Rupa Guha
San Mateo,CA
Summary
An experienced researcher with over a decade of expertise from Industry and academia, specializing In early drug development with small molecules as well as biologics. Holds a Ph.D. in the field of breast cancer drug discovery. Exhibited expertise and comprehension in overseeing, creating, organizing, and documenting in vitro and in vivo preclinical experiments, adhering to the standards of Good Laboratory Practice. Managed the entire process from initial concept to IND filing.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Postdoctoral Scholar - Employee
University of California, San Francisco
06.2023 - Current
- · Assessed the potential impact of targeting kinases, based on kinome profiling data, in combination with standard of care chemotherapies, to enhance treatment effectiveness and prevent the development of resistance in triple negative breast cancer.
- · Developed several stable cell lines by generating Lenti particles for successful conduct of various mechanistic studies.
- · Understanding underlying mechanism and impact of standard of care chemotherapies/ x-ray irradiation on cancer cells versus target overexpressing cancer cells.
- · MAP3K8-PROTAC validation and characterization in protein overexpressing cell lines.
Senior Scientist I
Hengenix (Henlius US site)
01.2022 - 05.2022
- · Contributed to oncology projects as a study lead and planned, executed, developed and managed immune-oncology (biologics viz. monoclonal and bispecific antibody) in vivo efficacy studies using subcutaneous, transgenic, and humanized mice tumor models.
- · Managed a team of 3 associates
- · Biomarker identification
- · Planning, executing, and analyzing PK studies
- · Optimizing, monitoring immune cell engraftment and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
- · Analyzing tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and other biological markers from tumor, spleen, and blood PBMCs.
- · Worked on selecting CROs for outsourcing animal studies
Staff Scientist
ABL, inc.
02.2020 - 11.2021
- · Efficaciously led, conducted, and managed various clinical/preclinical client studies working on anti-cancers/ cancer therapies/vaccines to optimize, qualify and routine testing for PBMC immune response evaluation using platforms like ELISpot, Fluorospot and flow cytometry
- · Managed team of 2-3 associates
- · Successfully and timely submitted study-based deliverables with client’s positive feedbacks on various multifaceted short- and long-term projects in a fast paced, high demand research work environment
- · Positively submitted NIH proposal.
- · Worked on selecting CROs for outsourcing animal toxicology studies
Graduate Research Assistant (Ph.D. Scholar)
University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) at A and G Pharmaceuticals
01.2017 - 02.2020
- Validated progranulin (GP88) as potential therapeutic target and characterized anti-GP88 antibody as therapeutic agent to significantly inhibit migration and proliferation of aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and understanding associated mechanism of action
- Illustrated anti-GP88 neutralizing antibody as potential therapeutic agent to inhibit TNBC cell proliferation and migration as well as resensitize ER+ drug-resistant breast cancer cell and associated mechanism.
- This resulted in compiling results for IND filing, publication and presentations at local and international platform
- The therapeutic got FDA clearance for first-in-human AG01 study in adult patients with advanced solid tumors
Graduate Research Assistant (Ph.D. Scholar)
University of Maryland, Baltimore
08.2013 - 12.2016
- Validated and characterized Nrf2 as a potential therapeutic target to resensitize antiestrogen resistant ER+ breast cancer cells
- Developed and validated MCF-7 based stable cell line for screening Nrf2 inhibitors
- In 2016, University of Maryland, Baltimore's Graduate School nominated me for institutional fellowship among the top seven students for Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Student Research Fellowship, in recognition of my outstanding research proposal writing abilities
Research Intern
Georgetown University
04.2012 - 11.2012
- DEN-4 protease expression and purification
- Worked on establishing a mammalian cell line expressing DEN-4 viral protease substrate for anti-dengue compound screening
Junior Research Scientist
Piramal Life Sciences Ltd
09.2008 - 12.2011
- Preclinical characterization of antiviral compounds against HSV-1 and HSV-2, resulted in successful submission of IND filing, patent and journal publication
- Preclinical efficacy studies for development of HSV gD antigen-based vaccine
- Served as project lead and headed in vivo and in vitro preclinical pharmacological studies
Research Officer
Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd
02.2005 - 09.2008
- Led and oversaw designing and conduct of geno-toxicological and toxicological studies from acute to sub chronic stage in rodent (mice, rat), nonrodent (rabbit, beagle dogs), reproduction toxicology
- Monitored overseas genotoxicity studies conducted at CROs
- This cumulatively resulted in successful submission of NCE and IND filing to USFDA
Education
Ph.D. - Toxicology (Cancer Biology)
University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD02.2020
Skills
- Preclinical cancer biology
- Oncology drug efficacy
- In vitro and in vivo mechanism of action studies
- Cell signaling
- Drug target validation
- Biologics
- Small molecules
- PROTAC validation
- Development of cell based assays
- Analysis of cell based assays
- Drug combination therapies
- Immunology assays
- qRT-PCR
- PCR
- Molecular cloning
- Primer designing
- Genetic manipulation
- RNAi, siRNA, microRNA,shRNA
- Gene overexpression
- Lentivirus generation
- Cell transduction
- Western blot
- Protein arrays
- Immunoprecipitation
- ELISA
- Immunohistochemistry
- Flow cytometry
- Protein analysis
- Stable luciferase reporter-based cell lines
- Team management
- Mentoring
- Training
- Project collaboration
- Isolation of primary human cells
- Handling of primary human tissues
- HSV1/2 virus handling
- Plaque assays
- Cell based virological techniques
- Tumor xenograft development
- Tail vein metastasis
- Humanized mouse tumor models
- Infectious in vivo model studies
- Pharmacokinetics
- Drug tissue distribution studies
- Genotoxicity studies
- Toxicological studies
- Reproduction toxicology studies
- Data analysis
- Excel
- FlowJo
- CytExpt
- Cell engine
- GraphPad Prism
- CompuSync
- SynergyFinder
- Image analysis
- CRO selection
- CRO management
- Scientific writing
- Proposal writing
- Presentation skills
- SOP writing
- Study designing
- Planning
- Documenting
- Study reporting
- IND studies
- NCE preclinical studies
- ICH guidelines
- FDA guidelines
- Data presentation
Key Accomplishments
·* FDA clearance to IND application, to proceed with the first-in-human AG01 study in adult patients with advanced solid tumors. Nov 2022.
* ·Guha, R., Yue, B., Dong, J. et al. Anti-progranulin/GP88 antibody AG01 inhibits triple negative breast cancer cell proliferation and migration.
Breast Cancer Res and Treat 186, 637–653 (2021).
*· Clinical Trial: CTRI/2011/05/001706
A Phase II, randomized, assessor-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, comparative, prospective study was completed to assess the efficacy and safety of Viracure cream (formulation made from Indigofera Heterantha) in immunocompetent patients with Genital Herpes due to Herpes Simplex Virus -2 infection. May 2011.
·* Kaushik Na, Guha Ra, Thomas BM. Antiviral potential and mode of action of Indigofera heterantha against HSV-2 by targeting the early stages of infection. Antivir Ther. 2017; 22(5):381-391. a: Authors have equal contribution
* · WIPO/PCT Patent, # 9498507- Antiviral composition; Piramal Lifesciences Ltd, 23 Aug 2012
*· Prepared and submitted preclinical NCE and IND study reports to USFDA, 2005-2008.
Personal Information
Maiden Name: Rupa Bhowmick
Language known: English, hindi, bengali, gujrati
Timeline
Postdoctoral Scholar - Employee
University of California, San Francisco
06.2023 - Current
Senior Scientist I
Hengenix (Henlius US site)
01.2022 - 05.2022
Staff Scientist
ABL, inc.
02.2020 - 11.2021
Graduate Research Assistant (Ph.D. Scholar)
University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) at A and G Pharmaceuticals
01.2017 - 02.2020
Graduate Research Assistant (Ph.D. Scholar)
University of Maryland, Baltimore
08.2013 - 12.2016
Research Intern
Georgetown University
04.2012 - 11.2012
Junior Research Scientist
Piramal Life Sciences Ltd
09.2008 - 12.2011
Research Officer
Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd
02.2005 - 09.2008
Ph.D. - Toxicology (Cancer Biology)
University of Maryland
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