CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Valerie Sershon

 

The University of Illinois at Chicago

The Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

900 South Ashland Avenue (M/C 870)

Chicago, IL 60607

Lab Phone:  (312) 996-1687

Fax:  (312) 413-9303

Email:  vsershon@uic.edu

 

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. Candidate            Current               University of Illinois, Chicago

B.S.  Chemistry            May, 2003          Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

 

HOMETOWN

Chicago, IL

 

GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

Research focuses on cloning, expressing, purifying and characterizing the three essential enzymes in the NADP+ biosynthetic pathway of Bacillus anthracis.  Through a better understanding of these enzymes, novel inhibitors can be designed to treat an anthrax infection.

 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

 

The first project consisted of identifying the enzyme or enzymes responsible for the bioconversion of oleic acid to 7, 10 – Dihydroxy – 8 – octadecenoic acid from Pseudomonas aeruginosa WIU-JS.

The second project consisted of creating and screening a bovine cDNA library for Deoxyhypusine synthase (DS) and eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) clones.

 

EXPERIENCE

 

2003-present      University of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Andrew Mesecar.

 

2003-2004,         University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Medicinal Chemistry.

Spring 2005        Teaching Assistant for Pharmacy courses.  Three semesters.

 

10/2002-5/2003 Western Illinois University.  Responsible for teaching general chemistry laboratory course.

 

8/2000-5/2003   Western Illinois University  Biochemistry Lab

Undergraduate Research Assistant under Jenq-Keun Huang and Lisa Wen

 

AWARDS

 

2002                  National Dean’s List

Spring 2002        Travel Award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

 

 

MEMBERSHIPS AND PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

 

*     American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

*     American Chemical Society (ACS)

*     American Crystallographic Association (ACA)

 

ABSTRACTS AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS

 

  1. Valerie Sershon, Jenq Huang, and Lisa Wen “Partial Purification of Lipoxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa WIU-JS.”  Annual Mark Twain Section Conference. October 2002

 

  1. Valerie Sershon, Jenq Huang, and Lisa Wen “Screening of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5A and Deoxyhypusine Synthase Clone from a Bovine cDNA Library.” 6th Annual Meeting for ASBMB. April 2002

 

  1. Valerie Sershon, Jenq Huang, and Lisa Wen. “Biotransformation of Oleic Acid to 10-hydroxy-8-octadecenoic acid by Pseudomonas aeruginosa WIU-JS is enhanced in the presence of Kluyvermyces marxisnus NRRL Y-8281.” 12th Annual Student Research Conference. April 2001

 

  1. Valerie Sershon, Jenq Huang, and Lisa Wen. “Biotransformation of Oleic Acid to 10-hydroxy-8-octadecenoic acid by Pseudomonas aeruginosa WIU-JS is enhanced in the presence of Kluyvermyces marxisnus NRRL Y-8281.” 93rd Annual Meeting for ISAS. Spring 2002

 

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

 

  1. Argonne National Laboratory Undergraduate Symposium October 2002. “Detection of Enzyme(s) Responsible for Transformation of Oleic Acid to 7, 10-dihydroxy-8-octadecenoic acid from Pseudomonas aeruginosa WIU-JS

 

  1. Argonne National Laboratory Undergraduate Symposium November 2001. “Screening of a Bovine cDNA Library for eIF5A and Deoxyhypusine Synthase Clone.”

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

  1. Jenq-Kuen Huang, Shihui Tsai, George H. Huang, Valerie C. Sershon, Adrienne M. Alley, Lisa Wen 2004. “Molecular Cloning of Bovine eIF5A and Deoxyhypusine Synthase cDNA” DNA Sequence-The Journal of Sequencing and Mapping

 

CONFERENCES ATTENDED

 

*     Annual MIKI meeting (Medicinal Chemistry                            April  2004

*     ACA Annual Meeting                                                             July 2004

*     Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference XXIV)                        October  2004

*     Annual Mark Twain Section Conference                             November 2002

*     6th Annual Meeting for ASBMB                                               April 2002

*     12th Annual Student Research Conference                              April 2001

*     93rd Annual Meeting for ISAS                                                Spring 2001

*     Argonne National Laboratory Undergraduate Symposium        Nov. 2001, Oct 2002

 

LABORATORY SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

        

*     Cloning and construction of expression vectors

*     Optimizing of expression conditions

*     Protein Purification- column chromatography

*     Gel chromatography

*     SDS PAGE protein gels:  coomassie blue staining

*     Agarose DNA gels

*     Crystallization

*     Kinetic Characterization