Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Publications
Timeline
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Leah Plasek Hegde

New Haven,CT

Summary

Innovative, results-driven scientist with expertise in immunology and RNA biology. Adept at implementing cell-based assays, advanced in vivo techniques, and high-throughput data analysis to uncover novel mechanistic insights. Experienced in primary cell culture, flow cytometry and CRISPR applications. Strong organizational and communication skills, with a track record of delivering high-quality data and contributing to peer-reviewed publications. Passionate about scientific innovation and committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Overview

11
11
years of professional experience

Work History

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Yale University
New Haven, CT
06.2022 - Current
  • Acquired necessary expertise and conceptualized a project independently in the first three months.
  • Simultaneously advanced three parallel workstreams which could each result in a separate manuscript.
  • Made novel observations about the pro-metastatic long non-coding RNA Malat1 which laid the foundation for new research directions, collaborations and grant proposals.
  • Visualized RNAs and proteins of interest using immunofluorescence and fluorescence in-situ hybridization in fixed cells and fluorescent protein tagging in live cells.
  • Performed a lentiviral shRNA screen of 50 protein candidates to assess their roles in degradation of Malat1.
  • Increased the efficiency of the lab’s molecular cloning workflow by adopting Gibson cloning.
  • Modified cell lines through CRISPR gene editing and CRISPR activation.
  • Generated and analyzed an ATAC-seq dataset to assess changes in the epigenetic landscape of cancer cells with overexpression of Malat1.
  • Led a team of co-authors in the completion of revision experiments for a manuscript written by a former lab member.
  • Applied antibody and drug treatments to a mouse cancer model to modulate immune pathways and assess their contributions to disease progression.
  • Prepared mouse lung histology samples and analyzed tumor burden, grade and macrophage infiltration.
  • Oversaw undergraduate and doctoral student mentees, ensuring the quality and productivity of their research.
  • Provided feedback and discussion which shaped the direction of colleagues' projects in meaningful ways.
  • Utilized software such as Benchling, FlowJo, GraphPad Prism and FIJI to facilitate data management and analysis.

Doctoral Research Assistant

Case Western Reserve University, School Of Dental Medicine
Cleveland, OH
06.2016 - 05.2022
  • Isolated primary CD4+ T cells from PBMC samples and modeled the establishment of HIV proviral latency ex vivo.
  • Documented changes in T cell activation marker expression after HIV infection using multi-color flow cytometry.
  • Optimized the use of amine-reactive dyes and flow cytometry to assess cell viability and proliferation.
  • Revealed shared elements in the transcriptomic signatures of quiescence and HIV infection through RNA-seq analysis.
  • Dissected mechanisms of interest by using pharmacological agonists and inhibitors to modulate key factors.
  • Convened collaborators with various titles, backgrounds and lab affiliations to finalize a manuscript.
  • Completed twelve experiments requested by manuscript reviewers within the resubmission deadline.
  • Authored a review on immunoregulatory long non-coding RNAs for the American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology.
  • Delivered a platform presentation at an international HIV cure symposium.
  • Earned recognition for exceptional attention to detail in experiment planning and record keeping.
  • Maintained awareness of the latest findings in the HIV and long non-coding RNA fields through engagement with the literature and attendance at eleven scientific meetings.
  • Submitted annual research reports to maintain funding received through an institutional training grant.

Beckman Scholar

St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN
06.2014 - 08.2015
  • Cultured mouse hepatocyte and mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines.
  • Conducted cytotoxicity assays in non-adipose cells treated with various fatty acid combinations.
  • Confirmed the efficacy of a lipase inhibitor by extracting and quantifying triglyceride stored in treated cells.

Education

Ph.D. - Molecular Virology

Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
05-2022

Bachelor of Arts - Biology

St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN
05-2016

Skills

Confocal fluorescence imaging

shRNA screens

CRISPR-Cas systems

Bioinformatics

In vivo studies

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Software proficiency

Disease modeling

Flow cytometry

Protocol development

Mechanistic studies

Tissue culture

Cell-based assays

Molecular cloning

Leadership

Self-education

Proactivity

Thorough documentation

Scientific acumen

Strategic thinking

Effective communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Clear and cohesive writing

Management

Attention to detail

Multi-tasking

Grasp of the field

Innovation

Publications

  • Martinez-Terroba E, Plasek-Hegde LM, Chiotakakos I, Li V, de Miguel FJ, Robles-Oteiza C, Tyagi A, Politi K, Zamudio JR, Dimitrova N. Overexpression of Malat1 drives metastasis through inflammatory reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment. Sci Immunol. 2024 Jun 14;9(96):eadh5462.
  • Plasek LM, Gunawardane LS, Niazi F, Mason S, Leskov K, Perez G, Dobrowolski C, Shukla M, Nutt WS, Karn J, Valadkhan S. An HIV-induced mechanism for T cell quiescence and proviral latency. Research Square Preprint. 2021 Jul 14.
  • Plasek LM, Valadkhan S. lncRNAs in T lymphocytes: RNA regulation at the heart of the immune response. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2021 Mar 1;320(3):C415-C427.

Timeline

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Yale University
06.2022 - Current

Doctoral Research Assistant

Case Western Reserve University, School Of Dental Medicine
06.2016 - 05.2022

Beckman Scholar

St. Olaf College
06.2014 - 08.2015

Ph.D. - Molecular Virology

Case Western Reserve University

Bachelor of Arts - Biology

St. Olaf College

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Leah Plasek Hegde