EDUCATION
Doctoral Program in Biochemistry, certificate in Structural Biochemistry and Biophysics, Certificate in College Teaching (2011- 2017)
Duke University, Durham, NC
GPA: 3.958 / 4.000
Co-Advisors: Dr Maria Schumacher, Dr Richard Brennan
Thesis Title:
Awards: Chancellor’s Scholarship
James B. Duke Fellowship
Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2006-2010)
Reed College, Portland, OR
Unweighted Cumulative GPA: 3.593 / 4.000
Advisor: Dr Arthur Glasfeld
Thesis Title: Unraveling the Mechanism of Selectivity of MntR
Study Abroad during Bachelors of Arts (2009)
University of Sussex, Sussex, United Kingdom
Unweighted Cumulative GPA: 3.86 / 4.00
Selected Graduate Coursework
Structural Biochemistry, Microbial Pathogenesis, Biochemical Genetics, Fundamentals in College Teaching
Selected Undergraduate Coursework
Structural Biochemistry, Topics in Biochemistry: Chemical Biology, Metabolic Biochemistry, Research Methods in Biochemistry, Statistical Thermodynamics, Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Genetics and Gene Regulation, Plant Physiology, Developmental Biology, Biology Seminar: Chromosome Structure
RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Publications
Cuthbert BJ, Burley KH, Goulding CW. Introducing the new bacterial branch of the RNase A superfamily. RNA Biol: doi: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1387710 (2017).
Cuthbert BJ, Ross W, Rohlfing AE, Dove SL, Gourse RL, Brennan RG, Schumacher MA. Dissection of the molecular circuitry controlling virulence in Francisella tularensis. Genes Dev 31 (15): 1549-1560 (2017).
Cuthbert BJ, Brennan RG, Schumacher MA. Structural and biochemical characterization of the Francisella tularensis pathogenicity regulator, Macrophage Locus Protein A (MglA). PLoS 10 (6): e0128225 (2015).
Schumacher MA, Chinnam B, Cuthbert BJ… Structures of regulatory machinery reveal novel molecular mechanisms controlling B. subtilis nitrogen homeostasis. Genes Dev 29: 451-464 (2015).
McGuire AM, Cuthbert BJ… Roles of the A and C sites in the manganese-specific activation of MntR. Biochemistry 52: 701-13 (2013).
Meeting/Conference Presentations
University of Utah, 4/26/2017; University of Chicago, 4/18/2017;
University of California, Irvine, 4/11/2017; Boston University, 3/27/2017
“Structural and Biochemical Analyses of the F. tularensis Virulence Regulators MglA, SspA and PigR”
Duke Biochemistry Retreat, Wrightsville, NC 1/15/2016
“Regulation of F. tularensis Pathogenicity” [presentation]
43rd Mid-Atlantic Macromolecular Crystallography Meeting, Durham, NC 5/30/2013
“The Stringent Starvation Proteins of Francisella tularensis” [poster]
ACS 239th National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, California 3/23/2010
“Structural origins of specificity in the manganese transport regulator” [poster]
HONORS AND AWARDS
Barbara K. Burgess Fellowship Award, UC Irvine, 2018
Chancellor’s ADVANCE Postdoctoral Fellowship, UC Irvine, 2018-2019
Graduate Student Annual Service Award, Duke University, 2014
HKL Poster Award at the 43rd Mid-atlantic Macromolecular Crystallography Meeting, 2013
Chancellor’s scholarship, Duke University, 2012
James B. Duke, Scholar, Duke University, 2012
Reed College Commendation for Excellence for 2009/2010 school year
Reed College Commendation for Excellence for 2007/2008 school year
Reed College Commendation for Excellence for 2006/2007 school year
AP Scholar 2005/2006
National PTA Reflections Program Literature Finalist 2003
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
UC Irvine, 07/2017-present
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Advisor: Dr CW Goulding
Postdoctoral scholar
My postdoctoral research centers on contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) in Gram-negative bacteria.
Duke University, 9/2011-now
Department of Biochemistry, Co-advisors: Dr MA Schumacher, Dr RG Brennan
Pathogenicity in F. tularensis stems from its sole pathogenicity island, the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI). Coordination of Francisella pathogenesis is controlled by the alarmone ppGpp alongside the proteins MglA, SspA and PigR. My graduate research worked to illuminate the structures of these proteins and the interactions between them in order to understand the mechanism of FPI regulation.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 7/2010-7/2011
Structural Biochemistry Laboratory, Advisor: Dr. Roland Strong
After graduating from my undergraduate degree, I took a position in the laboratory of Professor Roland Strong as a Lab Technician. In the Strong lab I worked to purify both soluble and insoluble proteins for protein crystallography and further experimentation.
Reed College, 6/2008-5/2010
Department of Chemistry, Advisor: Dr. Arthur Glasfeld
I worked during my sophomore and junior summers as an undergraduate student in the laboratory of Professor Arthur Glasfeld, and continued this research during my undergraduate thesis. Working with the protein MntR (a metalloregulatory protein activated by manganese), I researched the mechanism of selective activation by cognate metal ion. In my research I created, characterized and determined the structure of MntR mutants with X-ray crystallography.
Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 6/2007-1/2008
HIV Drug Resistance Laboratory, Advisor: Dr Marta Bull
In Dr Lisa Frenkel’s laboratory, under the direction of Dr Marta Bull, I isolated DNA from blood and cervical samples of HIV infected females. PCR was performed on samples, as well as DNA sequencing for analysis of mutations in the subject’s virus. This work was performed to determine drug resistance trends in women over time as they went on and off medication. Additionally, I worked to improve methods of sample collection.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
UC Irvine, Bio 98, Summer 2018
Instructor of record for Bio 98, an introductory course in Biochemistry for undergraduates.
UC Irvine, UCI GPS-CIRTL, Associate level, 2018
UC Irvine, Teaching Apprenticeship in STEM (TAP-STEM), 2017-2018
Program involves faculty shadowing and mentorship, and a course in pedagogy (University Studies 390X).
Duke University, Certificate in College Teaching (CCT)
Took courses on college teaching and participated in Teaching Triangles (peer reviewed teaching).
Duke University, Biochemistry 302 course
Instructors: Dr Michael Been, Dr Meta Kuehn, Dr Arno Greenleaf
2013 Teaching assistant
2014 Guest lecturer
Reed College, General and Organic Chemistry Head Tutor, Reed College, September 2009 to May 2010
Reed College, Statistics Tutor, Reed College, September 2008 to December 2008
TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY
Biological Methods
Expert in standard molecular genetics techniques (PCR, DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, restriction digests, cloning), protein expression/purification, fluorescence anisotropy, hanging and sitting drop methods for generating protein crystals, protein crystal loop and capillary mounting, and various biochemistry techniques
Chemical Methods
Basic organic chemistry: synthesis, setup, purification and characterization, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry
Instruments and Analytical Methods
Protein X-ray crystallography (home source and synchrotron), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), Raman, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and basic training in electronics
Computer/Information Technology
CCP4, MOSFLM, Coot, PHENIX, Pymol, R, Blast, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
References
Available upon request