Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN

Research Consultant September 2008 - Present

Recruited to assist a stem cell research laboratory at Indiana University School of Medicine due to project management and research expertise, excellent quality of research work produced with this laboratory, and ability to work with all levels of research staff from PhD students to the Principle Investigator.

• Assisted with several projects requiring data & statistical analysis; instructing staff on neuroscience research methods, project design, & management.
• As a published scientific author, helped to write one research manuscript and two review chapters for biomedical research texts and submit them for publication.
• Trained Master's and PhD students and staff in neuroscience research methods
• Coordinated with the lab director and post-doctoral staff to offer a six-week course for Master’s and PhD students titled, Methods in Cellular and Neurobiology.

Kelley School of Business Indiana University

Project Manager October 2010 - February 2011

Business Commercialization Project: Directed project team in assisting to commercializing intellectual property from a laboratory at Indiana University, prepared a proposal to submit to Glaxo-Smith-Kline & Actelion to for development of the intellectual property into a candidate drug. (course-related)

Project manager: Directed project team in suggesting Revenue & Financial management initiatives & long-term commercialization for Ossabaw Swine Resource Center in Indiana University’s Center for Translational Science Initiatives (course-related)

Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana

Neural Stem Cell Research Scientist
& Lab Manager Mar. 2005 - Aug. 2008

• Designed & managed regulatory revisions for research study protocols for Spinal Cord Injury & Parkinson’s Disease models.
• As Lab Manager, directed research agendas for and supervised scientists of all levels of experience from novel to experienced post-doctoral researchers. Worked and communicated cohesively on project teams.
• Managed Spinal Cord Injury Research Budget, and consistently over 6 years, held expenses within the budget.
• Served as a Teaching & Lab Assistant for IU School of Medicine course Neuroscience & Clinical Neurology & IU Graduate School course Methods in Cellular & Neurobiology.
• Managed a portfolio of projects, assisting with spinal cord injury & neural stem cell transplantation studies.
• Established & maintained my own neural stem cell research projects.
• Defined strategies to help achieve project milestones & provided updates to lab director.
• Spearheaded initiatives to identify and assist in implementing opportunities for innovation to assist with issues impeding the progress of the lab research agenda.

Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana

Neuroscience Research Assistant Aug. 2000 - Feb. 2005

Led the lab in pursuing a new research direction, establishing and characterizing stem cells from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which became one of the foundations for research studies.
• Mentored & assisted post-doctoral research on spinal cord injury
• Designed & implemented self-directed neural stem cell research projects, assisted with stem cells transplantation after spinal cord injury.
• Gained responsibility for project management and providing project progress reports & updates to the lab director.
• Recommended new strategic initiatives and innovation that complemented the lab’s research projects & maintain its competitive advantage in the lab’s research interests including adult stem cells, spinal cord injury & fetal alcohol syndrome.

EDUCATION
Indiana University
* MBA- Management in Life Sciences Kelley School of Business 2011
* MS- Medical Neurobiology School of Medicine 2005
* BS- Public Health (conc.- Health Admin.) Sch. of Pub. & Envirmtl. Affrs 1998


CONTINUING EDUCATION
Indiana University
* Project Management (Certificate) 2011
* Business of Life Sciences (Executive Certificate) 2009
* Grant Writing * Neurodegenerative Disease * RNA Interference *****

Associations
• Society for Neuroscience

• American Society of Neural Therapeutics & Repair

• Phi Eta Sigma & Alpha Lambda Delta academic honor societies

• National Eagle Scout Association

Professional Honors
• 2011 Turkish Neuroscience Mentoree received Fulbright
Visiting Student Researcher Scholarship

• 2007 Society for Neuroscience abstract selected as one
of 1,600 most likely to influence the future of
neuroscience and medicine

• 2006 American Society of Neural Therapeutics & Repair -
Student Travel Fellowship

• 2005 National Institute on Aging Fellowship

Journal Articles
Zhou F.C., Balaraman Y., Teng M., Liu Y., ***** R.P., and Nephew K.P. (2011). Alcohol alters DNA methylation patterns and inhibits neural stem cell differentiation. Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 35(4): *****.

***** R.P.,* Shiue K.,* Schomburg D.,* and Zhou F.C. (2009). Cellular epigenetic modifications of neural stem cell differentiation. Cell Transplant. * Authors contributed equally. 18(10): *****.

***** R.P., Cheng Y-H., Nelson P., and Zhou F.C. (2009). Tenacious multipotency of post-migrating adult dorsal root ganglia neural crest stem cells. Cell Transplant. 18(1):*****.

Powrozek T.A.*, Sari Y., ***** R.P., and Zhou F.C. (2004). Neurotransmitters and drugs of abuse: Effects on adult neurogenesis. Current Neurovascular Research 1(3): *****. * All authors contributed equally.

Book Chapters
Zhou F.C. and ***** R.P. (2003) “Regulation of neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain” in Neuronal & Vascular Plasticity: Elucidating Basic Cellular Mechanisms for Future Therapeutic Discovery. Chapter 9 pages *****. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York.

***** R.P., Shen L., and Zhou F.C. (2011). “The stereology and 3D volume analyses in nervous tissue” in Animal Models of Acute Neurological Injuries II: Injury and Mechanistic Assessments. Section 1, Chapter 93. Humana Press. In Press.

Abstracts & Posters
Poster Presentations at more than 10 international neuroscience meetings including:
Society for Neuroscience
American Society for Neural Transplantation & Repair