Laychiluh Mekonnen
Adelaide
Summary
I am a highly motivated pharmacologist with solid history of driving research initiatives and delivering impactful scientific work. I am focused on team collaborations and possess adaptability in dynamic research environments. My expertise extends in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo drug development research for the treatment of cancer. I have conducted and analyzed over 40 in vivo tumour xenograft models and designed/executed multiple pharmacokinetic studies in rodents. I am a proven expertise in western blotting, cell culture, and flow cytometry and utilizing these techniques to elucidate drug mechanisms and optimize treatment strategies. I possess a strong track record in PK-PD correlation studies and thrive in collaborative environments. I am passionate about drug discovery and development, cancer cell biology, and in vivo efficacy studies, with a focus on combination therapies for cancer treatment. My work has led to the identification of two promising drug candidates; one is a first in class CDK4 inhibitor while the other is the most potent dual CDK4/6 inhibitor. The later one has been approved by the TGA for phase Ia/b clinical trial for the treatment of glioblastoma and other advanced solid tumours. I have been delivering my professional roles through HDR student training and supervision and managing drug discovery and development laboratory. I have authored/coauthored 30 articles/proceedings in peer-reviewed journals and presented my research findings in international and national conferences.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Research Fellow
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
08.2023 - Current
- Managed drug discovery and development laboratory
- Prepared laboratory reagents and drug formulations
- Conducted inventories for laboratory consumables, prepared purchase orders and store consumables
- Prepared chemical risk assessments and procedure manuals
- Supervised HDR students
- Enhanced research quality by implementing rigorous methodologies and data analysis techniques
- Mentored junior researchers, providing guidance on study design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation
- Ensured the highest standards of scientific integrity were upheld throughout all stages of the research process
- Maintained accurate records of experimental procedures, observations, and findings for transparent reporting of results in publications
- Authored professional scientific papers for publishing in peer-reviewed journals
- Prepared annual animal ethics reports
- Written animal ethics documents and ensured compliance with institutional review board requirements
- Improved laboratory safety by regularly reviewing procedures, updating guidelines, and training staff on best practices
- written and submitted multiple grant applications
Senior Lecturer
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
01.2023 - 08.2023
- Delivered courses and lecture sessions on pharmacology for masters and undergraduate pharmacy students
- Created instructional and lecture plans for classes in compliance with course objectives
- Documented student assignments, attendance, and test scores in online reporting systems
- Supervised students and offered insight and guidance during research and presentation of seminars
- Evaluated success of teaching methods via regular collection of feedback from both peers and students.
- Enhanced student comprehension by incorporating real-life examples and case studies into lectures.
- Mentored junior faculty members, contributing to their professional growth and development.
- Developed working document for the establishment of Centre for Ethnobiomedicine
Research Associate
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
06.2020 - 12.2022
- Compiled and organized research data to produce reports and graphs
- Supported project leads in preparing regulatory documentation and presentations highlighting findings
- Honed communication and interpersonal skills by working daily with more than 12 scientists on cell biology, drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and animal efficacy projects
- Designed and implemented new studies like evaluating the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships and modelling of candidate anticancer drugs in nude mice
- Gave scientific advises and training to new students
Research Assistant
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
03.2020 - 06.2020
- Supported principal investigators by designing and executing multiples of in vivo efficacy studies and generated data for grant writing and presenting to industrial partners
- Conducted laboratory experiments and collected and analyzed samples
- Prepared tables, graphs and written reports summarizing research results
- Assisted in research and development of new assays and methods
- Kept equipment and laboratory facility clean and records uptodate
Research Intern
Aucentra Therapeutics Pty Ltd
10.2019 - 03.2020
- Developed two in vivo subcutaneous cancer xenograft models using HCT116 colorectal and OV90 ovarian cancer cells in nude mice
- Investigated the efficacy of seven candidate anticancer compounds against HCT116 and OV90 subcutaneous xenografts in nude mice
- Prepared and submitted midterm and final reports to Aucentra Pty Ltd
- Gave final oral presentation and recommended two candidate compounds for further studies
Head of department of pharmacology
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
09.2024 - 02.2016
- Prepared 5-year department development strategic plan
- Improved operations by working with team members, like developing teachers' performance evaluation checklists
- Planned human and material resources requirements for the department
- Worked closely with team members to deliver project requirements, develop solutions, and meet deadlines
Program manager
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
07.2013 - 08.2014
- Managed and supervised administrative and daily program operations, complying with policies and regulations
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring support for program initiatives
- Designed and implemented standard operating procedures in various departments for optimal efficiency
- Helped team members improve productivity and performance through hands-on coaching to achieve college objectives
- Monitored program performance, gathered data, and drafted reports to inform senior management
- Improved cross-departmental cooperation and information communication processes by providing presentations to staff members and administration
- Established organizational quality systems, which involved training along with corrective and preventative measures
- Participated in college's academic commission and university's curriculum development team meetings
Education
PhD - Pharmacology
University of South Australia
03.2020
Master of Science - Pharmacology
Addis Ababa University
09.2011
Bachelor of Pharmacy -
Jimma University
06.2009
Skills
- Cell culture (primary cells, cancer cells, PDX, immune cells)
- Project management & Grant writing
- Animal blood and tissue sample collection skills (cardiac puncture, tumour and organ collection, chick bleeding, jugular vein cannulation of rats)
- Statistical skills (t-test, ANOVA, logistic regression)
- Proficient in using software for biological studies such as GraphPad, CytExpert, Kaluza, ImageJ, ImageLab, Nanozoomer, CompuSyn
- Proficient in cell biology techniques (western blot, MTT, resazurin, qPCR, ELISA, flowcytometry, IHC)
- Skilled in using FreezerPro and Chemwatch
- Animal (mouse and rat) handling, and dosing (PO, IP, Sc, IV)
- Proficient in cancer cell xenografting techniques
- Research design
- Documentation requirements
- Ethical considerations
Certification
- Grant Writing Skills (2014-03 - 2014-03)
- Leadership and Communication (2017-09 - 2017-09)
- Critical and Creative Thinking (2016-11 - 2016-11)
- Project Cycle Management (2014-04 - 2014-04)
Languages
English
Full Professional
Amharic
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Head of department of pharmacology
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
09.2024 - 02.2016
Research Fellow
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
08.2023 - Current
Senior Lecturer
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
01.2023 - 08.2023
Research Associate
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
06.2020 - 12.2022
Research Assistant
Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
03.2020 - 06.2020
Research Intern
Aucentra Therapeutics Pty Ltd
10.2019 - 03.2020
Program manager
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University
07.2013 - 08.2014
PhD - Pharmacology
University of South Australia
Master of Science - Pharmacology
Addis Ababa University
Bachelor of Pharmacy -
Jimma University
Publications
Detailed publication list can be accessed from
- Laychiluh Bantie Mekonnen (0000-0001-7108-5345) - My ORCID
- ResearchGate
Awards
Alumni (2020-04 - Present) University of South Australia, Top of class award (2009-06 - 2009-06) Jimma University, International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (2016-02 - 2019-10) University of South Australia, Associate member (2018-04 - Present) American Association for Cancer Research, Annual CMHS research grant (2012-09 - 2012-09) Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, Invited to give oral presentation at AACR (2018-04 - 2018-04) American Association for Cancer Research
Hobbies
Reading
Movies (Scientific fictions)
Cooking
Soccer