Zachary Finkel
Philadelphia,PA
Summary
Innovative biomedical engineer that specializes in the design, delivery, analysis, interpretation, and communication of pre-clinical in vivo drug efficacy trials. Extensive experience in mentoring, leadership, and team building of junior scientists and management of multiple interdisciplinary collaborations. Passionate about R&D and the potential for cutting-edge technologies, e.g., gene and cell therapy, to cure rare diseases.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Doctoral Researcher
Rutgers University, Biomedical Engineering
2019.08 - Current
PhD Thesis Project: Development of Gsx1 Gene Therapy to Treat Spinal Cord Injury
Research Strategy: Use Adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery system to reactivate embryonic neurogenic transcription factor in adult models of spinal cord injury. Examine the efficacy, effective time window, and molecular mechanism of Gsx1 gene reactivation in the adult injured spinal cord.
Global Technology and Design Intern
Colgate-Palmolive
2022.08 - 2023.01
Research Group: Cross Category Research & Innovation (CCR&I) Team
Collaborated with Oral Care - Product Development, NMR experts, and IR experts to design, execute and analyze gel product resulting in "Research Report- Stabilization of a Chlorhexidine Gel by a Bioadhesive Polymer". Evaluated personal care product surfactant activity using foaming analysis. Presented work to various stakeholders including upper management, research group, and cross-functional collaborative team.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Rutgers University, Biomedical Engineering
2021.09 - 2022.05
Instructed senior biomedical engineering undergraduate students on research project, design, and time management strategies. Communicated effective experimental design and engineering concept application to students for senior research project. Lectured on various biomedical measurements and analysis for pulmonary, respiratory, and central/peripheral nervous systems.
Consulting Intern
Radyus Research (CRO)
2021.05 - 2021.09
Research & Development Group: Consulted with external company to use high throughput in vitro systems and characterize THC/CBD formulations for migraine treatment. This screening identifies a few highly prospective formulations for further in vivo efficacy testing and prevents additional cost/risk.
Marketing & Outreach Group: Collaborated with marketing group to identify over 300 prospective clients and obtain contact information for cold email outreach.
Education
Ph.D. - Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ05.2024
Master of Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ12.2023
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry, Biological Science
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ05.2019
Skills
- Literature-Informed Pre-clinical Data Acquisition
- Pre-clinical Trial Design & Development
- Review, Development, & Amendment to Protocol Documents
- Data Safety & Availability Management
- Preclinical Study Report & Publication
- Cross-functional Area Collaboration
- Presentation to Diverse Stakeholders
- Expert Literature Review in Various Disease Areas
- Bio-Safety Level 2 Gene Therapy & Virus Handling
- NIH/NSF/DOD/NJ Commission Scientific & Grant Writing
- Excellent Oral & Written Communication
- Problem-Solving & Decision Making
leadership and management
Predoctoral Leadership Development Academy Fellow, 2023-2024
RiSE REU Graduate Mentor, 2020-2023
Biomedical Engineering Student Society (BESS) President, 2020-2022
selected publications
Finkel Z, Esteban F, Joseph A, Rodriguez B, Clifford T, Alostaz H, Dalmia M, Escott M, Garg SK, Gutierrez J, Tamasi M, Zhang S, Dhillon S, Trivedi H, Gormley A, Kumar S, Gulati S, Cai L. AAV6-mediated Gsx1 gene therapy targets neural stem cells and promotes regeneration after contusion spinal cord injury. Neurotherapeutics. 2024. (Submitted)
Clifford T, Finkel Z, Rodriguez B, Joseph A, Cai L. Current Advancements in Spinal Cord Injury Research-Glial Scar Formation and Neural Regeneration. Cells. 2023 Mar 9;12(6):853. doi: 10.3390/cells12060853. PMID: 36980193; PMCID: PMC10046908.
Finkel Z, Esteban F, Rodriguez B, Fu T, Ai X, Cai L. Diversity of Adult Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells in Physiology and Disease. Cells. 2021 Aug 10;10(8):2045. doi: 10.3390/cells10082045. PMID: 34440814; PMCID: PMC8392301.
Patel M, Li Y, Anderson J, Castro-Pedrido S, Skinner R, Lei S, Finkel Z, Rodriguez B, Esteban F, Lee KB, Lyu YL, Cai L. Gsx1 promotes locomotor functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Mol Ther. 2021 Aug 4;29(8):2469-2482. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.027. Epub 2021 Apr 23. PMID: 33895323; PMCID: PMC8353206.
honors and awards
New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research Fellow, 2021-2023
Leadership Award for Dedication to Rutgers University Biomedical Engineering (BME), 2021
Rutgers Super-GRAD Fellow, 2019-2020
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (ICGB), 2021
- Mini-MBA Certification, 2021
- Project Management Certificate, 2021
- SciPhD: The Business of Science for Scientists, 2020
Timeline
Global Technology and Design Intern
Colgate-Palmolive
2022.08 - 2023.01
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Rutgers University, Biomedical Engineering
2021.09 - 2022.05
Consulting Intern
Radyus Research (CRO)
2021.05 - 2021.09
Doctoral Researcher
Rutgers University, Biomedical Engineering
2019.08 - Current
Ph.D. - Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers University
Master of Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry, Biological Science
Rowan University
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (ICGB), 2021
- Mini-MBA Certification, 2021
- Project Management Certificate, 2021
- SciPhD: The Business of Science for Scientists, 2020
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