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Nir Merkher

@nirmerkher

Message

I develop ocular therapeutics and deliver evidence-based pharmacy care.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm seeking opportunities to advance drug development, ocular therapeutics, medical affairs, or patient-centered pharmacy care while collaborating across research, clinical, and commercial teams.

I'm developing and characterizing retinal pigment epithelium-derived secretome factors at USC Mann for potential treatments for age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and geographic atrophy. My work includes oxidative-stress assays, qPCR, lipidomics, proteomics support, animal-study support, and data analysis in GraphPad Prism and R.

Alongside PharmD training, I've contributed clinical evidence and launch-readiness work at Johnson & Johnson Vision and supported medication safety, reconciliation, counseling, dispensing, and immunization across hospital, specialty, community, military, and emergency-care pharmacy settings. Earlier, as an analytical chemist at Dellavalle Laboratory, I quantified dissolved metals in water samples using ICP-AES.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Graduate Research Assistant

Current

University of Southern California

Dec 2023 - Present (2 years 9 months)

Conducted research in a graduate lab, contributing to preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and ocular diseases. Designed and conducted studies evaluating the efficacy of RPE-derived Secretome Factors.

Research Assay Development Proteomics Data Analysis Graphpad Prism R

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Southern California

Doctor of Pharmacy, Pharmacy

2023 -

Activities and societies: Rx Lifters Co-Vice President, USC Chess Club, USC Climbing Club, SIA-IPhO, MAPSC, DHI, Dean's Research Fellowship Scholarship

Pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with a focus on graduate research in ocular therapeutics, including the development of novel secretome factors for retinal diseases.

California State University, Fresno

Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry

2018 - 2022

Activities and societies: Chemistry Stockroom Volunteer, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Climbing Club, Pharmacy Club

Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with undergraduate research in biochemistry, focusing on oncological markers via bacterial genetic modification.