Layla Ghaffari
LaylaTinaGhaffari@gmail.com Scottsdale, AZ
EDUCATION
2011 – 2015
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
B.S. Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology
Expected graduation date: May 2015
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2012 – Present
Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Undergraduate Researcher  Neurogenomics Division  Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, Ph.D.
 Identification and validation of biomarkers in neurological disorders such as
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and brain trauma using techniques
such as NextGen Sequencing, qRT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and protein analysis.
2012
Helios Scholars Program at Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Helios Scholar  Neurogenomics Division  Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, Ph.D.
 Selected as 1 of 45 candidates for an 8-week summer research internship culminating
in a final symposium
 Utilized validation methods to investigate miRNA biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease
patients originally identified using NextGen Sequencing
2011
Helios Scholars Program at Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Helios Scholar  Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Unit  Heather Cunliffe, Ph.D
Mentored by Julie Getz, M.S
 Selected as 1 of 45 candidates for an 8-week summer research internship culminating
in a final symposium
 Utilized protein analysis and drug screening assays to determine drug-sensitivity
induction of potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for Triple-Negative Breast
Cancer.
2010 – 2012
Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Undergraduate Researcher  Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Unit  Heather Cunliffe,
Ph.D, Mentored by Julie Getz, M.S.
 Maintained stable breast cancer cell lines and developed in vitro drug sensitivity
assays to research potential biomarker in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.
PUBLICATIONS
1. Van Keuren-Jensen K. Malenica I, Courtright A, Ghaffari L, Starr A, Metpally R,
Beecroft T, Carlson E, Pockros P, Rakela J. MicroRNA changes in liver tissue
associated with fibrosis progression in patients with Hepatitis-C. In review, 2015.
2. Burgos KL, Javaherian A, Bomprezzi R, Ghaffari L, Rhodes S, Courtright A, Tembe
W, Kim S, Metpally R, Van Keuren-Jensen K. Identification of extracellular miRNA in
human cerebrospinal fluid by next-generation sequencing. RNA, 2013. 19(5):712-722.
3. Metpally RP, Nasser S, Malenica I, Courtright A, Carlson E, Ghaffari L, Villa S,
Tembe W, Van Keuren-Jensen K. Comparison of Analysis Tools for miRNA High
Throughput Sequencing Using Nerve Crush as a Model. Front Genet, 2013. 1;4:20.
4. Georges J, Zehri A, Carlson E, Nichols J, Mooney MA, Martirosyan NL, Ghaffari L,
Kalani MY, Eschbacher J, Feuerstein B, Anderson T, Preul MC, Van Keuren-Jensen
K, Nakaji P. Label-free microscopic assessment of glioblastoma biopsy specimens
prior to biobanking. Neurosurg Focus, 2013. 36(2): E8.
POSTERS & PRESENTATIONS (*poster presenter)
1. Casey S, Ghaffari L, Terzic B, Beach T, Shill H, Adler C, Sabbagh M, Serrano G, Van
Keuren-Jensen K. Detection and spatial expression of microRNAs in human cerebral
cortex implicated in Alzheimer’s disease using LNA in situ hybridization. Poster
presentation delivered at the Helios Symposium Consortium 2014.
*Winner of Best Poster Award
2. Starr A, Ghaffari L, Malenica I, Courtright A, Beecroft T, Carlson E, Rakela J, Van
Keuren-Jensen K. Digital PCR: A new tool for validating biomarkers. Poster
presentation delivered at the Helios Symposium Consortium 2014.
*Winner of Best Poster Award
3. Shabander MK, Ghaffari L, Carlson E, Beecroft T, Courtright A, Van Keuren-Jensen
K. Identification of molecular changes associated with head impact exposure in
athletes. Poster presentation delivered at the Helios Symposium Consortium 2014.
4. Ghaffari L*, Hjelm B, Javaherian A, Burkhardt M, Ramos C, Rakela B, Courtright, A,
Rosenow M, Petritisi K, Tembe W, Metpally R, Van Keuren-Jensen K. (2013). Detailed
examination of microvesicle protein and whole transcriptome RNA content, including
non-coding RNAs (miRNA, lncRNA), from IPS cell lines derived from patients with
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and healthy controls. 530: 13. Society for Neuroscience
Abstracts. Poster presentation delivered at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, San
Diego, 2013.
5. Ghaffari L*, Courtright A, Burgos K, Metpally R, Van Keuren-Jensen K. (2012).
Validating expression levels of miRNA-199b and potential targets in AD patients.
Poster presentation delivered at the Helios Symposium Consortium, 2012.
6. Ghaffari L*, Getz J, Anderson EM, Hedenfalk IA, Balagurunathan Y, Black MA, Willis
AL, Ramos P, Mancini CM, Anderson EA, Cunliffe HE. (2011). Stable overexpression
of VAV3 in Basal-Like Breast Cancer cells increases their sensitivity to chemotherapy.
Poster presentation delivered at the Helios Symposium Consortium, 2011.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
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Nucleic acid isolation
Gel Electrophoresis
PCR/qRT-PCR
Transformations
Confocal microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy
Protein extraction
Western / Immunoblotting
Histological preparation and
sectioning
Chemotherapeutic drug
assays
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Immunohistochemistry
Immunofluorescence
In situ hybridization
Tissue culture
Chemical-based transfection
Mouse work: blood collection
& dissection
Proficient in MS Office
Mentored 3 incoming student
interns
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2013
Helios Scholars at TGen mentor, Phoenix, AZ
Mentored 2 undergraduate and 1 high school students during 8-week research program
 Taught research design and technical skills in addition to presentation and
professional skills