Kaaviya Babu

5 years of hands-on wet-lab experience in immunology, and molecular biology, including developing an antibody discovery platform through single B cell culture.

Experience spans cell sorting, Cell isolation and culture, ELISAs and ELISpots, Multicolor flow cytometry, Viral quantification and characterization assays and various bioinformatics tools. Strong record of cross-functional collaboration and ownership in fast-paced, deadline-driven research environments.

Research Associate - STEMCELL Technologies - Vancouver

(2023-09)

• Independently developed and validated a single B cell expansion and antibody discovery pipeline, including functional assays.
• Proposed pivotal ideas to enhance B-cell activation and expansion by identifying proliferation/differentiation pathways using small molecules.
• Validated CD40L protein variants for development of mouse B-cell expansion supplement, identifying the level of trimerization/multimerization required for optimal signaling and effect of purification.
• Characterised B cells routinely through flow cytometry, ELISA and ELISpots
• Collaborated with various departments, including Patent specialists, QC, Product Analytics, Manufacturing and other R&D teams.
• Trained co-op students, supported their experiment planning and supervised their activities in the lab.

Research Technologist - STEMCELL Technologies - Vancouver

(2022-05 - 2023-09)

• Tested supplements to expand mouse and human Pan B-cells and differentiate naïve B-cells to plasmablasts.
• Independently planned experiments and presented data in departmental meetings.

Research Assistant - Bell Lab, Ottawa Health Research Institute - Ottawa

(2021-09 - 2021-12)

• Purified and tested recombinant oncolytic viruses with NK cell-evading properties by performing NK cell killing assays on human and mouse tumour cell lines.

Teaching Assistant - University of Waterloo

(2022-01 - 2022-04)

Teaching Assistant - University of Waterloo

(2019-09 - 2019-12)

English Tutor - EigoPaatshala

(2021-01 - 2021-09)

M.Res - Bioinformatics - Birkbeck, University of London (2024-09)

BSc (Hons) - Biology, Molecular Genetics with Bioinformatics option - University of Waterloo (2018-09 - 2022-04)