Work Experience
Senior Research Manager & Grant Facilitator I Nielsen Lab I Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute I Canada
2025 - Present
- Planning, management, and communication of high-impact, multi-PI and multi-disciplinary cancer research programs for Terry Fox Research Institute Program Project in the Origins and Progression of Childhood Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Sarcomas.
- Setting priorities and goals, developing strategic research plans, grant facilitation, project execution oversight, facilitation of collaborative agreements, regulatory compliance, and inter-institutional coordination.
- Lead full cycle of grant applications for both individual and multi-PI initiatives, including identifying funding opportunities, drafting scientific content where applicable, and preparing detailed budgets with forecasting.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with research teams locally and internationally across several institutes, developing collaborative agreements, identifying research synergies, and aligning mutual research priorities.
- Identify emerging research trends to create opportunities for new avenues of research and funding, facilitating alignment with ongoing and proposed projects.
- Hiring, supervision, and mentorship of research staff, students, and trainees, fostering a collaborative and productive research environment.
Research Manager & Grant Facilitator I Nielsen Lab I Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute I Canada
2024-2025
- Supported cancer research programs and multi-PI grant applications focused on sarcoma and breast cancer research.
- Worked closely with Principal Investigators to coordinate laboratory group activities, establish project objectives, budgets, and milestones, and track progress toward deliverables.
- Contributed scientifically at strategic and tactical levels by shaping research priorities across projects, determining optimal team roles for efficiency.
- Contributed to scientific presentations, publications, grant compliance and reporting, and inter-institutional agreements.
- Collaborated with research groups within the institute, nationally and internationally, fostering partnerships and aligning efforts to advance mutual research goals.
- Drafted and maintained research ethics applications and certifications for all projects to ensure compliance and integrity.
- Monitored relevant literature to stay informed of advancements in the sarcoma and breast cancer fields.
- Assisted in hiring, training, supervising, and managing students and new employees to support lab operations and research goals.
- Oversaw grant facilitation and writing, including identifying funding opportunities, drafting scientific sections of project proposals, reviewing grant requirements, forecasting and reconciling budgets.
- Coordinated multi-Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) Program Project Grant 2025 funding application.
- Facilitated/Managed TFRI PPG, NIH P01, CIHR, CCS, CRS grants.
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow I Kopp Lab I The University of British Columbia I Canada
2021-2023
- Led the project on Pancreas development: Mechanism mediating developmental specification of pancreatic ductal cells.
- Worked on the project on Cancer metabolism: Understanding the influence of insulin and glucose on pancreatic cancer using patient-derived organoid models (in vitro and in vivo).
- Assisted in a project investigating macrophage subtypes in acinar vs ductal cells derived pancreatic cancer.
- Developed and established Animal care protocols in the lab with Animal care facility.
- Preclinical studies: Developed in vivo animal model, study design, performed experiments & analysed data.
- Assay development: RNAscope, organoid-based assays, nuclei isolation
- Collaborated with 10X Genomics, BC cancer and other labs in UBC to develop protocols and projects.
Post-Doctoral Researcher I Hessmann Lab I Universitätsmedizin Göttingen I Germany
2020-2021
- Led a mechanistic project investigating the NFATc1-EZH2 axis in pancreatic cancer.
- Established PDX mouse models in the department with clinicians, pathologists and fellow researchers.
- Provided guidance on planning, executing & analysing in vitro & in vivo therapeutic studies.
- Wrote research papers & research grants (project ideas, budgeting).
Doctoral Researcher I Hessmann Lab I Universitätsmedizin Göttingen I Germany
2016-2020
- Headed a oncology-based translational research project investigating EZH2 inhibition in pancreatic cancer.
- Established protocols for orthotopic transplantation and ultrasound imaging in the department.
- Designed and performed in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic studies to evaluate potential therapeutic targets and their mechanism of action.
- Conducted correlation studies with clinical samples in collaboration with clinicians.
- Designed and executed preclinical studies to 5 collaborators resulting in publications.
Research Assistant I Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research I India
2014-2016
- Assisted in two different projects related to p300 autoacetylation.
- Developed and characterized antibodies.
Project Assistant I National Center for Biological Sciences I India
2013-2014
- Developed a method to predict Imatinib drug response prior to treatment in CML patient.
- Worked with clinicians to correlate patient parameters to study results (n=30).
Education
PhD , Molecular Medicine 2016-2020
University of Goettingen, Germany
Thesis: Characterizing the role of EZH2 in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Supervisor: Dr.Elisabeth Hessmann
MSc, Regenerative Medicine 2012-2014
Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, India
Thesis: Analysis of copy number variation in Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
Supervisor: Dr. Sweta Srivastava
Skills
Preclinical Research (In Vitro)
- Efficacy & toxicity testing assays
- cell-based assays
- Functional assays
- Gene/protein expression assays
- Immunological assays.
Preclinical Research (In Vivo)
- Developing animal models – transgenic, orthotopic, syngenic and pdx mouse models.
- SC, IP and IV injections in mice
- Abdominal ultrasound imaging for tumor detection in the mouse models
- Embryonic dissections
- End-to-end study design,
- PK-PD studies.
Molecular Biology
- SDS-PAGE
- Western Blot
- qPCR, DNA & RNA isolations
- Recombinant protein purification & quantification
- Histone acetyltransferase assays
- Immunoprecipitation
- Cloning,
- Antibody generation and characterization
Cell Culture
- Culture of primary, mammalian, stem cells, pdx cells and organoids.
- Transfections
- Generation of CRISPR-Cas9 cells
- Generation of chemoresistant cell lines
- Cell-based assays
Histology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Immunofluorescence
- Microtomy
- Cryosectioning
Radioactivity assays
- Autoradiography
- Radioimmunoassays
- scintillation counts
Microscopy
- Electron microscopy
- Fluorescence microscopy
- Confocal microscopy
Flowcytometry
- Cell cycle analysis
- FACS
Bioinformatics
- ChIP Seq
- RNA Seq
Softwares
- GraphPad
- ImageJ
- Adobe illustrator
- R studio (basics)
Writing
- Scientific manuscripts
- Fellowship/grant applications
- Animal care protocols
- SOPs
Collaboration
- Worked on multiple projects in collaborations with researchers, pathologists & clinicians, bioinformaticians and other facilities.
Training and Certifications
- ICH Good Clinical Practice (E6), The Global Health Network, 2024.
- Clinical Trials Analysis, Monitoring & Presentation, 2023
- Drug Development – Specialization: Drug discovery, Drug development & Drug commercialization, 2023
- Project Management, 2023
- Tri-Council Policy statement: Ethical Conduct for Research involving Humans (course on Research ethics), 2021.
- FELASA-B (Animal experimentation course for European Laboratory Animal Science Associations), 2016.
- Trainee in Virology department in Manipal University, 2013.
Mentorship/Supervisions
- Mentored 3 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students, 2021 –
- Conducted a workshop on ‘Orthotopic transplantation of pancreatic tumor cells into pancreas of mice’ (Workshop offered as a part of Deutsche Pancreas Club (DPC) conference hosted in Goettingen), 2019.
- Conducted a practical course on ‘Orthotopic transplantation in mouse models’ (part of Molecular medicine curriculum for Masters students in University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany), 2018.
- Mentored 2 medical students in their projects, 2018 – 2019.
- Conducted a method course on ‘Mouse models of pancreatic cancer – in vivo imaging’ (part of Molecular medicine curriculum for Masters students in University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany), 2017.
- Provided regular courses on orthotopic transplantation and ultrasound-based tumor screening, 2017 – 2020
Presentations
Oral Presentations:
- European Pancreas Club (EPC) conference, Bergen, Norway, 2019
- GCCC seminars in cancer and epigenetics research, Goettingen, Germany, 2018
- Molecular medicine retreat, Wernigerode, Germany, 2017
Poster Presentations:
- Deutsche Pancreas Club (DPC) conference, Germany, 2019, 2018 & 2017.
- Molecular medicine retreat, Drubeck, Germany,
- Pancreas Spring Meeting, Goettingen, Germany, 2017.
- EKFS cancer symposium, Goettingen, Germany, 2017.
- European Pancreas Club (EPC) conference, Budapest, Hungary, 2017.
Organization
- Volunteered in organizing Deutsche Pancreas Club, Germany (2018).
- Volunteered in organizing Pancreas spring meeting, Germany (2018)
- Volunteered in organizing EKFS cancer symposium, Germany (2017)
- Volunteered in organizing Asian forum of Chromosome & Chromatin Biology Conference, India (2015).
Honors and Awards
- Abstract selected for oral presentation at European Pancreatic Club, Norway (2019).
- Best Abstract award issued by Deutschen Pancreas Club, Ulm, Germany (2018).
- Travel award issued by European Pancreatic Club, Budapest, Hungary (2017).
- Gold Medal for best outgoing graduate student by Manipal University (2012).
Volunteering
- Mentor in Freedom Employability Academy (FEA), empowering disadvantaged youth in India (2018-present).
- Volunteer in the Beayoutiful Foundation, empowering young women in Canada (2021-present).
- Cultural secretary of ‘Nirmiti’, a registered Indian fraternity in Goettingen, Germany (2016-2019).
- Volunteered in a NGO aimed to help street children access education and develop skills (2014-1016).
Publications
- Cell type of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma origin: Implications for prognosis and clinical outcomes. S Patil, Y Dou, JL Kopp, Visceral medicine, 2022 (first author paper)
- Chromatin-independent interplay of NFATc1 and EZH2 in pancreatic cancer. S Patil, T Forster, K Reutlinger, W Kopp … E Hessmann, Cells, 2021 (first author paper)
- EZH2 regulates pancreatic cancer subtype identity and tumor progression by transcriptional repression of GATA6. S Patil, B Steuber,….. L Urbach, E Hessmann, E, Cancer Research, 2020. (first author paper)
- Acvr1b loss promotes formation of precancerous lesions from acinar and ductal cells of origin. K Saeki, S Patil, Y Sun… JL Kopp, bioRxiv, 2023 (under review)
- Hyperinsulinemia acts via acinar insulin receptors to initiate pancreatic cancer by increasing digestive enzyme production and inflammation. AMY Zhang, YH Xia, JSH Lin, …..S Patil …… JL Kopp, Cell Metabolism, 2023.
- NFATc1 is a central mediator of EGFR-induced ARID1A chromatin dissociation during acinar cell reprogramming, Z Zhang, X Wang, FH Hamdan, A Likhobabina, S Patil …. E Hessmann. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2023
- TP53-status-dependent oncogenic EZH2 activity in pancreatic cancer. L Versemann, S Patil, B Steuber, Z Zhang, … E Hessmann, Cancers, 2022
- HSP90 inhibition synergizes with cisplatin to eliminate basal-like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. KM Ewers, S Patil, W Kopp, J Thomale…. M Dobbelstein, Cancers, 2021
- Preclinical Evaluation of 1,2-Diamino-4,5-Dibromobenzene in Genetically Engineered Mouse Models of Pancreatic Cancer. RG Goetze, SM Buchholz, SM, N Ou, Q Zhang, S Patil, … A Neesse, Cells, 2019
- Cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase 1A is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and mediates gemcitabine resistance by reducing intracellular gemcitabine metabolites. MS Patzak, V Kari, S Patil, … A Neesse, EBioMedicine, 2019.
- Mutant and Wild-Type Tumor Suppressor p53 Induces p300 Autoacetylation. S Kaypee, SA Sahadevan, S Patil, …TK Kundu, IScience, 2018.
- Oligomers of human histone chaperone NPM1 alter p300/KAT3B folding to induce autoacetylation. S Kaypee, SA Sahadevan, D Sudarshan, SH Sinha, S Patil, … TK Kundu, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta., 2018.
- Utilizing high resolution ultrasound to monitor tumor onset and growth in genetically engineered pancreatic cancer models. RG Goetze, SM Buchholz, S Patil, …. A Neesse, Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2018.
I am open for opportunities to collaborate with an enthusiastic team to drive innovation and advance cancer therapeutics research.