Helisa Wippel

I am a biologist with a PhD from Fiocruz, one of the largest and most respected health institutions in Brazil.  For my PhD project, I have developed a cancer cell line resistant to perillyl alcohol, a potent chemotherapeutic agent, and I am now using shotgun and top-down proteomics to understand the molecular modifications when compared to a non-resistant counterpart.

In 2019, I was awarded with the Calmette & Yersin 2019 grant and spent three months at the Institute Pasteur in Paris under the supervision of Dr. Julia Chamot-Rooke.  There, I gained more experience with cross-linking and top-down proteomics and learning hands-on proteomics-based mass spectrometry operating an Orbitrap-Lumos.

During my MSc and PhD, I have been exposed to several molecular biology techniques including recombinant DNA, heterologous expression of proteins, and mass-spectrometry based proteomics.  I have researched (and published) on several bottlenecks directly related to public health in Brazil being the main ones Chagas’ disease, sepsis, and gastric and brain cancers.  During my PhD I also got involved in other activities in the lab such as cross-linking associated with mass spectrometry.

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Bruce Lab – Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, I applied chemical cross-linking of proteins to probe protein structures and interactome of human cells and tissues.  I also gained experience with protein analytics including HPLC, SEC and SCX, and hands-on mass spectrometry.  At the Bruce Lab I have published, to this day, six peer-reviewed manuscripts in different conceptual scientific journals, three of those as first author.

I am currently a Research Scientist at the Moritz Lab at Institute for Systems Biology, where I apply my abilities in chemical cross-linking of proteins and protein affinity purification assays to investigate the protein interactome in human cells of Borrelia burgdorferi, causative agent of Lyme disease.  

Experience with sample preparation, data collection, and data processing in chemical cross-linking of proteins, proximity labeling, and protein affinity purification assay with mass spectromtry to probe protein interactomics.  Experience with molecular visualization of proteins (NGL Viewer, xiNET, Cytoscape).  Protein analysis (SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, UPLC/HPLC) and protein purification (affinity, ion exchange, size exclusion chromatography, AKTA purification system).  Proven skills in cancer proteomics research.  LC-MS experience with operation & maintenance of Thermo Orbritrap and quadrupole instruments along with associated software including Xcalibur.  Experience with cell culture – mammalian, fungi, Trypanosoma cruzi, bacteria, with drug treatment and genetic modification.  Excellent written and oral communication in English – ability to explain and present complex scientific topics to expert and non-expert audiences.  Established and mantained internal and external collaborations.

PhD degree in mass-spectrometry based proteomics.