Bacteriology

Dr Rebecca Devon

1996 - PhD Molecular Genetics, MRC Human Genetics Unit and University of Edinburgh, UK
1992 - MA (Cantab) Natural Sciences, Christ's College, University of Cambridge, UK
Dr Devon is a biologist with a special interest in neuroscience and genetics. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and obtained her PhD in 1996 from the University of Edinburgh, UK, in the genetics of psychiatric illness. She undertook post-doctoral research on a rare, inherited form of Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in Vancouver, Canada, and then started her own research group back in Edinburgh, UK, investigating the genetics, cell biology and biochemistry of motor neurone disease. She is a co-founder of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research at the University of Edinburgh. Dr Devon has written over 50 research papers, book chapters, reviews and successful grant applications, and has peer-reviewed manuscripts for molecular biology journals. Dr Devon began working with Edanz Editing in 2008.

Dr Kate Fox

2003 - PhD Microbiology, University of Oxford, UK
1999 - BSc Biological Sciences, University of Leicester, UK
Dr Fox completed a PhD in microbiology at the University of Oxford, investigating novel phase variable LPS biosynthetic genes in Haemophilus influenzae. She then spent five years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Queensland, Australia, focusing on the role of DNA methyltransferases in gene regulation in bacterial pathogens. Other projects included the design and development of live, attenuated vaccines for veterinary pathogens. She has many first-author publications in high-ranking journals in the area of microbial pathogenesis. Dr Fox is now a full-time editor, with extensive editing experience in a broad range of biological disciplines including molecular biology, microbiology, biotechnology, genomics, epidemiology, biochemistry and medicine. Dr Fox began editing with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Dr Warren Raye

2005 - PhD Molecular Virology, Murdoch University, Australia
1999 - BSc (Hons) Veterinary Biology, Murdoch University, Australia
1997 - BSc Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Australia
Warren Raye graduated from Murdoch University in 2005 with a PhD in Veterinary Virology. His doctoral thesis was entitled "An investigation into the status of porcine circovirus in Australia". Dr Raye is an experienced researcher and lecturer, at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. He was formerly employed by Monash University as a Research Fellow and Lecturer in the fast-changing field of stem cell biology. Dr Raye has also conducted independent research in the areas of molecular virology, inflammation biology and molecular biology. His former work at Monash University involved creating embryonic stem cell lines with various reporter systems for use in small molecule drug screening assays. Other skills and techniques he possesses include mammalian and insect cell culture; growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cell cultures; purification of viruses; PCR; cloning; DNA sequencing and analysis; DNA/RNA manipulation and isolation; expression and purification of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems; electrophoresis; development and optimization of ELISAs; design and construction of recombinant viruses for eukaryotic protein expression; in situ hybridization; monoclonal antibody production; and live cell calcium imaging. Dr Raye began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in early 2009, before moving to Fukuoka and taking up the position of Senior Life Sciences Editor in November 2010. As well as editing, Dr Raye also gives training and education seminars for non-native speaking authors to improve their manuscript writing.

Ms Marla Brunker

1996 - MSc Biology, New York University, US
1992 - BSc Biochemistry, Montclair State College, New Jersey, US
1981 - BA Political Science, City College of New York, US
Ms Brunker has been editing biomedical documents for over two decades, including submissions to peer-reviewed journals; dissertations and other academic papers; applications to US regulatory agencies (the Food and Drug Administration and the Patent and Trademark Office); pharmaceutical advertisements of all types; Web site content; slide presentations, scripts and other support pieces for conferences and similar events; and a wide variety of medical education materials. Her master’s thesis was on apoptosis in HIV+ CD4+ cells. She has also done laboratory work in breast cancer and environmental medicine.

Dr Moira Desport

2000 - PhD Molecular Virology, University of London, UK
1985 - HNC Applied Biology, Reading College, UK
Dr Desport is a molecular virologist with interests in animal health. Her thesis for her PhD in Veterinary Virology from the Royal Veterinary College was entitled “Genomic Variation and Cell Tropism of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus”. Dr Desport post-doctoral position at Murdoch University focused on the development and testing of a recombinant protein vaccine to control Jembrana disease in Bali cattle. Skills and techniques include cell culture and purification of viruses; Real-Time RT/PCR; cloning; DNA sequencing and analysis; DNA/RNA manipulation and isolation; expression and purification of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic systems; development and optimization of ELISAs; in situ hybridization; immunostaining; histopathology and peptide mapping. Dr Desport has published eight first-author journal articles and has presented at several national and international conferences. She is an invited reviewer for a number of international journals and has recently edited a book entitled “Lentiviruses and Macrophages: Molecular and Cellular Interactions”. Dr Desport joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Dr Trish Reynolds

1976 - Royal Australasian College of Physicians - admitted as a Fellow
1970 - MBBS, University of Western Australia, Australia
Dr Reynolds initially practiced in Medical Oncology and then Psychotherapy. After retiring from clinical practice in 2003 she began a new career in medical editing. Most of her work has been for Japanese and Chinese authors. A successful author, Dr Reynolds has published 13 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and two books. Dr Reynolds joined the Edanz Group as an editor and writer in 2011 and, though with a clinical focus, works in a broad range of medical fields.

Ms Nancy Schatken

1960 – MT (ASCP) Medical Technology, Albany Medical Center School of Medical Technology, USA
1959 - BS Medical Technology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
Ms Schatken’s university studies focused on medical technology. After graduation she worked for six years in specialized hematology and research laboratories: the Albany (NY) Medical Center, Mallory Institute (Boston), Tufts Medical School (Boston), Upstate Medical Center (State University of New York, Syracuse, NY), and the Jewish Medical Center (New York). She then went into medical publishing at Harper & Row, later moving to the magazine Medical World News. In 1970 she began working as an independent medical editor and writer. Her work has included preparing reports for physicians, pamphlets/booklets for pharmaceutical houses, abstracts of medical articles, and conference presentations. She has also copyedited medical and scientific journals and books for a variety of publishers, including Springer (New York and Tokyo), Oxford University Press, Little Brown, Raven Press, Harper & Row, Appleton-Century Crofts, and Churchill Livingstone. Ms Schatken began working as an editor and writer with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Sandra Cheesman

1998 - PhD Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
1993 - BSc (1st Hons) Biology and Organic Chemistry, Open University, UK
Dr Cheesman has a special interest in tropical disease research and has worked primarily in the fields of molecular biology and genetics. For her PhD she investigated DNA topoisomerase II of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as an anti-malarial drug target. The research involved studying the expression profile and activity of the enzyme throughout the life cycle of the parasite to determine whether anti-topoisomerase drugs could inhibit it. More recently, Dr Cheesman has been applying genetics and genomics approaches to identify parasite genes of biomedical importance, including genes that induce protective immunity in the host. Her research identified a major parasite gene involved in strain-specific immunity against malaria, an important breakthrough in vaccine research. Dr Cheesman is very interested in the evolution of host-pathogen interactions. She has published 25 original research papers, many as first author and has been an invited speaker at many congresses. Dr Cheesman has also taken research sabbaticals at the University of Osaka (2007) and University of Nagasaki, Japan (2009). She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2010.

Dr Evan Burkala

2001 - PhD Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Australia
1996 - BSc (Hons) Veterinary Biology, Murdoch University, Australia
1995 - BSc Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Australia
Dr Burkala is currently employed at the University of Oklahoma in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Dr Burkala has many years of experience in molecular virology and biology, and has recently specialized in HIV immunology and evolution. He has peer-reviewed publications in a broad range of scientific areas including cancer biology and immunology in addition to reviewing many publications and grant applications. Dr Burkala’s technical skills include: cutting-edge molecular biological techniques such as heteroduplex tracking assays and mass spectrometry; common techniques like cloning, PCR, real-time PCR and recombinant protein purification; immunological techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISA, Western immunoblot and ELISPOT; cell culture techniques including primary and cell line culture, virus culture and purification, transwell migration assays and confocal microscopy; and live animal experiments including the use of mice, sheep, cattle, and rabbits for immunizations and immunological analyses.

Ms Brandy Weidow

2007 - MS Microbiology/Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
2003 - BS Microbiology/English, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
2009 - N/A Writing Biomedical Research Articles Coursework, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
Ms Weidow is a freelance scientific and medical editor with over 6 years experience as a writer and editor in academia, healthcare, and industry. Ms Weidow has degrees in microbiology, statistics, and English from The University of Tennessee, with additional training in scientific writing at Vanderbilt University. She did her thesis research in a multidisciplinary cancer biology laboratory, where she designed small peptide therapeutics for the adjuvant treatment of some cancers. She has worked in academic laboratories for many years, and has contributed in various capacities (writing, editing, data analysis) to hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, funded grant proposals, patents, abstracts, posters, standard operating procedures, media releases, and many other types of technical literature. Ms Weidow is a member of the Council of Science Editors, the American Medical Writers Association, and the Society for Scholarly Publishing. She edits and writes in a wide range of subject areas – most notably microbiology, cancer biology, oncology, cell biology, matrix biology, bioengineering, immunology, biostatistics, and method development. She began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Sarah Williams

2001 - PhD Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
1997 - BA Hons Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, UK
Dr Williams’ PhD investigated the role of non-viral delivery in gene therapy. She then spent three years working as a postdoctoral researcher on the gene regulation of cystic fibrosis. Dr Williams’ main areas of expertise are genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, plant sciences, medicine, surgery, microbiology and biotechnology. Dr Williams has published several first-author articles in peer-ranking journals and presented her work at international conferences. She has also been a finalist in the (UK) Young Science Writer of the Year award with a report on the role of a speech and language gene in the evolution of humans. Dr Williams joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012.

Dr Lesley Benyon

1999 - PhD Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
1994 - MSc Animal Science, North Carolina State University, USA
1998 - BA East Asian Studies, University of Virginia, USA
Dr Benyon is a researcher for the USDA-ARS in the US Horticultural Research Laboratory, which concentrates on improving citrus and specialty crops. His current research involves identifying genetic targets for combating Huanglongbing/Citrus greening in citrus, the bacterial pathogen, and the insect vectors. Dr Benyon has a diversified science background, including having researched antimicrobial peptides at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr Benyon has also worked in East Asia with scientists from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China, and was a post-doctoral associate at Okayama University in Japan. Dr Benyon began editing for the Edanz Group in 2011.

Dr Kenneth Zahn

1987 - PhD Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
1975 - BS Biology, State University of New York, Albany, USA
Dr Zahn has 30 years’ experience as a researcher in academia and the biotechnology industry, with expertise in the molecular genetics and biotechnological applications of bacteriophage, bacteria, yeast and fungi. After completing a PhD in the laboratory of Dr Frederick Blattner, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University with Dr Arthur Landy, and then a Sackler Fellow in Molecular Genetics and Informatics with Dr Joshua Lederberg at Rockefeller University. Dr Zahn has also worked as a NEDO Industrial Technology Fellow in the Molecular Microbiology Group at RITE, Kyoto, Japan with Dr Hideaki Yukawa. He currently works in the biotechnology industry in the San Francisco Area. Dr Zahn began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Professor Larry Takemoto

1974 - PhD Biochemistry, Colorado State University
1968 - MS Physical Chemistry, Yale University
1968 - BA Chemistry, Hartwick College
Prof Takemoto is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA. He has extensive experience in the cell biology and protein chemistry of the eye, which he has studied for over 30 years. His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health of the US. He has served on numerous national and international boards dealing with vision research, including the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Eye Institute, Lens & Cataract Panel of the National Eye Institute, and the Board of Directors of the Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO). Prof Takemoto, though US-born, traces his ancestry back to Japan and has conducted research and traveled extensively in Japan as a Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011

Dr Rogan Tinsley

2003 - PhD Neuroscience, Flinders University, Australia
1998 - Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons), Flinders University, Australia
Dr Tinsley completed his PhD at the School of Medicine at Flinders University of South Australia. His thesis title was "Non-Viral Glial Cell Transfection: A Therapeutic Strategy for CNS Regeneration." His post-doctoral training was in the neural stem cell laboratory of Prof Peter Eriksson, the first to demonstrate neurogenesis in the adult human brain. Dr Tinsley returned to Australia to work at the Howard Florey Institute, investigating models and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He has over ten years experience in medical research, and has published widely in leading journals in his field, including Annals of Neurology. Dr Tinsley began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2011

Ms Areti Malapetsas

2008 - ELS (Board-Certified Editor in the Life Sciences), Vancouver, Canada
1997 - BA Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
1989 - BSc (Dist) Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Ms Malapetsas is a medical and scientific editor/writer with experience in the development of content in the various areas in the life sciences for both medical research institutes and pharmaceutical advertising agencies. Initially a research assistant in a cancer research laboratory at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research in Montreal, Canada, she performed molecular and cellular biology experiments—including mRNA, DNA, and protein extraction and purification, Northern and Western blots, RT-PCR, cellular transport, primary tissue culture, and various drug efficacy studies. She also developed laboratory documents for submission to journals and funding agencies. Ms Malapetsas then worked in pharmaceutical advertising, where for eight years she undertook proofreading, copyediting, and fact-checking, and wrote medical education programs delivering on-label drug information to physicians and healthcare professionals. Ms Malapetsas also has extensive experience as a freelance medical and scientific editor/writer for research laboratories and corporate entities. Ms Malapetsas began working as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2009.

Assoc Prof Donald Hendry

1977 – PhD Virology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
1969 – M Sc Virology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
1966 – B Sc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Prof Hendry main research was in the molecular biology of RNA insect viruses. He also taught virology, molecular biology and immunology at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Prof Hendry has wide international research experience, having been a Visiting Scientist at the University of Madison – Wisconsin, USA, at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan, at the University of California – Davis, USA, and at the CSIRO in Canberra, Australia. He was an appointee to the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) for 10 years, and was a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the Society for General Microbiology (SGM), UK, and the Society for Invertebrate Pathology (SIP), USA. He spent seven years as a referee for research grant applications sent to the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Prof Hendry has published over 25 papers in international journals, has presented at numerous international congresses, and has served as referee for scientific manuscripts submitted to several journals. Prof Hendry joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011

Dr Tamsin Sheen

2008 - PhD Genetics, University of Otago, NZ
2004 - MSc Genetics, University of Otago, NZ
Dr Sheen is a postdoctoral research fellow at San Diego State University, studying microbial pathogenesis. Her work encompasses microbial niche establishment as well as penetration of the blood-brain barrier. She also has two patents for the development of novel therapeutic agents for treatment of MRSA infections. Dr Sheen carried out her PhD research at AgResearch in Lincoln, New Zealand, focusing on applying genetic techniques to improve the soil survival of a microbial biocontrol agent. Her other research has involved the phylogenetic analysis of Antarctic notothenioid fish and species evolution. Dr Sheen began editing for Edanz Editing in 2011.

Dr Jane Charbonneau

1990 - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Edward Island, PEI, Canada
1986 - BS Animal Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
After graduating, Dr Charbonneau spent 10 years involved in general surgery, preventive medicine, behavior counseling and diagnostics and treatments related to dermatology, gastroenterology, endocrine and emergency patients in an animal veterinary practice. In 2000, Dr Charbonneau began a 10 year focus on emergency medicine and surgery and completed a one-year term teaching equine locomotor diseases to students of massage therapy. Her experience in emergency medicine includes critical care of trauma patients and patients in cardiac, liver and renal failure, infectious disease, resuscitation and transfusion medicine, neurological and endocrine emergencies as well as surgical correction of gastric dilatation and volvulus, ruptured splenic masses, gastrointestinal foreign bodies, bullet wounds, fractures and wound repair. Currently, Dr Charbonneau works as a relief veterinarian, and has an interest in clinically focused communication. Dr Charbonneau joined Edanz as an editor in 2011.

Ms Kathleen LaPoint

2002 - MS Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
2000 - BS Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Ms LaPoint is a science and medical writer-editor with experience in a wide range of medical and life science topics. Her master’s thesis involved the development of antimicrobial agents to prevent and treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Ms LaPoint has taught biology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she also conducted research investigating links between obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance. She has co-authored seven scientific manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals and one scientific book chapter. Ms LaPoint also has a post-graduate biomedical writing certificate and is a board-certified editor in the life sciences (ELS). As an editor she has edited hundreds of research manuscripts; as a writer she has written about health and medical topics for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. She began working as an editor and writer with the Edanz Group in 2010.

Dr Leonie Pipe

2009 - PhD Physics, University of Auckland, NZ
1998 - MSc Physics, University of Auckland, NZ
1996 - BSc Physics, University of Auckland, NZ
Dr Pipe’s PhD research focused on biological modeling; investigating colony growth dynamics of two species of bacteria on high-nutrient agar with a view to developing a mathematical model based on fundamental physical processes to mimic observed growth behavior. She then tested the model by numerical simulation. During her PhD research, Dr Pipe developed numerical techniques to simulate nutrient flows, and worked on reaction-diffusion equations and their applications. She has also studied biological science topics at the postgraduate level, including bioinformatics and structural biology. Dr Pipe has a broad range of academic interests related to biophysics, and subjects ranging from food science to microbial ecology. Specialized areas include modeling of tumor growth, environmental aspects of bacterial growth in foods, and biofilm development. Dr Pipe joined the Edanz Group as an editor and writer in 2010.

Mr Robert Gorman

1996 - MS Health Administration, University of Montreal, Canada
1980 - BA Applied Social Sciences, Concordia University, Canada
1976 - Registered Respiratory Therapist, Ste-Foy College, Canada
Mr Gorman has 35 years of experience in the healthcare system in Canada. He has worked as a project manager, research coordinator, department head, consultant, respiratory therapist, and more recently as a medical editor. Mr Gorman is familiar with AMA guidelines and ICMJE Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. For the past four years he has worked as a freelance medical editor for medical researchers at the McGill University and University of Montreal Research Centers in Montreal, QC, Canada. Mr Gorman joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.

Ms Kelly Bogh

1999 - BSc Biochemistry, University of Victoria, Canada
2010 - Postgraduate Certificate in Editing, Macquarie University, Australia
After studies in biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Victoria, Ms Bogh worked as a biomedical researcher with biotechnology companies and university departments. For the last 10 years she has worked for publishers of international, peer-reviewed scientific and technical journals and has edited manuscripts in many disciplines including microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. Ms Bogh is a board-certified Editor in the Life Sciences and recently earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Editing from the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. She joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2012

Ms Amber O'Connor

2012 (Expected) - PhD Cell Biology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA
2006 - BS Microbiology, Arizona State University, USA
Ms O'Connor’s PhD thesis entitled “Consequences of primary cilia ablation in the developing limb and epidermis” will be submitted in early 2012. She is also a graduate of the 2010 Embryology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Ms O’Connor is presently researching in fields related to hedgehog signaling, limb and bone development, and primary cilia. She has experience in mouse breeding, genetics, histology, transgenic and knock-in model generation, development, and embryology. In vitro techniques Ms O'Connor is skilled in are primary cell culture, qRT PCR, western blotting, confocal imaging, and in situ hybridization. She has extensive training in embryology and development, as well as an understanding of the complex signaling pathways involved in pattern formation, cell fate determination, and specification. Ms O'Connor has published a methods chapter on the generation of mouse models, and has 3 peer-reviewed publications. She is a regular attendee and presenter at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting. Ms O'Connor began as an editor with the Edanz Group in 2011.

Mr Jeremy Kamen

2002 - MSc Biology, Fordham University, New York, US
1996 - BSc Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, US
Mr Kamen’s original research was into the presence of freshwater archaea in New York State Lakes using PCR and DNA sequencing. He conducted fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) as part of his Master’s thesis. He also analyzed water samples for Chl A, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and TOC according to the APHA Standard Methods. Mr Kamen has also worked on environmental assessments of soil and groundwater contamination and the monitoring of chemicals in waterways. Mr Kamen gained over five years of experience as a senior microbiology analyst in New York using traditional microbiology techniques as well as GC, real time-PCR, and fluorescence microscopy various microbiological and biochemical techniques as well as the MIDI system. He was also in charge of all Legionella analysis, which was conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines. He has worked as a science editor for non-native authored manuscripts since 2006. Mr Kamen began as an editor with Edanz Editing and Liwen Bianji (Edanz Editing China) in 2008.

Mr Alex Pishief

2010 - BBmedSc Molecular Pathology, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
2009 - LLB, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
Mr Pishief, a barrister and solicitor, is a legal editor and writer of manuscripts for publication in text books, legal bulletins, and online on global legal platforms. His background in both law and science, with his biomedical science study focusing on molecular pathology, specifcally pathology (including histology) of the brain, heart, liver, kidney, bone, blood, and lymphoid system; genetics, including sequencing, bioinformatics and genetic disorders; biomedical laboratory techniques, with a focus on DNA/RNA extraction and isolation, reverse transcription, PCR, and gel electrophoresis; metabolism; immunology; medical microbiology; and physiology (including neurophysiology and neuroimaging). An experienced report and abstract writer, Mr Pishief joined the Edanz Group as an editor in 2011.
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