Expert witness: Pharmacology, oncology, endocrinology and molecular biology: estrogens, cancers, pharmaceuticals and RNA interference.

Undisclosed University, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, 1998 - present

Focus in molecular biology, pharmacology, endocrinology and oncology medical research.
Director and manager of academic medical research lab and projects on steroid hormone receptors for 16 years, primarily the estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ER%u03B1, ER%u03B2) and their roles in normal and in cancer tissue.
Detailed structure-function analysis of: (a) transfer RNAs and (b) estrogen receptor hormone binding domain through the use of mutagenesis and subsequent assays for function.
Skilled in ligand-binding and DNA-binding assays and numerous others.
Developing technology for discovery of receptor-subtype-selective ligands for ER%u03B1 vs.ER%u03B2 and independently, to detect anabolic steroids in samples.
Authored and presented lectures, workshops, conferences for Ph.D. and M.D. students on a very wide variety of medical and scientific topics of 15 years.

Undisclosed Company, Legal Consultant, 2005 - Present

Expert witness in a patent dispute over a generic drug application. Patent lawsuit centered on the use and novelty of an aromatase inhibitor that blocks estrogen production. Work included detailed expert report and videotaped deposition.
Expert witness on litigation related to the potential role of estrogen in a lung cancer patient case; consultant on the roles of estrogens and progestins in breast cancer patients who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany, Visiting Researcher, 1992 - 1998

Led projects to find important amino acids for human Estrogen Receptor function, using extensive in vitro mutagenesis and fusions to site-specific recombinases (Cre, FLP) in a novel yeast genetic color and growth assay.
Optimized 32P radiolabeled RNA probes for use in hybridization blotting for very high sensitivity.
Expert use of phosphorimager to quantify signals.
Developed unique yeast plate assay to report estrogen binding as an inherited genetic change.

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, 1988 - 1992

Post Doctoral Fellow-EMBO Fellowship
Focused on mammalian RNA polymerase II transcription and characterization of proteins that interact at a tissue specific and hormone inducible enhancer sequence.
Made nuclear and cytoplasmic protein extracts from liver tissue.
Initiated purchase and successful use of FPLC protein purification equipment.
Expert in running 2-D protein gels and studying phosphorylation patterns on a transcription factor.
Set up and utilized band-shift experiments to study protein-DNA interactions.

Yale University, New Haven, CT, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, 1981 - 1987

Studied transfer RNA synthesis, RNA processing, RNA modification, RNA Polymerase III transcription and protein purification, suppressor tRNAs, genetic screens and molecular biology in the baker's yeast, S. cerevisiae.
First to perform oligonucleotide-mediated site-specific mutagenesis of a gene.
Performed yeast extract preparation and 32P radiolabeled transcription assays.
Initiated protein purification techniques in the lab.
Utilized new software to study tRNA sequence alignments.
Optimized a rapid and graded color screen for tRNA function.

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Completed course on academic intellectual property transfer, From Basic Research to Therapeutic Use: What Every Scientist Needs to Know.
Scientific Advisory Board Member, Undisclosed Firm
Genetics Society of America GSA
The Endocrine Society
American Association for Cancer Research, AACR

Publications