Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Selected Publication
Timeline
Generic

Ramkumar Srinivasagan

Irvine,CA

Summary

Highly motivated, self-driven, and result-oriented vision researcher recently transitioned to the industry—strong expertise in vivo ophthalmology-retinal and cataract disease. Seeking an opportunity to learn stem cell and organoid biology to aid regenerative cell therapy for unmet needs in blinding diseases.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Scientist-Pre-clinical

Visus Therapeutics
08.2023 - Current
  • Contribute to discovery efforts on target identification, validation, and prioritization for ocular diseases such as cataracts, corneal wound healing, and retinal disease.
  • My responsibilities include target identification through literature review, design, and execution of in vitro/in vivo assays to demonstrate proof-of-concept and preclinical validation through relevant animal models.
  • Coordinated protocol alignment, test article/sample shipment, and data analysis/ exchange with CRO partners.
  • Develop assay system to culture porcine ex vivo lens culture to validate drug against cataract.
  • Develop in vitro assay system to validate the drug against AMD.
  • Develop in vitro assay to validate drug against corneal wound healing.
  • Presented study progress and data to senior management at monthly strategy meetings and weekly team meetings.

Senior Research Associate

Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
07.2017 - 07.2023
  • Supervisor – Johannes von Lintig, Ph.D.
  • Pioneered research into ocular retinoid and carotenoid metabolism.
  • Designed and executed complex in vitro and in vivo studies, enabling 10+ conference presentations and, ultimately, study publication.
  • Worked on projects that elucidated the molecular and biochemical basis of carotenoid absorption from the diet, transport in the body, and metabolism to biologically active compounds, such as the visual chromophore and vitamin A.
  • Actively participate in planning and executing new research ideas and techniques.
  • Independent and take the initiative in developing research methods, data gathering, and analysis.
  • Generate professional concepts that contribute to the development of the lab technology base and achieve objectives in creative and effective ways.
  • Generating new knockout mice models and maintaining mice models to execute research projects.
  • Actively involved in IACUC animal protocol renewal.
  • Generating stable cell lines and maintaining mammalian cell lines for research projects.
  • Initiated and established iPSC facility.
  • Presents research findings at internal meetings, national and international conferences.
  • Actively generating data and research proposals for grant applications.
  • Retains accurate records of research findings and results in a detailed, up-to-date laboratory notebook.
  • Maintaining and updating safe laboratory protocols.
  • Maintains lab in clean and high-functioning condition
  • Managing and generating data for national and international collaborative projects.
  • Knowledge transfer to junior lab colleagues and mentoring graduates, undergraduates, and high school students.
  • Mentoring practical classes for graduate students.
  • Managing chemical and instrument orders.
  • Contributed to the development of intellectual property through patent applications and publications in peer-reviewed journals
  • Provided expert guidance during project planning phases, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
  • Enhanced project outcomes by collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize study designs
  • Managed multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely completion and high-quality deliverables
  • Evaluated emerging technologies for potential integration into ongoing research efforts
  • Secured grant funding by writing compelling proposals demonstrating the significance of proposed studies
  • Served as a subject matter expert in interdepartmental discussions, informing decision-making across the organization
  • Improved research efficiency by streamlining data collection and analysis processes
  • Monitored industry trends to stay ahead of developments within the field of expertise

Post Doctoral Fellow

Case Western Reserve University
01.2015 - 07.2017
  • Supervisor: PI – Prof.Dr. Vincent Monnier PhD
  • Worked on a leading pharmaceutical company-sponsored project to screen anti-cataract drugs in the rodent model.
  • Involved in a project to generate recombinant protein and generating mutants by site-directed mutagenesis and characterization of recombinant protein using various biophysical techniques.
  • Presents research findings at internal meetings, national and international conferences.

PhD Student

Bharathidasan University
01.2010 - 12.2014
  • · Supervisor: PI –Dr. Anbarasu
  • Dissertation title: Protein-protein interaction between recombinant α-Crystallin and its mutants to comprehend the basis towards the progression of Cataract
  • Cloning of Human αA-Crystallin and αB-Crystallin in pET and mammalian two-hybrid vectors.
  • Generation of αA-Crystallin point mutants by Site-directed mutagenesis method.
  • Overexpression and purification of Wildtype and mutants by ion exchange and size-exclusion protein purification system.
  • Characterization of structural and functional difference between Wildtype and mutant αA-Crystallin by various biophysical methods.
  • Evaluating protein-protein interaction between in-vitro real-time Quartz crystal microbalance and in vivo mammalian two-hybrid systems.

Education

Ph.D. - Biotechnology

Bharathidasan University
Tamilnadu, INDIA
12.2014

Skills

  • In vivo model expertise: Mouse/Rat (8 yrs)
  • In vitro model expertise: iPSC-derived RPE cells (6 months)Stable cell line generation Human primary RPE cell culturing, RPE explant culturingARPE19 and 661W cell culturing(3 yrs)
  • In vivo methods: IVT injection, ERG, OCT, SLO, Retinal, and RPE flat-mount
  • In vitro assay experience: WB, IHC, ELISA, q/PCR, basic cloning, recombinant protein, Protein-protein interaction
  • Imaging: Confocal Microscopy/Slit lamp microscopy
  • Software: Photoshop, Fiji, GraphPad
  • Imaging: Confocal Microscopy/Slit lamp microscopy
  • Software: Adobe Illustrator/ Photoshop, Fiji, GraphPad, Biorender

Accomplishments

  • 2012 Awarded as DST-Young Scientist project fellow by the Department of Marine Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • 2013 Awarded as INDO-JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) project Fellow.
  • 2017: Awarded a Travel Grant to attend and present a poster at the Gordan Carotenoid Conference 2017
  • 2020: Journal reviewer in Nutrients, PLoS one, and Genome.
  • 2021: Awarded as an outstanding postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology, CWRU.
  • 2022: Awarded an exceptional short talk at the FASEB Retinoid Conference 2022.
  • 2022: Editorial board member in the journal Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
  • 2017 Travel Award for Glaucoma Meeting funded by ISER/BrightFocus Foundation
  • 2011 - 2015 Wellcome Trust 4yr MPhil/PhD Studentship in Developmental Biology
  • 2010 Summer Internship Award from British Society of Cell Biology
  • 2008 - 2011 Member of Jacobs University Presidents List for outstanding academic achievements

Selected Publication

Selected     Publications (3/30)

  • Ramkumar S, et al. (2024) Unraveling the mystery of ocular retinoid turnover: Insight from albino mice and the role of STRA6. Journal of Biological Chemistry (Accepted)
  • Ramkumar S, Vipul Parmar, Ivy Samuels, et al.(2022) The vitamin A transporter STRA6 adjusts the stoichiometry of chromophore and opsins in visual pigment synthesis and recycling. HMG 2022, Vol. 31, No. 4.
  • Ramkumar S, Vipul Parmar, et al. (2022) Diabetes Aggravates Photoreceptor Pathologies in a Mouse Model for Ocular Vitamin A Deficiency Antioxidants 11 (6), 1142.
  • Refer to Google Scholar Citations @ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rNoNj5AAAAAJ&hl=en


Timeline

Senior Scientist-Pre-clinical

Visus Therapeutics
08.2023 - Current

Senior Research Associate

Case Western Reserve University
07.2017 - 07.2023

Post Doctoral Fellow

Case Western Reserve University
01.2015 - 07.2017

PhD Student

Bharathidasan University
01.2010 - 12.2014

Ph.D. - Biotechnology

Bharathidasan University

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