MADISON BANDINI
Verona,WI
Summary
Motivated and detail-oriented researcher with strong communication and collaborative skills. Extensive experience in microscopy and a wide range of virological assays related to HIV-1. Quick to learn new techniques, highly adaptable, capable of multitasking effectively, and exceptionally organized.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Assistant
Nathan Sherer's Lab
12.2020 - Current
- Aim 1: To determine the mechanism underpinning Vif-induced metaphase arrest
- Aim 2: To determine which cancer cell types are the most susceptible to Vif-induced killing
- Submitted paper titled "HIV-1 Vif and Vpr cooperatively modulate the cell cycle to maximize per cell virion production" to PNAS
- Manuscript in preparation "Susceptibility of cancer cells to Vif-induced metaphase arrest"
- Review in preparation "How does HIV-1 modulate the cell cycle?"
- Critical thinking/problem solving, communication, collaboration
- Mentored two rotations students
- Mentored an undergraduate (Fall 2025- Spring 2025)
Teacher's Assistant
University of Wisconsin, Madison
09.2023 - 12.2023
- Supported classroom activities, tutoring, and reviewing work.
- Helped with grading assignments and tests, providing constructive feedback to students based on results.
- Completed daily reports on attendance and disciplinary performance.
Volunteer
Arora’s Lab
10.2019 - 08.2020
- Helps with any data that needs to be resolved, such as brain dissections
Laboratory Assistant for Automated Chemistry
Quest Diagnostics
08.2019 - 06.2020
- Received and sorted specimens
- Performed laboratory tasks of centrifuging specimens, printed extra labels, recorded data, and specimen storage and retrieval
- Prepared reagents and/or media in the department
- Prepared specimens at workstations for testing
- Resolved pending lists and found missing samples
- Maintained files for department records
- Proficient at the laboratory computer system, LIS
- Trained in operating and trouble shooting DXI and Immulite machines
Teacher's Assistant
University Of California, Irvine
09.2017 - 06.2019
- Supported classroom activities, tutoring, and reviewing work.
- Mentored and tutored individual students needing additional help.
- Helped with grading assignments and tests, providing constructive feedback to students based on results.
Arora’s Lab
09.2018 - 06.2019
- Activin signaling regulates ecdysone feedback
- If myo controls the ability of the pth expressing neurons to respond to 20E by regulating the expression of EcR-B1, then pth +ve neurons should also express EcR-B1
- Dissect the brain of late third instar larvae from pth-Gal4>UAS GFP animals
- Staining brains of third instar larvae and visualizing expression of both PTTH and EcR-B1
- Mount the stained brains in Vectashield on a glass slide and examine the late third instar larval brains using the LSM-700 confocal microscope
- Analyze qPCR results from knockdown of EcR-B1; see how pth levels are affected
Arora’s Lab
09.2017 - 06.2018
- Analysis of the Dawdle Regulatory Region to Identify Potential Nutrient Sensitive Enhancers in Different Tissues
- Testing if expression of the endogenous daw gene is regulated in tissues of interest (gut, brain and muscle) upon starvation
- Dissection of gut, brain and muscle
- Recover RNA, make corresponding cDNA libraries, and carry out qPCR analysis to determine daw transcript levels in the tissues of fed and starved larvae
- Analysis of the daw reporter genes to determine which fragment from the daw gene drives expression in these tissues
Research Assistant
Arora’s Lab
09.2016 - 06.2017
- Learned a variety of lab skills and Drosophila genetics
- Assisted graduate and undergraduate students with their projects
Education
Ph.D. - Cancer Biology
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI12-2025
Bachelor of Science - Biology
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA06.2019
Skills
- Aseptic Technique
- Mammalian cell culture
- Virus Cultivation & Titration
- Molecular Biology Techniques
- Immunological Assays
- Microscopy
- Biosafety & Containment
- Viral Genetics (Cloning)
- Flow Cytometry
- Multitasking and organization
- Time management
TUTOR EXPERIENCE
CLAP (Certified Learning Assistant Program); UC Irvine, January 2018- March 2019
- Working with professors and Teaching Assistants (TAs) in lectures and discussions
- Facilitating collaborative work environment
- Utilizing leadership skills
- Guiding students through the class assignments
- Planning and organizing meetings with the professor
- Proctoring exams; collecting and organizing exams
Math and Science Tutor; Self-Employed; 2013-2020
- Tutoring high school and college students in Algebra II, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Chemistry, and Biology
- Guiding students through homework
- Preparing students for exams
Accomplishments
- American Society for Virologists in Madison, Wisconsin (2022) and Athens, Georgia (2023).
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories in Cold Spring, New York (2021 and 2024)
- American Society for Cell Biologists in Boston, Massachusetts (2023)
- Wisc e Sota in La Crosse, Wisconsin (2021, 2022, and 2024)
- Viruses and Cells (Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar) in Barcelona, Spain (2025)
- Talks: CSI: Madison (2025), Institute of Molecular Virology Seminar (2024), McArdle Seminar (2022, 2023, 2024)
Timeline
Teacher's Assistant
University of Wisconsin, Madison
09.2023 - 12.2023
Research Assistant
Nathan Sherer's Lab
12.2020 - Current
Volunteer
Arora’s Lab
10.2019 - 08.2020
Laboratory Assistant for Automated Chemistry
Quest Diagnostics
08.2019 - 06.2020
Arora’s Lab
09.2018 - 06.2019
Teacher's Assistant
University Of California, Irvine
09.2017 - 06.2019
Arora’s Lab
09.2017 - 06.2018
Research Assistant
Arora’s Lab
09.2016 - 06.2017
Ph.D. - Cancer Biology
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Bachelor of Science - Biology
University of California, Irvine