Highlights:- Managed funding, consumables acquisition, experimental planning, and scientific publication writing to meet Ph.D. project milestones. - Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman - Independently troubleshoot and successfully overcome oncolytic Measles Virus propagation obstacles. > Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman - Reach out to researchers in the field for technical support and successfully resolve iTRAQ-based proteomics workflow obstacles, resulting in successful proteomics data generation and achieving Ph.D. project milestones. > Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman - Independently seek, learn, and apply state-of-the-art softwares (PEAKS Studio, PeptideShaker, Cytoscape, FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, etc) for analysis of proteomics, cell culture assay, and bioinformatics data for Ph.D. project. > Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman - Successfully rescued failing SARS-CoV-2 S-gene sequencing by Sanger method internship project within one month and a week time, resulting in 80 % good sequencing result for project completion. > Neogenix Laboratoire Sdn Bhd - Designed a centralized and integrated informatics system that allows cross-departmental live information sharing, effectively reducing the sales team communication burden and improving diagnostic laboratory sample approval efficiency. > Neogenix Laboratoire Sdn Bhd - Designed and routinely updated Excel-based integrated templates that simplify daily manual sample data entry, archive diagnostic test data, and subsequently transfer to the reporting database for test report validation. - Designed and routinely updated Excel-based template to automate qPCR raw data interpretation with high accuracy, resulting in simplification of raw data interpretation, reducing QC burden, and improving diagnostics test result reporting efficiency. > Neogenix Laboratoire Sdn Bhd

Skills:bioinformatics, integrated omics, mammalian cell culture, HPLC, proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, cDNA microarray, molecular biology, cloning, PCR/qPCR, Scientific troubleshooting and optimization, HPLC-MS/MS data analysis, DDA proteomics analysis, iTRAQ quantitative proteomics, Cytoscape software, Biomolecular pathway analysis, PeptideShaker software, PEAKS Studio software, ThermoFisher Transcriptome Analysis Console, Virus culture, Fungal culture, Bacterial culture, Flow cytometry, FlowJo software, SnapGene molecular benchwork software, UGene molecular benchwork software, Potency assay, Cell viability assay, establish chemoresistant cell line, establish radioresistant cell line, Sanger sequencing, Primer design, Molecular cloning, Recombinant vector transformation, SDS-Page/Western Blot, RNA/DNA/Protein purification, Ionic exchange Chromatography (SCX), Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer, GraphPad Prism, Advanced Excel formula, Power Automate, LinkedIn Recruiter, Yet Another Mail Merge Gmail tool, Lever recruitment platform, Problem solving, Method development and optimization, Workflow optimization and improvement, Nanodrop biomolecule quantitation, Fluorescence microscopy, Inverted microscopy, ImageJ software, BioRad ImageLab software, Scientific technical support and translation, Dynamic reprioritization and project management, Cross-functional collaboration, Written communication, Bulk data automated processing, Exploratory research, Technological and scientific integration

Goal:Contribute to the advancement of research and disease therapeutics development. Through scientific endeavors, I am committed and interested in developing into a competent researcher who can lead efficient and effective improvement to disease therapeutics that bring long-term benefits and are less invasive.

Scientific Outreach Associate 01/2024 - current
Scismic, Shah Alam, Selangor Malaysia
Industry: Recruitment
I am working remotely from Malaysia as a Scientific Outreach Associate at Scismic (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) and my primary roles involve reaching out to American STEM graduates and scientists to recommend role vacancies from our clients, comprising mainly American life sciences companies.
• Support American job seekers in applying for academic and biotech roles in the USA by manually reviewing more than 30 applicants’ CVs/resumes daily and providing consultation advice on various job-seeking information. • Actively source for life science scientists on LinkedIn Recruiter, Lever, and Scismic system and outreach to prospective applicants with job roles fitting their expertise and experience level, generating more applicants to roles assigned under my responsibility. • Utilize a data-centric method to monitor successful outreaches who applied for roles in bulk, resulting in accurate and 50% more efficient tracking of new applications coming from outreaches. • Utilize a combination of Gmail, Yet Another Mail Merge, and Google Sheet’s formula to bulk outreach system that allows bulk tracing of applicants’ activities after outreach (profile update or job application). • Successfully set up an online data scraping tool to generate candidate leads for job role outreaches.--
Medical Laboratory Scientist 11/2022 - 12/2022
Bionexus Gene Lab Sdn Bhd, , Malaysia
Industry: Diagnostic
The primary role involves performing qPCR-based colon cancer gene tests in the laboratory while supporting research to improve machine-learning-based cancer prediction pipeline accuracy.
• Execute PAXGENE blood RNA extraction for cancer-risk predictive diagnostics with ColonSentry real-time PCR and Affymetrix cDNA microarray platform. • Led research and development to improve cancer risk prediction machine learning algorithm, resulting in the proposal of a new workflow and effective mentoring of bioinformatic interns. • Led research and development to integrate legacy microarray datasets with modern datasets (microarray and RNA-seq), resulting in the introduction of new methodology and workflow to replace outdated methodology.--
Medical Laboratory Technician 10/2020 - 7/2022
Neogenix Laboratoire Sdn Bhd, , Malaysia
Industry: Diagnostic
As a part-time Medical Laboratory Technician, my major role involves standing by as a substitute for laboratory personnel and attending to office tasks such as documentation, data entries, and call center. Supported laboratory operations during the COVID-19 outbreak and successfully designed and maintained several Excel-based templates, Microsoft Access databases for reporting, and a Google Sheets-based integrated informatics system that streamlined workflow efficiency, reduced work burden, and simplified work processes for diagnostics test reporting and call center.
• Standby and provide backup support to laboratory diagnostics, research projects, call center, technical support, customer and ventures liaison, test reporting, and record archiving tasks and support, ensuring smooth daily operation across departments. • Collaborate with colleagues to develop Microsoft Access database and Excel automated template, resulting in continuous improvement and update of diagnostic test reporting database, patient record archive database, and data entry templates with automated formatting and analytics features for efficient data recording and business intelligence. • Implemented IT solution and knowledge transfer, resulting in 20 % overall workflow improvement (streamline laboratory-customer communication pipeline and internal daily test record reporting), increased workflow efficiency by 50 % (simplify laboratory data entries, such as sampling and test result, and reporting as well as streamline raw qPCR data interpretation across different brands of qPCR machines), improve reporting output quality, and implement disaster-proof automated data protection without incurring additional cost. • Successfully rescued failing SARS-CoV-2 S-gene sequencing by Sanger method internship project within one and half months, resulting in the successful acquisition of 80 % sequencing result. • Guide and train internship students, colleagues, and new hires on a research project, call center tasks, data entry, and recording tasks. • Draft and upkeep training material and figure-based SOP document for call center, data entry, diagnostics test reporting, and patient data archiving tasks.--
Scientific Officer (Contract) 09/2019 - 09/202
Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA), , Malaysia
Industry: Charity
• Assist the company in support of the charitable effort including contacting patients in need of financial assistance during the COVID pandemic and executing awareness efforts in the allocated state. • Involved in research related to cancer.
--
Product Executive 09/2019 - 09/2020
MCPath QAP Sdn Bhd, , Malaysia
Industry: Diagnostic
Promote, provide technical support, and disseminate results of clinical external quality assurance programs (EQAP) to participating local clinical laboratories. Also involved in the technical improvement of a new program design of EQAP analytic software with an external software programmer.
• Liaison and communicate with the customer to facilitate their enrollment into the External Quality Assurance (EQA) program, and provide technical support, and proficiency reports. • Proficiently plan, procure, and distribute EQA samples to customers according to a scheduled timeline, guaranteeing the smooth operation of the monthly EQA programs • Collaborate and brainstorm with software programmers to conceptualize, design, structure, and improve in-house EQA analysis software, resulting in a successful overhaul of software and the implementation of new hematology EQA programs.--
Research Assistant 01/2016 - 06/2016
Universiti Malaya, , Malaysia
Industry: Academia
• Assist in laboratory management and experiments. • Carry out DNA or RNA extractions from dematiaceous fungus. • Analyze NGS genomics data provided by collaborators, resulting in the publication of a research article on the dematiaceous fungus Corynespora cassiicola.
--
Graduate Research Assistant 07/2016 - current
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, , Malaysia
Industry: Academia
Expecting completion by July 2024 (Currently doing thesis revision, due submission on 3rd June 2024) July 2016 – Jun 2019 (Full time), > July 2019 (Part-time) Ph.D. thesis title: Assessing the efficacy and probable molecular mechanism of oncolytic measles virus-induced cell death in cultured nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells
• Conducted extensive laboratory experiments, specializing in nasopharyngeal carcinoma research, involving chemical preparation, troubleshooting, and meticulous data collection as a crucial component of my PhD project. • Managed procurement of essential reagents and consumables, ensuring uninterrupted research operations while maintaining budgetary control. • Maintenance of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines, oncolytic measles virus culture, engaged in troubleshooting for mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics methodology, and molecular pathway bioinformatics analysis. Further details of my laboratory experiences can be found in the final section of this CV.--
Research Assistant 10/2015 - 12/2015
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, , Malaysia
Industry: Academia
Supported principal investigator, Dr Juanita Joseph, in sea turtle blood and bone carcass genotyping work.
• Demonstrated expertise in optimizing and troubleshooting PCR processes to overcome challenges posed by soil-contaminated sea turtle bone carcasses, achieving about 80 % of successful genomic DNA amplification. • Successfully obtained approximately 85% of Sanger sequencing results, contributing significantly to the DNA genotyping analysis of sea turtles' blood samples. • Analyzed and effectively troubleshooted Sanger sequencing results, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of genotyping data.--
Laboratory Technician 06/2013 - 08/2015
1st Base Laboratories Sdn Bhd, , Malaysia
Industry: Research
The primary role involves the collection of samples, checking, purifying of DNA, processing purified DNA samples for Sanger sequencing, and analysis of sequencing results.
• Proactively improved sample organization, reducing misplaced sample issues by maintaining and organizing held-up samples pending clarification from customers. • Maintained consumables inventory and ensured the availability of sufficient pipette tips for morning shift operations, contributing to efficient laboratory functioning. • Voluntarily helped the Molecular Biology Department during a shortage of manpower duration.--

Campbell University 05/2009 - 06/2011
, North Carolina, United States
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major:Chemistry and Biology
BSc in Chemistry and Biology

Login to view resume: Looi Hong Keat - Curriculum vitae