Sreeja Leelakumari Ph.D

Experimental Design and Assay Development

• Spearheaded protocol development for the Canadian BioGenome Project, improving DNA/RNA/Hi-C extraction across diverse biological samples, enhancing data quality and sample throughput, leading to increased productivity in experimental design and research execution.
• Championed continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging data-driven insights to refine methodologies, and enhance research outcomes.
• Engineered optimized workflows for Nanopore sequencing, accelerating data generation timelines by 25%, directly contributing to strategic project milestones.

Collaboration and Teamwork

• Key contributor to Canada’s branch of the international Earth BioGenome Project, enabling delivery of validated protocols and high-quality genomic datasets.
• Cultivated strong cross-institutional collaborations, resulting in co-authored publications and shared best practices across multiple research sites.
• Delivered technical presentations that informed project direction and improved alignment between research and operational teams.
• Co-authored 2 publications

Workflow and Process Improvement

• Identified and addressed workflow inefficiencies, optimizing experimental design and execution to maximize productivity.
• Streamlined interdisciplinary communication and collaborated with cross functional teams to integrate best practices, ensuring seamless coordination between sequencing, bioinformatics and research departments, reducing project turnaround time by 30%.
• Established standardized SOPs and documentation to ensure compliance with GLP, GMP, and regulatory guidelines, strengthening data integrity.
• Led strategic initiatives to align research objectives with institutional priorities, Optimizing project workflows to enhance efficiency and maximize scientific output.

• Conducted in vitro cell line studies to assess the effects of small molecule inhibitors on protein interactions, directly supporting candidate selection for cancer immunotherapy pipelines.
• Developed standardized genomic DNA and RNA extraction protocols adopted across CanSeq150, enhancing consistency and quality for national sequencing efforts.
• Integrated Hi-C technology into workflows to map chromatin interactions, facilitating novel insights in collaborative genomic studies.
• Contributed to the development of direct RNA Nanopore sequencing protocols, expanding the lab’s capabilities in transcriptomics.
• Authored/co-authored 2 peer-reviewed publications.

• Cloned, expressed, and purified recombinant proteins using FPLC, enabling structure-function studies and downstream drug screening.
• Developed in vitro assays to evaluate epigenetic reprogramming via small molecule modulators, supporting early-stage drug discovery for mutation-driven cancers.
• Validated artificial regulatory pathways with therapeutic potential through mechanistic studies of epigenetic compounds.
• Conducted biochemical and biophysical protein characterization, including collaborative preclinical testing of novel small molecules in vivo to evaluate candidate molecules for efficacy,
• Analyzed genomic data for the Personalized OncoGenomics (POG) program, presenting actionable treatment insights for advanced cancer cases.
• Contributed to 4 peer-reviewed publications, including 2 co-first author preprints.

• Conducted cytogenetic and molecular risk stratification in AML and hereditary cancers, aiding early detection and personalized treatment strategies.
• Led high-throughput cytogenetic screening initiatives for familial cancer risk assessment.
• Contributed to one peer-reviewed publication.