Quinn Ailabouni

2020-2024    Dean’s Scholarship (Academic)

2020-2023    Paul Rucker Scholarship (Diversity; First Generation College Student) 

2022-2023    Kristen Young Heritage Scholarship (Academic)  

2022-2023    Alliss Education Foundation Scholarship (Academic)

2022-2023    Barbara & John Hanson Scholarship (Academic)

2022-2023    Minnesota State Grant (Academic & Need based)

2021-2022     Presidential Honor List; GPA >3.7 

2021-2023     Dean’s List

Spring 2022  Apologetics Award: competitive writing Gustavus Religion Department

Fall 2023       Academic Assistantship Honor: in Biology and Public Health Departments        

Thesis Project at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN  (3/2025-Current)

• Developing a topical bacteriophage treatment for carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infected burn wounds.
• Developing a porcine explant burn wound model
• Isolation of bacteriophage

Virology & Gene Therapy Research at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (5/2023-8/2023)

• Examined the role of the Cedar virus fusion protein in sustained infection of bat cells.
• Measured fusion protein colocalization with the Rab4a endosomal marker in wildtype and mutant.
• Developed and optimized colocalization analysis procedures in Imaris Software.
• Skills: cell seeding, growth curves, titrations, fixing cells, and confocal microscopy.
• Calculated results, ran statistical analyses, and created graphs depicting results.
• Made and presented a poster at Mayo Clinic and Gustavus.

January Biomolecular Research Experience at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN  (1/2023)

• Purified histidine-tagged version of yeast SKI7p with protein fractionation by ion exchange chromotography
• Co-purified exosomal proteins via SKI7p fractions.
• Measured associated RNA levels via western blot analysis and SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis.

RNA Degradation Directed Research Course at Gustavus Adolphus College, St.Peter, MN  (9/2022-12/2022)

• Conducted research on the effect of the exosome upon SOK2 mRNA in yeast.
• Examined the effect of the SKA1 gene on the exosome and in turn on CTF13 mRNA levels.
• Skills: culturing yeast, plasmid transformations in yeast, RNA purification, and Northern blot analysis.
• Created and presented a poster at a symposium held at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Cell and Molecular Biology Lab Teaching Assistant (09/2022 - 12/2023)

• Assisted 15 students in the laboratory with lab procedures such as agarose gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, western blot analysis, and plasmid DNA purification.
• Assigned grades to student lab assignments.
• Help mentor students and answer questions.

Biology Department Academic Assistant Fall 2023

• Assisting the biology department with departmental decisions.
• Created a senior board and ran a campus-wide advising event.

January Biomolecular Directed Research Teaching Assistant (01/2023)

• Assisted 8 students with laboratory techniques such as yeast cultures, preparing media, plasmid transformations in yeast, and Northern blot analysis.
• Answered student questions and mentored students on writing papers/posters.

Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society: Member  (10/2020 - 05/2024)

• Mentored a student on course planning and career skills.
• Volunteer work that served the communities of Gustavus and St. Peter.

Campus Safety Safe Rides: Supervisor (09/2020-05/2024)

• Leading 2 students to ensure safety and efficiency of service.
• Ensured the safety of the campus by locking buildings and checking fire extinguishers.

Public Health Department Academic Assistant Fall 2023

• Assisting the public health department with increasing awareness of the major/minor.
• Creating posters and running events to increase awareness of the department.
• Social media manager for the departmental instagram account.