Ayça Akal–Strader, Ph.D.

Ayça Akal–Strader / E–Mail :
Phone : (301) 564 – 3660

Profile

Bilingual (Turkish/English) biological scientist (biochemist, molecular biologist, cell biologist) interested in applying strong background in biomedical scientific research and teaching(11+ years), laboratory management (3.5+ years), and people management (1 year)to scientist, biologist or research analyst–orientedpositionsin federal government agenciesto contribute to their research, administration, and management needs in the DC/MD/VA area.
  • Effective oral and written communication skills demonstrated through teaching, mentoring, oral presentations, and publication record.
  • Strong teamwork and leadership skills proven by multiple manager and chair/co–chair positions.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills as demonstrated by good prioritization and timely delivery of multiple scientific manuscript translation projects under tight deadlines with exceptional quality and customer satisfaction.
  • Meticulous attention to detail as shown by detailed planning and execution of research projects as well as editing of technical documents with excellent spelling, grammar, format, consistency, and flow.

Professional Experience

Managing Translator in Turkish Language
Scientific Manuscript Services, The Translation Team, American Journal Experts, LLC – Team Leader: Kyongsook Kim, Ph.D. / 04/2011 – 03/2012
Bethesda, MD
  • Started and developed a new manuscript language service for translation of scientific, medical, engineering, and social science manuscripts from Turkish to English and translated the company website from English to Turkish
  • Increased staff size by 300% and customer base by 500% over four months with superb customer satisfaction (25–45% repeat customer rate; no complaints), and 2 successful partnerships with companies from overseas

Research Fellow/Laboratory Manager
Department of Biology, Georgetown University – Principal Investigator: Anne G. Rosenwald, Ph.D. / 10/2007 – 04/2011
Washington, DC
  • Collaborated on multiple projects pertaining to understanding the interactions between two proteins involved in membrane trafficking in yeast and generated several reagents for functional analysis.
  • Mentored students to assist in and troubleshoot experiments, managed the laboratory (ordered supplies, maintained equipments, updated databases), and prepared reports (protocols, instructions, summaries, presentations)

Research Fellow/Cancer Research Training Awardee
Center for Cancer Research, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Principal Investigator: Munira A. Basrai, Ph.D. / 10/2005 – 09/2007
Bethesda, MD
  • Collaborated on multiple projects to understand the function of an unknown gene in cell cycle progression in yeast and discovered a previously overlooked function of this gene.
  • Prepared reports, summaries/updates, presentations, and maintained databases

Research Fellow
Amyloid and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, University of Tennessee Medical Center – Principal Investigator: Ronald B. Wetzel, Ph.D. / 11/2004 – 09/2005
Knoxville, TN
  • Collaborated on multiple projects to develop a functional assay to understand suppression of and aggregate–prone protein by a molecular chaperone protein in the neurodegenerative Huntington disease model and generated several reagents for functional studies
  • Ordered reagents, maintained equipments, updated databases, and prepared reports (summaries, presentations, lectures)

Teaching and Mentoring

Laboratory Coordinator for the Course “Microbiology for Medicine: Infectious Diseases II – Bacteriology & Mycology” / 09/2010 – 12/2010 Washington, DC
  • Managed laboratory for 2nd year Georgetown University medical students
  • Handled Level2/3 microorganisms; prepared and tested reagents/media

Ad–Hoc Instructor for the Course “General Chemistry” / 08/2008 – 12/2008
  • Designed slides/handouts to give lectures on important highlights of the weekly course material and solved sample problems
  • Provided academic advise for 1st year DC Area Community Scholars at Georgetown University
/ Washington, DC
Instructor for Bio-Trac Course “Biotechnology: Recombinant DNA Methodology” / 06/2008 – Current Bethesda, MD
  • Regular team lecturer for once–yearly or twice–yearly course
  • Designed lectures explaining enzymes in recombinant DNA technologies, as well as blotting applications to study DNA, RNA, and protein samples

On–The–Job Supervisor, Mentor & Trainer for Junior/Senior Researchers / 07/1995 – 04/2011
  • Participated in daily interactions with multiple undergraduate, post-baccalaureate CRTA, and graduate researchers at University of Tennessee, NCI–NIH, and Georgetown University
  • Provided on the job instruction in biochemical, molecular biological, and genetic methods, experimental design, and laboratory notebook maintenance
  • Prepared protocols/tutorials for equipment use, data analysis, and software usage
/ Washington, DC
Bethesda, MD
Knoxville, TN
Teaching Assistant for Undergraduate and Graduate Students / 01/1994 – 05/2000
  • Designed slides, prepared discussion sessions, and evaluated student performance for the courses “Nutritional Biochemistry/Physiological Chemistry” and “Biophysical Chemistry”
  • Directed laboratory sessions, prepared reagents/media, and evaluated student performance for the courses “General Chemistry Laboratory” and “Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory”
/ Knoxville, TN
Ankara, Turkey

Other Experience

Chair of Turkish Student Organization / 08/2004 – 09/2005
  • Organized social and cultural gatherings for the Turkish community in the Knoxville/Nashville, TN area to strengthen community ties and increase awareness for the Turkish culture
  • Lead monthly organizational meetings to discuss relevant social, political, and cultural topics, recruit new members, and observe special holidays
/ Knoxville, TN
Co–Chair of and Secretary/Reporter for Turkish Student Organization / 08/2003 – 06/2004
  • Attended monthly organizational meetings and performed administrative duties, such as preparing meeting minutes, reporting results of votes on issues, and scheduling events calendar
  • Assisted in welcoming the new Turkish students to the community
/ Knoxville, TN

Scholarships / Fellowships

  • Awarded full scholarship for the English for Heritage Language Speakers Program at Georgetown University
/ 01/2013 – 06/2013
  • Fulbright / International Institute of Education (IIE) Fellowship
/ 08/1994 – 12/1997

Awards / Other Academic Honors

  • Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA); NCI – NIH
/ 10/2005 – 09/2007
  • Outstanding Scholarly Achievement (Science Alliance Award); Division of Biology, University of Tennessee
/ 05/2002
  • Subsistence & Travel Award for a National Scientific Meeting; Genetic Society of America, Meeting Finance Committee, University of Tennessee
/ 08/2002
  • Excellence in Teaching Award; Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee
/ 05/1998

Computer Skills

  • Word, Excel, PowerPoint, GraphPad Prism, Adobe Photoshop
  • Windows, Macintosh
  • PubMed, Adobe Acrobat, Reference Manager

Professional Societies

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
/ 08/1998 – Current

Publications

  • Strader, M. B., Hervey IV, W. J. Costantino, N., Fujigaki, S., Chen, C. Y., Akal–Strader, A., Ihunnah, C. A., Makusky, A. J., Court, D. L., Markey, S. P., and Kowalak, J. A. A Coordinated Proteomic Approach for Identifying Proteins that Interact with the E. coli Ribosomal Protein S12. Manuscript accepted to Journal of Proteome Research with minor revisions.
  • Kim, K.–M., Lee, Y.–H., Akal–Strader, A., Uddin, M. S., Hauser, M., Naider, F., and Becker, J. M. (2012) Multiple Regulatory Roles of the Carboxy Terminus of Ste2p, a Yeast GPCR. Pharmacological Research 65: 31–40.
  • Chavez, D. R., Manlandro, C. M. A., Akal–Strader, A., Munson, A. M., and Rosenwald, A. G. Modulation of Nucleotide Binding to Yeast Arl1: Mon2 Inhibits GTP Binding. Manuscript submitted to FEMS Yeast Research.
  • Akal–Strader, A., Khare, S., Xu, D., Naider, F., and Becker, J. M. (2002) Residues in the First Extracellular Loop of a G Protein–Coupled Receptor Play a Role in Signal Transduction. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277: 30581–30590.
  • Sommers, C. M., Martin, N. P., Akal–Strader, A., Becker, J. M., Naider, F., and Dumont, M. E. (2000) A Limited Spectrum of Mutations Causes Constitutive Activation of the Yeast –Factor Receptor. Biochemistry 39: 6898–6909.
  • Serpersu, E. H., Cox, J. R., DiGiammarino, E. L., Mohler, M. L., Ekman, D. R., Akal–Strader, A., and Owsten, M. (2000) Conformations of Antibiotics in Active Sites of Aminoglycoside–Detoxifying Enzymes. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics 33: 309–321.
  • Cox, J. R., Ekman, D. R., DiGiammarino, E. L., Akal–Strader, A., and Serpersu, E. H. (2000) Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Bound to Aminoglycoside–Detoxifying Enzymes and RNA Adopt Similar Conformations. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics 33: 297–308.

Certifications

  • Enrolled in the English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS) Certificate Program, Georgetown University. Full–time, intensive program in English for the professional workplace. Attending on full scholarship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP)
/ 01/2013 – Current
(Until 08/2013)

Education

  • Doctorate Degree
University of Tennessee – Principal Investigator: Jeffrey M. Becker, Ph.D.
Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology awarded 12/2004 / 08/1998 – 10/2004
Knoxville, TN
GPA: 3.65/4.00
  • Master’s Degree
University of Tennessee – Principal Investigator: Engin H. Serpersu, Ph.D.
M.S.degree in Biochemistry awarded 12/1997 / 08/1994 – 07/1998
Knoxville, TN
GPA: 3.50/4.00
  • Undergraduate Degree
Middle East Technical University.
B.S.degree in Chemistry awarded 07/1993 / 09/1989 – 07/1993
Ankara, Turkey
GPA: 3.62/4.00

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