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sushama varma

BSc and MSc in Genetics from Osmania University, MSc degree from San Jose State Univ. Currently working as Research Assistant at Stanford University.

Headline: Scientist
Groups: BASES
Interested in: Consulting opportunities, Learning about entrepreneurship, Meeting new people, Offering Expertise, Patenting my idea, Professional opportunities
Schools: California State University System - San Jose State University, Osmania University

WORK EXPERIENCE

Employer: Stanford University, Department of Pathology
Position: Research Assistant
Time period: July 2006 - Present

Employer: Stanford University, Department of Comparative Medicine
Position: Research Assistant
Time period: April 1999 - June 2006
Description: Projects:
. Developing and characterizing transgenic mice with regulatable overexpression of BDNF in the central nervous system. . Studying the effects of excessive BDNF on the expression of full length and truncated trkB receptors. . Determining if muscle mediated gene delivery of NT-3, using AAVs, can prevent axonal degeneration in the PMP22 knockout mouse, a modle for peripheral neuropathies. . Cloning Mn superoxide dismutase and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase: a candidate gene for Inherited Canine Motor Neuron Disease. . Obtained partial genomic sequence of the Neurofilament gene (NF-H).

Employer: Stanford University, Department of Pediatrics
Position: Research Assistant
Time period: October 1995 - April 1999
Description: . Studied the regulated expression of the human erythropoietin gene in response to hypoxia: . Transfection experiments to identify the sequence motifs underlying the above response. . Gel mobility shift assays to identify protein/nuclear factors/enhancer involved in the above response. . Cloning the cDNA for the hypoxia inducible factor(Hif-1) isolation, and cotransactivation and overexpression experiments to determine the relationship between Hif-1 and Epo production under both normoxia and hypoxia conditions. . In situ hybridization experiments to determine the developmental ontogeny of Hif-1. . kinetics of Hif-1 and VEGF protein expression in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Employer: San Jose State Univ.
Position: Lab Assistant
Time period: June 1994 - July 1994
Description: Involved in setting up laboratory for ISSIS biotechnology workshop for high school teachers in terms of setting up experiments and, organizing and reviewing the final results with them.

Employer: San Jose State Univ.
Position: Teaching Assistant
Time period: January 1993 - May 1994
Description: Taught undergraduates Cell Biology and General Genetics. Responsible for overseeing techniques like SDS-PAGE and agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme analysis, Chromatography, Spectrophotometer, Microbial techniques etc.

Employer: Osmania Univ., India
Position: Research assistant
Time period: June 1990 - September 1990
Description: Studied the effect of anesthetic agents on operating room personnel. Work involved use of cytogenetic techniques which included screening for chromosomal aberrations, banding and karyotyping of the chromosomes.

EDUCATION

University: California State University System - San Jose State University
Time period: 1995
Degree: Biological Science, MSc

University: Osmania University
Time period: 1990
Degree: Genetics, MSc

University: Osmania University
Time period: 1988
Degree: Genetics, BSc

PUBLICATIONS

Papers: . Lee CH, Espinosa I, Jensen KC, Subramanian S, Zhu SX, Varma S, Montgomery KD, Nielsen TO, van de Rijn M, West RB.
Gene expression profiling identifies p63 as a diagnostic marker for giant cell tumor of the bone. Mod Pathol. 2008 May;21(5):531-9. Epub 2008 Jan 11.
. Espinosa I, Lee CH, Kim MK, Rouse BT, Subramanian S, Montgomery K, Varma S, Corless CL, Heinrich MC, Smith KS, Wang Z, Rubin B, Nielsen TO, Seitz RS, Ross DT, West RB, Cleary ML, van de Rijn M. A novel monoclonal antibody against DOG1 is a sensitive and specific marker for gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Am J Surg Pathol. 2008 Feb;32(2):210-8
. Liu N, Varma S, Tsao D, Shooter EM, Tolwani RJ. Depleting endogenous neurotrophin-3 enhances myelin formation in the Trembler-J mouse, a model of a peripheral neuropathy. J Neurosci Res. 2007 Oct;85(13):2863-9.
. Liu N, Varma S, Shooter EM, Tolwani RJ. Enhancement of Schwann cell myelin formation by K252a in the Trembler-J mouse dorsal root ganglion explant culture. J Neurosci Res. 2005 Feb 1;79(3):310-7.
. Green SL, Tolwani RJ, Varma S, Shelton GD.Absence of mutations in the survival motor neuron cDNA from labrador retrievers with an inherited myopathy. Vet Rec. 2005 Aug 27;157(9):250-4
. Green SL, Tolwani RJ, Varma S, Andre C, Galibert F, Cork LC. Structure, chromosomal location, and analysis of the canine Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. J Hered. 2002 Mar-Apr;93(2):119-24
. Tolwani RJ, Cosgaya JM, Varma S, Jacob R, Kuo LE, Shooter EM. BDNF overexpression produces a long-term increase in myelin formation in the peripheral nervous system. J Neurosci Res. 2004 Sep 1;77(5):662-9.
. Tolwani RJ, Buckmaster PS, Varma S, Yu YJ, Suri C, Shooter EM. BDNF overexpression promotes dendritic growth in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Neuroscience. 2002;114(3):795-805.
. Tolwani RJ, Varma S, Otto, G. Use of molecular methods for genetic monitoring of an institutional mouse breeding colony. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci. 2002 Jul;41(4):23-9.
. Madan A, Varma S, Cohen HJ. (2000) Kinetics of Hif-1 and VEGF protein expression in retinal pigment epithelial cells. To be revised and resubmitted to IOVS.
. Madan A, Varma S, Cohen HJ. Developmental stage specific expression of the erythropoietin gene and the alpha and beta subunits of the Hif-1 protein. In preparation. . Madan A, Varma S, Cohen HJ. (1997) Co-transactivation of the erythropoietin gene enhancer by hypoxia-inducible factor. BloodCells, Molecules and Diseases, 23:169-176.
Books: Abstracts
. Tolwani RJ, Buckmaster PS, Varma S, Suri C, Shooter EM. BDNF overexpression promotes dendritic growth in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, November 2000.
. Tolwani RJ, Varma S, Otto G. Genetic monitoring of an in-house breeding colony. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Indianapolis, San Diego, 2000. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 39:94, 2000.

. Balasubramanium S, Varma S, Stevenson DK, Madan A.Developmental ontogeny of HIF-1 mRNA and protein in the mouse eye. Presented at the Western Society for Pediatrics Research meeting, February, 1998.

. Madan A, Varma S, Cohen HJ. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) DNA binding activity is present in retinal pigment cells. A possible role for HIF-1 in retinopathy of prematurity. Pediatric Research 1998, 41:1289a. . Madan A, Varma S, Cohen HJ. Developmental stage specific expression of erythropoietin and the alpha and beta subunits of the HIF-1 protein. Pediatric Research 1997, 41:1289a.