Molecular & cellular biologist with over ten years of experience working in the gene editing & epigenome engineering space. Previous work includes developing gene editing reagents (ZFNs, ZFP-TFs, TALE-TFs, TALENs) at Sangamo Biosciences, applying systems biology approaches to understanding transcription factor drivers of disease, and building epi-editors to counter exhaustion in T cell products for cell therapy. Strong leader and creative thinker with a passion for developing treatments for devastating illnesses.
EDUCATION
University of Washington, Seattle, WA 2013 – 2017
PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 2007 - 2011
BA in Integrative Biology with honors
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Tune Therapeutics 10/2020 – Present
Senior Scientist, Seattle
· Developing epigenomic regulators for gene targets related to CNS disorders
· Manage and mentor a research associate
· Part of a four-person team responsible for Seattle laboratory buildout
· Active in equipment acquisition, vendor account set-up, and procurement
· Responsible for onboarding molecular biology processes and assay development
· Engaged in recruitment and talent acquisition for both sites
Lyell Immunopharma 01/2019 – 07/2020
Senior Scientist, Project Lead
· Lead scientist in the Protein & Cell Engineering group based in Seattle
· Engineered highly specific CAR T cells through integrative design involving de novo designed proteins
· Managed a small team of research associates to develop novel cell products towards the treatment of solid tumor cancers
· Assisted in growing the company from 25 to 200+; recruited employees for 5 different teams; managed procurement, equipment delivery, site buildout and lab move between January and May of 2020.
Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences 08/2017 – 12/2018
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
· Led the development of a platform for designing, screening and selecting synthetic transcription factors (epiTFs) for targeted gene regulation
· Identified highly specific and potent epiTF leads targeting six individual genes related to cancer immunotherapy treatment
· Built out a system for high-throughput testing of new functional domains for epiTFs
· Assisted in putting together a pre-pre-IND package for the FDA
· Manages a small research team and works with an integrated group of bioinformaticians, flow cytometrists and sequencing technicians to accomplish project goals
Institute for Systems Biology 03/2014 – 09/2017
Graduate Student, Co-mentored by Leroy Hood and Nathan Price
· Applied systems biology approaches to computationally and experimentally characterize transcription factor networks in neurologic disease (Huntington’s disease, psychiatric disease, glioblastoma)
· Prepared 5+ manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.
· Wrote grants to secure a total of $136K in funding from government (NSF), private foundation (CHDI) and corporation (Amazon Web Services) sources
· Spearheaded the development of experimental pipelines (ChIP-seq, CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout studies) for validation of computational hypotheses
· Directly supervised a research associate and several undergraduate interns in molecular and computational work
· Developed computational expertise in R, Python, Linux, Amazon Web Services, sequencing analysis (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, DNase-seq), and gene network analysis (GSEA, DIRAC)
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. 01/2010 – 06/2013
Research Associate, Supervised by Fyodor Urnov
Expanded the potential of Sangamo’s engineered zinc-finger proteins for gene engineering and therapeutic purposes.
· Cloned nucleases or produced gene editing data for Sangamo’s academic collaborations that resulted in 4 publications
· Discovered and validated a zinc finger transcription factor therapeutic for Huntington's disease
· Assisted in the development of high-throughput screening methods for identification of new transcription factors in primary human cells
· Improved the efficiency and specificity of AAVS1-targeting zinc finger nucleases (CompoZr ® Kit, Sigma-Aldrich)
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology 01/2009 – 12/2009
UC Berkeley, CA, Research Assistant, Supervised by Wayne Sousa & Andrea Swei
BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Biokick, Inc. 2015-2017
Founder & CEO
Web platform for connecting angel investors with life science researchers. Goal was to alleviate funding gaps in science. Founded with co-founders Drew Arenth and Heather Lewis. Legal representation by Stephen Graham at Fenwick & West. Closed March of 2017.
Lady Scientist Podcast 2020-Present
Founder, Host & Producer. I interview women scientists and share their experiences and career journeys with more people. LSP is an independent podcast available wherever you listen to podcasts.
The Leadership Edge: Laboratory to Leadership Workshop 2017
UW MBA Course ENTRE 509: Foundations of Entrepreneurship Winter 2015
INVITED TALKS
Society for Neuroscience. Nanosymposium Organizer. Presentation #202.04 2015
“Genome-scale transcriptional regulatory network analysis reveals transcription factors involved in the progression of Huntington’s disease.”
Huntington’s Disease Society of America Northwest Clinical Symposium 2015
“The Biology of Huntington’s: mapping the earliest changes.”
PUBLICATIONS
De novo design of protein logic gates.
Chen, Kibler, Hunt, Busch, Pearl et al. Science. 2020
Allele-selective transcriptional repression of mutant HTT for the treatment of Huntington's disease.
Zeitler, Froelich, Marlen, Shivak, Yu, Li, Pearl et al. Nature Medicine. 2019
Genome-Scale Transcriptional Regulatory Network Models of Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders.
Pearl et al. Cell Systems. 2019
Transcriptional regulatory networks underlying gene expression changes in Huntington's disease.
Ament & Pearl et al. Molecular Systems Biology. 2018
High resolution time-course mapping of early transcriptomic, molecular and cellular phenotypes in Huntington’s disease CAG knock-in mice across multiple genetic backgrounds.
Ament, Pearl, & Grindeland et al. Human Molecular Genetics. 2017
Targeted gene addition in human CD34(+) hematopoietic cells for correction of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease.
De Ravin SS, Reik A, Liu PQ, Li L, Wu X, Su L, Raley C, Theobald N, Choi U, Song AH, Chan A, Pearl JR, Paschon DE, Lee J, Newcombe H, Koontz S, Sweeney C, Shivak DA, Zarember KA, Peshwa MV, Gregory PD, Urnov FD, Mlaech HL.
Nature Biotechnology. 2016
Translating dosage compensation to trisomy 21.
Jiang J, Jing Y, Cost GJ, Chiang JC, Kolpa HJ, Cotton AM, Carone DM, Carone BR, Shivak DA, Guschin DY, Pearl JR, Rebar EJ, Byron M, Gregory PD, Brown CJ, Urnov FD, Hall LL, Lawrence JB.
Nature. 2013
Activation domains for controlling plant gene expression using designed transcription factors.
Li J, Blue R, Zeitler B, Strange TL, Pearl JR, Huizinga DH, Evans S, Gregory PD, Urnov FD, Petolino JF.
Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2013
Site-specific genome editing in Plasmodium falciparum using engineered zinc-finger nucleases.
Straimer J, Lee MC, Lee AH, Zeitler B, Williams AE, Pearl JR, Zhang L, Rebar EJ, Gregory PD, Llinás M, Urnov FD, Fidock DA.
Nature Methods. 2012
GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2014-2017
Contract from the CHDI Foundation (Nathan Price, PI) for Huntington’s disease ChIP-seq 2016-2017
AWS in Education Grant Recipient 2014
Mentoring/Management Experience
Supervisor to Nicole DeNamur (Research Associate, Tune Tx) 2021-Present
Supervisor to Hanna Liao and Leonard Chen (Research Associates, Lyell) 2019- 2020
Supervisor to Hanna Liao and Reyes Acosta (Research Associates, Altius Institute) 2017- 2019
Direct Supervisor to Dani Bergey (Research Associate I, Price & Hood Labs) 2014- 2017
Bijoya Basu (Undergraduate Research Intern, Price & Hood Labs) 2015
Jeana Simpson (Science Educator), Science Education Partnership Program 2015
Nick Merino (Undergraduate Research Intern, Price & Hood Labs) 2016
Alison Gilbert (Undergraduate Research Intern, Price & Hood Labs) 2016
TEACHING Experience & OUTREACH
Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Genetics: GS 361 (University of Washington) 2015
Organizer for Yakima Valley Community College 1 Day Science Workshop at Fred Hutch 2015
Pacific Science Center Life Sciences Day – Systems Biology Booth 2015
Social Media Correspondent at Life Science Innovation Northwest (Conference) 2015- 2017
Volunteer at the Center for Wooden Boats, South Lake Union Seattle 2016- Current