Rashed Abdullah PhD PMP
Medford,NJ
Summary
Experienced scientist and Project Management Professional (PMP), with over two decades in the life sciences industry, managing teams, executing projects, and strategic planning. Proven track record in senior leadership roles, engaging with C-suite executives, and overseeing complex projects. I am skilled in managing therapeutic discovery campaigns and facilitating therapeutic lead selection. I am ready to bring expertise and innovative solutions to the team.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Team Lead-Protein Sciences -Principal Scientist
Gennao Bio
10.2021 - 12.2024
- Member of the senior leadership team, reporting directly to the CSO and indirectly to the VP of program management, managing cross-functional activities, and overseeing CRO and CMC projects from inception to closeout.
- Engaged in C-suite level discussions to drive strategic initiatives, establishing critical quality attributes (CQA) to assist in therapeutic candidate development decisions.
- Successfully managed two therapeutic antibody discovery projects under budget. One was completed successfully in Q2 2024, and the second project is ongoing ($1.8million budget). The second project requires the coordination of 5 CROs to source materials, and complete the project.
- Successfully managed a formulation discovery project directly with a CRO under budget and on time.
- Successfully managed the conjugation efforts at a CRO for our therapeutic candidate, with lessons learned from the CRO performed formulation project to deliver an alternative version of our therapeutic candidate.
- Oversaw and managed CMC activities with a CRO to establish master cell banks for antibody expression, and CMC activities for drug substance (DS) qualification to develop our final drug product (DP) in preparation for regulatory filing.
- Successfully managed and oversaw two nanoparticle development programs using our therapeutic candidate. One project was with a CRO and the second was with an academic partnership.
- Managed and supervised a team of 2 senior scientists and a research associate. Indirectly managed 5 team members.
- Developing bio-analytical methods to qualify antibody oligo conjugates (AOCs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for both anti-cancer therapeutics and muscle disease; 100% success rate on internal projects.
Bioanalytic Team Lead -Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
07.2019 - 10.2021
- Reported directly to the CSO and indirectly to C-suite members.
- Supported the business development team as a subject matter expert (SME)).
- Led and managed the Developability Assay Team, overseeing timelines, protocols, and troubleshooting, resulting in a tripling of company revenue by 2021.
- Critically analyzed and presented data for over 100 discovery programs annually, facilitating antibody lead selection and enhancing project success rates.
- Engaged in C-suite level discussions to drive strategic initiatives, improving project efficiency through effective team management and interdepartmental communication.
Lead Antibody Characterization- Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
01.2019 - 07.2019
- Reported directly to the CSO and indirectly to C-suite members.
- Worked directly with project management to oversee functional responsibilities of the group.
- Supported the business development team as a subject matter expert (SME)).
- Developed methods to characterize antibodies using Carterra (SPR-Kinetics, neutralization assays, pairing assays, and binning analysis), Octet (BLI-Kinetics, neutralization assays, pairing assays, and binning analysis), and ELISA, enhancing project success rates, decreasing false positives and false negatives.
- Supervised and trained research associates, managing 1 direct report, and ensuring the successful implementation of bioanalytical methods.
- Brought assays online as a platform offering for partners, contributing to increased project value.
Antibody Discovery- Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Drove and managed the development of monoclonal antibodies for clients as a project manager. Antibodies were discovered and utilized for therapeutics, reagents, and critical reagents for clinical studies. Was able to enhance project success rates by using project management principles as outlined by PMI. Decreasing the frequency and probability of errors and increasing the success rate to nearly 100%.
- Managed and trained direct reports, improving team efficiency and project delivery timelines.
- Characterized antibodies using Flow cytometer, SPR (Carterra), Octet, and ELISA, ensuring high-quality results and client satisfaction (resulting in many repeat clients).
- Supported the business development team as a SME.
- Reported directly to CSO and CEO.
Doctoral Fellow
St. John's University
01.2012 - 05.2017
- Thesis: Elucidating the multimeric properties of Alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease.
- Demonstrated that the Alpha-synuclein protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease exists as a multimeric species in various sub-cellular compartments and that these species are dynamic in nature, depending on various oxidative stress conditions within the cell.
- Determined that Parkinson’s disease patient brain samples contain a specific multimeric species not found in non-Parkinson’s patient brain samples (patent filed 2015). This specific multimer was purified from stable alpha-synuclein overexpressing cell lines and determined to have a negative effect on developing zebrafish embryos.
Research Scientist I
Wyeth Vaccines
12.2007 - 11.2008
- Automated processing of clinical samples under GLP guidelines to prepare for submission for regulatory review (Prevnar13-valent), ensuring compliance and accuracy.
- Led the Process Improvement Sub-team, developing and implementing quality improvement project plans, resulting in process efficiency.
- Coordinated with various departments to complete project management plans and initiated evaluations of new technology platforms, enhancing project execution and implementation efficiency.
Research Scientist I
Wyeth Vaccines
02.2004 - 12.2007
- Planned, implemented, and supervised non-human primate and small animal studies for possible vaccine candidates; project success was at 100%.
- Prepared reports and manuscripts for in-house and peer-reviewed papers.
- Presented at scientific meetings and collaborated with Wyeth and external personnel on in vivo studies, improving cross-functional project efficiency.
Research Scientist I and II
ImClone Systems Inc.
01.2003 - 02.2004
- Trained technicians in laboratory methods, enhancing team efficiency and skill development.
- Developed ELISA and other assays, improving antibody affinity and efficacy, contributing to successful IND filing by 4Q2004.
- Supported immunotherapy research projects, focusing on novel antibody therapies for melanoma, and ensured project success rates by 100%.
Research Associate
ImClone Systems Inc.
07.1999 - 12.2002
- Developed new monoclonal antibodies for anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic therapeutics, utilizing FACS, ELISA, Cell-based Assay, IP, and Western Blot analysis, enhancing specificity and efficacy.
- Created scale-up protocol for Hybridoma cell cultures and purification process, achieving up to 3g per run, improving production efficiency 80%.
- Designed and implemented animal studies to determine in vivo potency, validating novel assays and advancing pre-clinical development.
Technician I and II in Biochemistry
University of Vermont College of Medicine
04.1997 - 07.1999
- Maintained stocks of Murine Hybridomas, created new monoclonal cell lines, and subcloned existing cell lines, ensuring compliance with IUCAC protocols.
- Purified antibodies using gel filtration and affinity chromatography, analyzed using SDS-PAGE gels and ELISA, and developed new ELISA assays.
- Coordinated with the hospital to obtain human umbilical cords, isolated and cultured HUVECs, and conducted large- and small-scale purification of Bovine and Human Vitamin K dependent proteins.
Small Business Owner
12.2008 - 12.2011
- Founded and ran a home improvement contractor business. The core focus was small home improvement projects and renovations (kitchen, bath, decks, doors, and windows).
- As Owner, I negotiated all contracts and obtained regulatory permits from state and local agencies.
- I employed a small team of 4-6 individuals for all projects.
Education
Ph.D. - Biology-Laboratory of Neurodegeneration
St. John’s University
05.2017
MPhil - Biology
St. John’s University
01.2016
B.S degree - Biology
Montana State University-Bozeman
05.1996
Skills
- Project Management (Certified PMP)
- Certificate in AI Business Strategy (JHU)
- Business Development
- Clinical Sample Process Improvement
- Monoclonal Antibody Development
- AOCs and ADCs Development
- HIV Vaccine Evaluation
- Oncology Therapeutics Development
- Pre-clinical Study Design and Execution
- Assay Development (ELISA)
- Hybridoma Fusions
- Protein Purification and Characterization
- Flow Cytometry
- Kinetic Analysis of Antibody/Antigen
- DNA Cloning
- MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Project
- Smartsheet (PM software)
Affiliations
2008-2012, 2024-present, Project Management Institute (PMI), Certified project manager (PMP, 2008-2012)
Honors And Awards
- 2017, Graduate Student commencement speaker, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences-St. John University
- 2017, Haldar Award for publication excellence, St. John’s University
- 2015, Haldar Award for publication excellence, St. John’s University
- 2014, Haldar Award for publication excellence, St. John’s University
Patents
2015, Specific SNCA conformer possibly involved in Neuroprotection, Provisional
Computer Related Skills
- MS Word
- Excel
- Power Point
- MS Project
- Lotus Notes
- LIMS
- Unicorn software (HPLC)
- Smartsheet (PM software)
Publications
- Systemic targeting of therapeutic RNA to tumors via an RNA-binding and cell-penetrating antibody, Elias Quijano, Diana Martinez Saucedo, Zaira Ianniello, Natasha Pinto-Medici, Madison Rackear, Haoting Chen, Luiz Lola-Pereira, Yanfeng Liu, Denise Hegan, Xinning Shan, Robert Tseng, Deanne Yugawa, Sumedha Chowdhury, Minsoo Khang, Jay P. Singh, Rashed Abdullah, Perisa Azhir, Soki Kashima, Wendy S. Woods, Nicholas Gosstola, Bruce C. Turner, Stephen Squinto, Dale L. Ludwig, Ranjit S. Bindra, Marie E. Robert, David A. Braun, Pablo Perez, Mark Saltzman, Luisa F. Braun, Pablo Perez, Pinera, W. Mark Saltzman, Luisa F. Escobar-Hoyos, and Peter M. Glazer, Science Translational Medicine, accepted for publication, 02/25
- Next-generation cell-penetrating antibodies for tumor targeting and RAD51 inhibition, Madison Rackear, Elias Quijano, Zaira Ianniello, Daniel A Colón-Ríos, Adam Krysztofiak, Rashed Abdullah, Yanfeng Liu, Faye A Rogers, Dale L Ludwig, Rohini Dwivedi, Franziska Bleichert, Peter M Glazer, Oncotarget, 10/01/24, 15, 699–713, 10.18632/Oncotarget
- Accelerated Antibody Discovery Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein for COVID-19 Therapeutic Potential, Tracey E. Mullen, Rashed Abdullah, Jacqueline Boucher, Anna Susi Brousseau, Narayan K. Dasuri, Noah T.Ditto, Andrew M. Doucette, Chloe Emery, Justin Gabriel, Brendan Greamo, Ketan S. Patil, Kelly Rothenberger, Justin Stolte, and Colby A. Souders, Antibody Therapeutics, 07/21, 4, 3, 185–196, https://doi.org/10.1093/abt/tbab018
- Pathogenic a-syn multimeric profile in SHSY-5Y neuroblastoma cells, Rashed Abdullah, Ketan Patil, Benjamin Rosen, Alberim Kurtishi, James Young, Jan Petter Larsen, Guido Alves, Simon Geir Moller, JBC, submitted, 06/18
- The combination of LRRK2 knockdown and metal exposure results in distinct proteome changes in neuroblastoma cells, Ramavati Pal, Ketan Patil, Rashed Abdullah, Pratik Rathod, Emmanual Chang, Guido Alves, Jan Petter Larsen, Simon Gier Møller, J. Proteome Res.
- Subcellular Parkinson's Disease-Specific Alpha-Synuclein Species Show Altered Behavior in Neurodegeneration, Abdullah R, Patil KS, Rosen B, Pal R, Prabhudesai S, Lee S, Basak I, Hoedt E, Yang P, Panick K, Ho HP, Chang E, Tzoulis C, Larsen JP, Neubert TA, Alves G, Møller SG, Mol Neurobiol, 11/11/16
- LRRK2 knockdown in zebrafish causes developmental defects, neuronal loss, and synuclein aggregation, Prabhudesai S, Bensabeur FZ, Abdullah R, Basak I, Baez S, Alves G, Holtzman NG, Larsen JP, Møller SG, J Neurosci Res, 08/16, 94, 8, 717-35, 10.1002/jnr.23754
- Parkinson's disease and age: The obvious but largely unexplored link, Abdullah R, Basak I, Patil KS, Alves G, Larsen JP, Møller SG, Exp Gerontol, 08/15, 68, 33-8, 10.1016/j.exger.2014.09.014
- PARK13 regulates PINK1 and subcellular relocation patterns under oxidative stress in neurons, Patil KS, Basak I, Lee S, Abdullah R, Larsen JP, Møller SG, J Neurosci Res, 09/14, 92, 9, 1167-77, 10.1002/jnr.23396
- Neurovirulence and immunogenicity of attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses in nonhuman primates, Clarke DK, Nasar F, Chong S, Johnson JE, Coleman JW, Lee M, Witko SE, Kotash CS, Abdullah R, Megati S, Luckay A, Nowak B, Lackner A, Price RE, Little P, Kalyan N, Randolf V, Javadian A, Zamb TJ, Parks CL, Egan MA, Eldridge J, Hendry M, Udem SA, J Virol, 06/14, 88, 12, 6690-701, 10.1128/JVI.03441-13
- Alphavirus replicon particles encoding the fusion or attachment glycoproteins of respiratory syncytial virus elicit protective immune responses in BALB/c mice and functional serum antibodies in rhesus macaques, Elliott MB, Chen T, Terio NB, Chong SY, Abdullah R, Luckay A, Egan MA, Boutilier LA, Melville K, Lerch RA, Long D, Eldridge JH, Parks CL, Udem SA, Vaccine, 10/10/07, 25, 41, 7132-44
- Effect of plasmid DNA vaccine design and in vivo electroporation on the resulting vaccine-specific immune responses in rhesus macaques, Luckay A, Sidhu MK, Kjeken R, Megati S, Chong SY, Roopchand V, Garcia-Hand D, Abdullah R, Braun R, Montefiori DC, Rosati M, Felber BK, Pavlakis GN, Mathiesen I, Israel ZR, Eldridge JH, Egan MA, J Virol, 05/07, 81, 10, 5257-69
- Identification of a transiently exposed VE-cadherin epitope that allows for specific targeting of an antibody to the tumor neovasculature, May C, Doody J, Abdullah R, Balderes P, Xu S, Zhu Z, Shapiro L, Kussie P, Hicklin DJ, Bohlen P, and Liao F, Blood, 06/01/05, 105, 11, 4337-44
- A Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody to the Insulin-Like Growth Factor I receptor Blocks Ligand-Dependant Signaling and Inhibits Human Tumor Growth in Vivo, Douglas Burtrum, Zhenping Zhu, Dan Lu, Donna Marie Anderson, Marie Prewit, Daniel S. Periera, Rajiv Bassi, Rashed Abdullah, Andrea T. Hooper, Henry Koo, Xenia Jeminez, Danielle Johnson, Robin Apblett, Paul Kussie, Peter Bholen, Larry Witte, Daniel J. Hicklin, and Dale Ludwig, Cancer Research, 12/15/03, 63, 8912-8921
Scientific Related Skills
- Development of monoclonal antibodies- Gennao Bio, Abveris, ImClone Systems
- Development of AOCs and ADCs- Gennao Bio
- Neuro-degenerative disease- Parkinson’s disease-SJU
- Evaluation of HIV vaccines (using proteins, viral, and DNA vectors)-Wyeth
- Developing Oncology therapeutics (biological)- ImClone Systems, Gennao
- Design and execute large non-human primate pre-clinical studies- Wyeth
- Design and execute small animal studies- ImClone Systems, Wyeth, Abveris, Gennao
- Assay development (ELISA)- ImClone Systems, Wyeth, SJU, Abveris, Gennao
- Cell-based Assay development- ImClone, Wyeth, Gennao
- Antibody Purification and Characterization- UVM, ImClone Systems, Abveris, Gennao
- Hybridoma Fusions, Subcloning, screening, and selection- UVM, ImClone Systems, Abveris
- Protein Purification using affinity, IEX, SEC, HIC- UVM, ImClone Systems, SJU, Abveris, Gennao
- Flow cytometry- ImClone Systems, Abveris
- Kinetic analysis of antibody/antigen via BiaCore, Carterra, and Octet (BLI)- ImClone System, Abveris, Gennao
- Serum-free adaptation of mammalian cell cultures and media optimization- ImClone Systems, SJU
- DNA Cloning- ImClone Systems, SJU
Certification
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Timeline
Team Lead-Protein Sciences -Principal Scientist
Gennao Bio
10.2021 - 12.2024
Bioanalytic Team Lead -Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
07.2019 - 10.2021
Lead Antibody Characterization- Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
01.2019 - 07.2019
Antibody Discovery- Senior Scientist
Abveris (now Twist Bio)
01.2018 - 01.2019
Doctoral Fellow
St. John's University
01.2012 - 05.2017
Small Business Owner
12.2008 - 12.2011
Research Scientist I
Wyeth Vaccines
12.2007 - 11.2008
Research Scientist I
Wyeth Vaccines
02.2004 - 12.2007
Research Scientist I and II
ImClone Systems Inc.
01.2003 - 02.2004
Research Associate
ImClone Systems Inc.
07.1999 - 12.2002
Technician I and II in Biochemistry
University of Vermont College of Medicine
04.1997 - 07.1999
Ph.D. - Biology-Laboratory of Neurodegeneration
St. John’s University
MPhil - Biology
St. John’s University
B.S degree - Biology
Montana State University-Bozeman
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