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Alex He

@alexhe

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I'm an ophthalmology PhD researcher advancing gene editing and cell biology.

United Kingdom

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What I'm looking for

I'm looking to contribute to rigorous molecular and cell biology research, particularly in gene editing, gene therapy, ophthalmology, or synthetic biology, while continuing to build experimental and analytical skills.

I'm pursuing an MPhil/PhD in Ophthalmology at University College London, applying molecular and cell biology techniques to rigorous, reproducible research.

At the Children’s Medical Research Institute, I designed a dual-guide HITI gene-editing strategy for TERT mutations and used CRISPR-Cas9 and rAAV6 in K562 and haematopoietic stem-cell models.

I've characterised editing outcomes through allele-specific genotyping, gene-expression analysis, RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, cloning, sequencing, and functional assays. I also presented my honours research at the ACUR2022 undergraduate conference.

My work spans iPSC-RPE culture, confocal microscopy, protein purification, mass spectrometry, and synthetic biology. As Head of Outreach for Sydney_Australia’s iGEM team, I supported collaborations and experimental design contributing to a Gold medal.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Honours Research Student

Children's Medical Research Institute

Mar 2022 - Nov 2022 (8 months)

Designed a novel HITI dual guide RNA gene-editing strategy for TERT mutations and carried out gene replacement using CRISPR-Cas9 and rAAV6 in K562 and HSCs. Characterised editing outcomes via genotyping and gene expression analysis.

CRISPR Cas9 RAAV6 Cell Culture GRNA SgRNA Design Nucleofection Flow Cytometry PCR RT PCR Cloning Sanger Sequencing SnapGene FlowJo

Summer Research Assistant

Children's Medical Research Institute

Dec 2021 - Feb 2022 (2 months)

Assisted in designing a novel fusion degron construct using CRISPR-knock-in via HITI and screened 127 FACS-sorted single-cell clones for homozygous BRG1-mAID constructs. Investigated the role of BRG1 in DNA replication.

CRISPR Cas9 Cell Culture Aseptic Technique PCR Western Blot FACS Clone Screening

Head of Outreach

iGEM Sydney_Australia

Apr 2021 - Oct 2021 (6 months)

Led outreach for the iGEM 2021 team, building collaborations and contributing to experimental design. Developed protein models and built the team's wiki using HTML and GitHub.

Outreach Teamwork Protein Modeling AlphaFold PyMOL HTML GitHub

Summer Research Assistant

University of Sydney

Jan 2021 - Feb 2021 (1 month)

Conducted recombinant protein purification via Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and characterised the pigment-protein complex allophycocyanin using mass spectrometry. Confirmed the ligand binding site and optimised purification protocols.

Ni NTA Affinity Chromatography SDS PAGE Protein Dialysis ESI MS Mass Spectrometry PyMOL Protein Purification

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University College London

MPhil/PhD, Ophthalmology

2023 -

Pursuing an MPhil/PhD in Ophthalmology, focusing on molecular and cell biology techniques, confocal microscopy, and cell culture models including iPSC-RPE.

The University of Sydney

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Advanced), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology / Medicinal Chemistry

2019 - 2022

Grade: First-class honours

Activities and societies: Awards and Scholarships: 2021-2022 Summer Research Scholarship, Children’s Medical Research Institute; 2021 iGEM Gold medal; 2020-2021 Denison Summer Research Scholarship.

Completed a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Advanced) with majors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, achieving first-class honours in Applied Medical Science.