Pressley Smith

• Received promotion to Research Associate II after demonstrating proficiency and commitment to research goals.
• Independently conduct & analyze large scale preclinical studies from non-human primates and other IND-enabling studies to determine business advancement decisions for investors & company wide initiatives.
• Cultured and treated myotube cell lines to assess treatment effects on clinical drug efficacy and mechanistic outcomes.
• Presented findings to multidisciplinary teams to support technical reports, publications, and patent activities.

• Executed site-directed mutagenesis to evaluate efficacy of novel gene editing technology on mammalian cell lines using lipofection, nucleofection, or LNP-delivery.
• Developed and validated assays for RNA transcript quantitation and detection of editing outcomes in various mammalian cell lines.

• Project-specific contract role
• Engineered robust and sensitive ddPCR assays used in IND-enabling studies for both drug candidate selection and further testing across multiple clinical programs.
• Spearheaded the development of highly sensitive method qualification techniques to improve reliability for IND-enabling studies.

• Promoted from Research Technician I within four months of fulltime hire
• Hired initially as a Northeastern Co-op
• Developed a comprehensive research interface and transcribed all hard-copy data for a 15-year longitudinal study on Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome
• Refined sequencing capabilities for PCR, RT-PCR, and Sanger methods, focusing on high G-C content regions of interest.
• Engineered and conducted cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics experiments, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with university researchers.
• Trained and supervised junior technicians in laboratory protocols.

• Provided translation services for mandarin speaking patients to support their care.
• Conducted 400 COVID-19 phone screenings weekly to prioritize provider and patient safety during office visits

Graduate Co-Op completed at Editas Medicine

• Honoree of cum laude
• Capstone Project: “Investigating population disparities in healthcare and treatment concerning Von-Hippel Lindau syndrome”
• NU.in Study Abroad: Melbourne, Australia (Fall, 2018)