Resume

• 2011

  German

  Spanish

  M.S.

  Thesis: Analysis of Endothelial Cell Contractility in Melanoma-induced Junction Disruption of Endothelial Monolayers

  Chemical Engineering

  Penn State Christian Grads Servant Team

  Penn State University

• 2007

  B.S.E.

  Honors in Engineering; Chemistry major; international designation.

  Chemical Engineering

  Calvin College

  Registered Pesticide Applicator: Microbial Pest Management

  Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development

  C003140496

• Weekly from December - March

  guided/taught students as they learned about events and did science for the regional Science Olympiad competition.\nEvents: 'Cell Biology'

  'Chemistry Lab'

  'Disease Detectives'

  'Fermi Lab'

  'Forensics'

  'Materials Science'

  and 'Protein Modeling'

  and 'Thermodynamics'.

  Unity Christian High School (MI)

  Volunteer Leader

  Young Life

  Water Treatment

  Data Analysis

  MathCAD

  Chemical Engineering

  Adobe Illustrator

  Steam Boilers

  Mathematica

  Boilers

  Matlab

  AutoCAD

  Thermodynamics

  Cooling Towers

  Engineering

  C++

  Analytical Chemistry

  Research

  PowerPoint

  Inventor

  Chemistry

  Cell Culture

  Actinomyosin Contraction

  Phosphorylation of VE-Cadherin

  and Actin Remodeling Enable Melanoma-Induced Endothelial Cell-Cell Junction Disassembly

  During melanoma cell extravasation through the vascular endothelium

  melanoma cells interact with endothelial cells through secretion of cytokines and by adhesion between proteins displayed on opposing cell surfaces. How these tumor cell associated signals together regulate the dynamics of intracellular signaling pathways within endothelial cells leading to endothelial cell-cell junction disruption is not well understood. Here

  we used a combination of experimental and computational approaches to examine the individual and combined effects of activation of the vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1

  interleukin (IL)-8

  and IL-1β signaling pathways on the integrity of vascular junctions. Our simulations predict a multifaceted interplay of signaling resulting from individual activation of VCAM-1

  IL-8 and IL-1β pathways that is neither synergistic nor additive compared to all inputs turned on simultaneously. Furthermore

  we show that the levels of phosphorylated proteins associated with actinomyosin contractility and junction disassembly peak prior to those related to actin remodeling. The results of this work provide insight into the dynamics of tumor-mediated endothelial junction disassembly and suggest that targeting proteins downstream of several interaction pathways may be the most effective therapeutic approach to reduce melanoma extravasation.

  Actinomyosin Contraction

  Phosphorylation of VE-Cadherin

  and Actin Remodeling Enable Melanoma-Induced Endothelial Cell-Cell Junction Disassembly

  During metastasis

  breakdown of the endothelial barrier is critical for tumor cell extravasation through blood vessel walls and is mediated by a combination of tumor secreted soluble factors and receptor-ligand interactions. However

  a complete mechanism governing tumor cell transendothelial migration remains unclear. Here

  we investigate the roles of tumor-associated signals in regulating endothelial cell contractility and adherens junction disassembly leading to endothelial barrier breakdown. We show that Src mediates VE-cadherin disassembly in response to metastatic melanoma cells. Through the use of pharmacological inhibitors of cytoskeletal contractility we find that endothelial cell contractility is responsive to interactions with metastatic cancer cells and that reducing endothelial cell contractility abrogates migration of melanoma cells across endothelial monolayers. Furthermore

  we find that a combination of tumor secreted soluble factors and receptor-ligand interactions mediate activation of Src within endothelial cells that is necessary for phosphorylation of VE-cadherin and for breakdown of the endothelial barrier. Together

  these results provide insight into how tumor cell signals act in concert to modulate cytoskeletal contractility and adherens junctions disassembly during extravasation and may aid in identification of therapeutic targets to block metastasis.

  VE-Cadherin Disassembly and Cell Contractility in the Endothelium are Necessary for Barrier Disruption Induced by Tumor Cells

  Pohler

  Broadmoor Products Inc.

  Calvin College

  Vertellus

  Calvin College

  RecoverX

  Boehringer Ingelheim

  Penn State University

  Calvin University

  Grand Rapids

  Calculus I & II

  Introductory Physics

  Differential Equations

  General Chemistry

  and Introduction to Laws of Conservation & Thermodynamics.

  Tutor

  Calvin College

  University Park

  \"Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering\" for Dr. W. Curtis.

  Graduate Teaching Assistant

  Penn State University

  Grand Rapids

  MI

  Teach \"Introduction to Laws of Conservation and Thermodynamics\" to second year students

  and \"Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer\" to third year students

  in the engineering department.\nCreate and supervise undergraduate research program: Closed-loop passive-oxide formation kinetics in aqueous solution.

  Teaching Staff

  Calvin College

  Grand Rapids

  \"Engineering Chemistry and Material Science\" section for Dr. D. Benson and Dr. W. Wentzheimer.

  Lab Assistant

  Calvin College

  Grand Rapids

  Michigan

  Minimize scaling and corrosion with appropriate chemistry for industrial and commercial boilers and cooling towers.\nMaintain industrial wash chemistries for rust prevention and surface cleaning.\nEngineer and sell solutions to customer specifications

  and aid in specification development.\nConduct engineering and chemical analyses and recommendations as needed by customers.

  Technical Representative

  Broadmoor Products Inc.

  Ingelheim am Rhein

  Worked in Dr. G. Heckmann's lab

  developing a synthesis pathway for an active pharmaceutical ingredient.\nSynthesized impurities and ran lab scale batches for campaign optimization.\nWrote documentation and technical protocols in German.

  International Intern

  Boehringer Ingelheim

  Grand Rapids

  \"Analytical Chemistry\" section for Dr. K. Sinniah.

  Lab Assistant

  Calvin College

  Grand Rapids

  MI

  Teach 'Introduction to Conservation Laws and Fluid Mechanics' to second year students in the engineering department.

  Teaching Staff

  Calvin University

  Zeeland

  MI

  Drive capacity expansion

  maintenance

  safety

  and productivity capital.\nManage site environmental controls

  permitting

  and safety policies.\nInvestigate COPQ improvement for cGMP materials

  and support waste reduction efforts.\nManage and provide process engineering support for pilot campaigns

  and production-scale trials.\nContinuous improvement via 5S

  Gemba

  and statistical tools.

  Process Engineer

  Vertellus

  University Park

  Studied the role of endothelial cell contractile forces in tumor cell extravasation.\nDesigned experiments to elucidate how soluble and mechanical signals from melanoma affect cell traction forces and endothelial cell behavior.\nEmployed a variety of experimental skills

  including: tissue culture of mammalian cells

  DNA amplification and purification

  fluorescence microscopy

  immunofluorescence

  and traction force microscopy.

  Graduate Research Assistant

  Penn State University

  San Francisco Bay Area

  Responsible for thermal modeling in prototype development stages.\nProvide input on materials

  configurations

  and thermal device performance requirements.\nAdvisor for thermal systems.

  Advisor - Thermal Design

  RecoverX

  Grand Rapids

  Investigated pretreatment techniques on woody invasive species (common and glossy buckthorn

  autumn olive) for biofuel conversion by determining sugar content released from available cellulose and hemicellulose for Drs. J.J. VanAntwerp and W. Wentzheimer.

  Student Researcher

  Calvin College

  AICHE