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Alex Rajewski
A bioinformatician working in human cancer genetics but with training also in plant genetics and evolution. I am an excellent science communicator to both public and professional audiences.
Education
PhD Plant Biology
University of California
Riverside, CA
Dec 2020 - 2015
MS Horticulture
University of Georgia
Athens, GA
2015 - 2013
- Thesis: Micropropagation and Evaluation of the Genetic Population Structure of River Cane (Arundinaria giganta)
BS Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
2010 - 2006
Work Experience
Research Bioinformatician II
Cedars-Sinai Hospital
Los Angeles, CA
current - 2021
- Applied Genomics, Computation, & Translational Core
Research Assistant
Dept of Botany and Plant Science
University of California
2020 - 2015
- Created and characterized CRISPR mutants for a trait validation project
- Sequenced, assembled, and functionally annotated the genome of Datura stramonium
- Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellow
- Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellow
Research Assistant
Dept of Horticulture
University of Georgia
2015 - 2013
- Planned and executed field studies at 3 sites both public and private
- Established collaborations with researchers at 5 institutions
- University-Wide Graduate Assistantship recipient
Congress-Bundestag Fellow & Research Intern
Universität Rostock
Germany
2012 - 2011
- Developed plant transformation methods in lupine, pea, tobacco, and potato
- Investigate transgenic vaccine peptides
- Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals Fellow
- Achieved professional fluency in German
Research Assistant
Pioneer Hi-Bred (Corteva)
Johnston, IA
2011 - 2010
- Developed SQL database to integrate phenotypic and genotypic measurements
Research Intern
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC
Aug 2009 - May 2009
- Validated viral protein production in novel hosts
- NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
I have developed diverse skils including NGS data analysis, phylogenetics, R, population genetics, and Git.
Teaching Experience
Tools for building highly customized figures
Botany Conference
Tucson, AZ
2019
- Co-taught a workshop using base R graphics for data presentation
Making Your Work Environment LGBTQ+ Welcoming and Affirming
Plant Biology Conference
San Jose, CA
2019
- Hosted a panel discussion on LGBTQ+ representation and workplace issues
- Recruited speakers from both academia and industry
California’s Cornucopia (TA)
UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science
Riverside, CA
2018
- Led discussion sections for 120 students
- Introductory, non-major course
Foundations of Plant Biology (TA)
UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science
Riverside, CA
2016
- Designed and led lab sections for 80 students
- Broad, upper-division course
Peer-Reviewed Publications
I have two first-author publications and have also collaborated on two more.
Datura Genome Reveals Duplications of Psychoactive Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes and High Mutation Rate Following Tissue Culture
BMC Genomics (in review)
Alex Rajewski, Derreck Carter-House, Jason Stajich, and Amy Litt
N/A
2020
in Vitro Plant Regeneration and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated Transformation of Datura stramonium
Applications in Plant Science
Alex Rajewski, Kevan Elkins, Ashley Henry, Joyce Van Eck, and Amy Litt
N/A
2019
Evolution and Diversification of FRUITFULL Genes in Solanaceae
Frontiers in Plant Science
Dinusha Maheepala, Chris Emerling, Alex Rajewski, Jenna Macon, Maya Stahl, Natalia Pabón-Mora, and Amy Litt
N/A
2019
Classification and phylogenetic analyses of the Arabidopsis and tomato G-type lectin receptor kinases
BMC Genomics
Marcella A. Teixeira, Alex Rajewski, Jiangman He, Olenka G. Castaneda, Amy Litt, and Isgouhi Kaloshian
N/A
2018
Outreach
Extension Master Gardener
Cooperative Extension
California, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia
current - 2010
Big Brother
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire
Riverside, CA
current - 2018
Community OUTreach Educator
LGBT Resource Center
University of California
2020 - 2016
Mentor
Planting Science
Botanical Society
2020 - 2017
President
Queer (LGBT) Graduate Student Association
University of California
2018 - 2017
Academic Affairs Officer
N/A
University of California
2018 - 2017
Secretary
Botany Grad Student Assoc.
University of California
2018 - 2017
Mentor
Grad Student Mentorship Program
University of California
2018 - 2016
Member
Member Services Taskforce
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
2017 - 2016
Chair
Grad Student Working Group
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
2016 - 2014
Vice President
Horticulture Grad STudent Assoc.
University of Georgia
2015 - 2013
President
Beta Beta Beta
Drake University
2010 - 2009
Oral and Poster Presentations
I am an excellent science communicator with several awards for public speaking at national scientific conferences.
Multispecies fruit transcriptomes highlight divergence across developmental and evolutionary time
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2020
Hybrid Origin of Bamboo Population Inferred from Haplotype-Phased Amplicon sequencing
Southern California Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Meeting
Oral presentation
2019
Identification of Conserved Regulatory Modules in Dry and Fleshy Fruit Development
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2019
There and Back Again: When Evolution Reverses
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
2017
- 3rd Place Award
Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Nightshade Species
Poster Presentation
ASHS Conference
2017
Developmental Transcriptome of Nicotiana obtusifolia
Poster Presentation
UC Riverside CEPCEB
Post-Doc Symposium
2017
Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Solanaceae Species
Poster Presentation
Solanaceae Conference
2016
Evidence of Interspecific Hybridization or Incomplete Lineage Sorting in River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea)
Oral presentation
ASHS Conference
2016
A Family Divided: Evolution of Dry and Fleshy Fruit in Nightshades
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
ASHS Conference
2016
- 1st Place Award
Role of FRUITFULL in the Evolution of Fleshy Fruits: Optimizing Solanaceae Tissue Culture to Generate Stable Transgenic Knockout Lines
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2016
In Vitro Comparison of Benzyladenine and meta-Topolin on Shoot Proliferation of River Cane, a Candidate for Wetlands Restoration
Poster Presentation
ASHS Conference
2015
Raising Cane: Sustainable Bamboo Restoration in the American Southeast
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
ASHS Conferencee
University of Georgia
2015
- 1st Place Award at ASHS
- Top 10 at UGA
Clonal Structure, Genetic Diversity, and in vitro Propagation of River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea), a candidate for use in wetlands reclamation
Oral presentation
Southern Region ASHS Conference
2015
Disinfestation and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria
Oral presentation
UGA Interdisciplinary
Graduate Plant and Soil Symposium
2014
- 1st Place Award (Masters Category)
Sterilization and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria
Poster Presentation
Southern Region of North America
International Plant Propagators Society Conference
2014
Comparison of the Symptoms Caused by Three Geminiviruses in a Common Host
Poster Presentation
NCSU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences
2009