Pooja Kher

● Assessed immunological profiles of type I and Type II immunity in mice in vivo models
● Developed and trained mice with behavioral paradigms to assess chronic and acute behavior phenotypes in different types of inflammation models in vivo.

• Utilize advanced statistical software to analyze large behavioral and immunological datasets

• Chosen for a highly competitive graduate student internship to advance the mission of inspiring interest in biology and biological careers among a global audience of nearly 40 million annual visits.
• Authored PLOSable+ articles that translate complex primary research into engaging and accessible content for the general public, demonstrating expertise in scientific communication.
• Conducted in-depth interviews with esteemed faculty and scientists, creating insightful profiles that illuminate diverse career paths in the biological sciences.
• Developed strong skills in simplifying intricate scientific concepts, fostering greater understanding and enthusiasm for biology among learners and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

• Checked assignments, proctored tests and provided grades according to university standards.
• Developed strong rapport with students through open communication channels, fostering an inclusive learning environment.
• Enhanced student comprehension by incorporating visual aids and real-world examples into lectures.
• Provided timely and constructive feedback on assignments, enabling students to refine their work and achieve higher grades.

• Trained and supervised 75 undergraduate interns in laboratory techniques and data collection methods.
• Designed and delivered course materials, including lectures, assignments, and assessments.
• Proctored, graded, and provided feedback on student assignments for a class of 75 students.

• Assisted professor in grading assignments and exams for undergraduate course
• Provided individual tutoring sessions to students who needed extra help
• Collaborated with professor to develop new teaching strategies and materials for course.

• Facilitated student engagement by completing Virtual Reality acts for Dreamscape Learn ahead of schedule, effectively preparing students for hands-on lab experiences.
• Graded assignments for up to 120 students within 48 hours, ensuring accuracy and providing constructive feedback to enhance student learning during office hours.
• Reviewed and proctored biology exams.
  Collaborated with faculty and fellow TAs to enhance course delivery through strategic lab planning and comprehensive exam question reviews.

• Thesis Project: How undergraduate study methods using instructions and incentive play a role in long and short term memory retention and recall
• Learning and Memory Lab under the guidance of Dr.Simone, Dr.Whitfield, and Dr.Bell
• Created and developed experiments to examine study habits and cognition for ~ 700 students
• Programmed using Python, Psychopy, JavaScript with data analysis in R, SPSS, Excel and published on Pavlovia
• CITI Program Certification in Social/Behavioral Research, Human Research

• Thesis project : Examine ambiguous fear response in the extended amygdala in Mice (BNST)
• Neural Circuits and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab under the guidance of Dr.Halladay
• Scored mice freezing behavior to determine if BNST activity acts as an instructive signal during early fear learning
• Utilized inhibitory DREADDs activated by Clozapine, to study if ramping and phasic cells play a role in fear learning
• Used immunohistochemistry to visualize cellular components of the extended Amygdala (BNST)
• Observed behaviors of mice pre- and post-injection of the anxiety inhibitory DREADDs
• CITI program certification in working with mice, Lab Animal Research

• Teaching assistant for two quarters: “Psychology Statistical methods and Analysis”
• Guide and mentor for 30 students psychology class projects using ANOVA, SPSS, Psychopy, and R

• Implemented study methods for “Neuroscience 10 Class - Exploration and methodologies in Neuroscience”
• Demonstrated multiple statistical methods for behavioral assays on mice to exhibit anxiety

• Worked under the mentorship of Dr
• Justen Whitall
• Configured DNA sequencing software (Nanopore) for transcriptome analysis for Antipaluria and Pararhagadochir insects and their Embiid silk genes
• Processed and analyzed raw genome DNA datasets (5 TB) on the SCU WAVE computer clusters, utilized by Bioinformatics courses
• Modified and implemented software packages such as Canu to trim and correct, Guppy for base calling, Nanopolish to polish genome assembly and Geneious to analyze DNA sequences

• Notetaker for Biology, Neuroscience, Statistics and Psychology courses for students with learning disabilities
• Proctored undergraduate and law students’ with physical or mental disabilities needing special accommodations