CV

[PDF, LinkedIn]

Education

Ph.D. Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 2014

  • Supervisor: Warren Chan
  • Thesis: “Characterizing the Role of Nanoparticle Design on Tumor Transport and Stability in the Extracellular Environment”
  • Synthesis, functionalization and characterization of nanoparticles
  • Evaluation of nanoparticle interactions with proteins, cells and micro-tissues
  • Development of microfluidic model for tissue transport (tumor-on-a-chip)
  • Supervised graduate and undergraduate students

M.Sc. Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, 2006

  • Supervisor: Ciro Piccirillo
  • Thesis: “Functional impact of the protective Idd3 allele on regulatory T cells and protection from type-1 diabetes”
  • Evaluation of suppressor T cells
  • Adoptive transfer of cells into mice and analysis of tissues with flow cytometry
  • Supervised undergraduate student

B.Sc., Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University 2004

  • Thesis: “Proteome Characterization of Regulatory T cells” with Ciro Piccirillo
  • Graduated with first class honours, CGPA = 3.56/4

Research

Postdoctoral Fellow, Picower Institute at MIT, 2016-present

 Postdoctoral Fellow, Koch Institute at MIT, 2014-2015

  • Supervisor: Sangeeta Bhatia
  • Recipient of a NSERC fellowship
  • Developed ultrasmall assembled nanomaterials for urine-based cancer detection
  • Developed metastatic-targeting nanoparticles
  • Developed assays to probe nanoparticle transport in decellularized liver matrix

 

Research Technician, Vasogen Inc., 2008

  • Worked on synthetic immune-modulating liposomes
  • Designed and developed ELISA-based assay to monitor liposome-mediated immuno-suppression of murine leukocytes
  • Responsible for reagent ordering

 

Associate Scientist, GSK Biologicals (Laval, Qc)                                                                    2006-2008

  • Protein synthesis for vaccine development
  • Extraction, purification and refolding of recombinant proteins
  • Characterization of recombinant proteins
  • Evaluation of epithelial cell inflammatory response using ELISA and flow cytometry

 

Research Assistant, McGill University (Montreal,Qc)                                                       2006

  • Supervisor: Samantha Gruenheid
  • Worked with mouse model for Enterohaemorrhagic coli (EHEC)
  • Administered bacteria by oral gavage and monitored bacterial load in the colon and feces
  • Developed an organized system for product ordering

 

Teaching Experience

Instructor, University of Toronto, 2010-2012

  • DaVinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) – Summer Academy
  • Participated in yearly Instructor Training Conference
  • Taught “Nanomedicine: Improving Medicine with Nanotechnology” to high school students (grade 10-11)
  • Co-created, prepared and presented 25h course (slides, activities and experiments)
  • Ranked highly on student satisfaction survey

Teacher’s assistant, University of Toronto, 2010-2012

  • BME340: Biomedical Engineering Instrumentation & Technology
  • Taught and supervised ~40 students how to use ELISA, Spectrometer, fluorescent microscope
  • Designed slides for course instructor
  • Corrected lab reports, evaluated poster presentations

Workshop, University of Toronto, 2010-2011

  • Faculty of Applied Sciences & Engineering workshop for prospective students
  • Organized and prepared the Nano-Forensics component

Teacher’s assistant, McGill University, 2006

  • MIMM413: Parasitology
  • Taught and supervised group of 16 students throughout semester
  • Corrected multiple reports and exams
  • Rated highly by students (>90%) during their course evaluation

 

Community

Glimpse Podcast, MIT Postdoctoral Association, 2015-present

  • Produced >35 episodes interviewing MIT scientist’s about their work and journey
  • Awarded grant by MIT postdoctoral association to start podcast
  • Creator, producer, host, editor, and audio engineer of Glimpse podcast
  • Manage team of producers

IBBME Focal Point at the University of Toronto, 2013-2014

  • Creator, producer, audio engineer and host of IBBME: Focal Point podcast
  • Interviewed multiple faculty members to highlight research
  • Worked under mentorship of the Communications Officer
  • Recruited, trained and managed volunteers to take over the project

Peer Reviewer:

  • ACS Nano, American Chemical Society Publications
  • Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group
  • Journal of Nanoparticle Research (Springer)

IBBME, University of Toronto, 2012-2014           

  • Participated in student recruitment event at McGill University (Montreal, Qc) in November 2013
  • Member of the 2013 Scientific Day organizing committee
  • Selected to participate in “2013 Departmental Website Re-design Committee”

Selected Online Projects

Presentation and Meetings

Three Minute Thesis 2013 (3MT), University of Toronto

  • University of Toronto finalist
  • Tumor-on-a-Chip: Screening Nanoparticles to Cure Cancer (Albanese A, Lam AK, Rocheleau JV, Chan WC.)

BMES 2012 Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA

  • oral presentation (peer reviewed)
  • Effect of Active Targeting and Microfluidic Flow Rate on Nanoparticle Distribution in a Cell Spheroid. (Albanese A, Lam AK, Rocheleau JV, Chan WC.)

IBBME Scientific Day 2011, University of Toronto

  • oral presentation (peer reviewed)
  • The Effect of Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation on Cell Uptake and Toxicity (Albanese A & Chan WC.)
  • Annual event organized by IBBME department

BMES 2010 Annual Meeting, Austin, TX

  • Poster (peer reviewed)
  • Synthesis of size-tunable protein-gold nanoparticle aggregates (Albanese A, Chan WC)

BiopSys All-Network Meetings (#2-8) 2008-2012, University of Toronto

  • Poster (twice per year)
  • Oral presentation in 2011
  • NSERC Strategic Network for Bioplasmonic Systems

 

Awards

  • MIT Picower Fellowship, institutional award, 2017
  • SMASH Fellowship, International Award, 2016
  • CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, National Award, 2015-2017
  • Koch Institute Image Competition 2016,  Institutional award, 2016
  • PIng Grant from MIT-PDA,  Institutional award, 2015
  • NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, National Award, 2014-2016
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Provincial Award, 2012-2013
  • SGS Conference Grant, Institutional Award (U of T), 2012
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Provincial Award 2011-2012
  • Award for Best “Lightning Round Presentation (12 min)”, Departmental Award, 2011
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Provincial Award 2010-2011
  • St. George’s Society Graduate Scholarship, Institutional Award (U of T) 2010
  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Provincial Award 2009-2010
  • Milligan Graduate Fellowship, Institutional Award (U of T) 2008
  • McGill Graduate Studies Award, Institutional Award 2005
  • McGill University Health Centre Award, Institutional Award 2005
  • F.C Harrisson Institutional Award, (McGill) 2004