I’m a finishing Ph.D. candidate at the University of Delaware in the Molecular Biology and Genetics program. I have a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Rutgers University. Before that, I traveled, lived and worked abroad as a freelance English tutor and food and travel blogger – an experience which taught me to be adaptable, resourceful, and self-driven.
I’m not just a life scientist: I’m also a communicator who enjoys breaking complex scientific concepts down into clear, simple terms for a wide variety of audiences. I have six years of experience with managing complex, multi-year research projects, from planning to protocol development to data analysis. I also have over two years of experience as a teaching assistant, during which I enjoyed finding new ways to help a diverse group of future life scientists and health care professionals learn the fundamentals of research. I proactively designed and led scientific writing and poster design workshops to help my students cultivate their scientific communication skills.
In my next role I want to work for a clinical research, biotechnology or pharmaceutical organization as a medical writer. I want my work to have an impact beyond the bench, whether that’s by bridging the gap between researchers and clinicians or by helping to bring new therapies and products to the market.
I will be defending my Ph.D. in Summer 2023, and available for a full time permanent position immediately afterwards. I am willing to discuss the possibility of starting a part-time position prior to my defense. I live in the Philadelphia metro area and can work remotely.
You can send me an email at amanda.zahorik@gmail.com.
Links to my portfolio:
1. Grant proposal. Successfully awarded.
2. Popular science article. Written in an informal, educational style for a lay audience.
3. Scientific poster. Presented at the American Society for Microbiology national conference in 2022.
4. Scientific abstract. Some elements such as author contact information have been removed for privacy.
5. Educational slide deck. A basic overview of how BLAST works. Written for undergraduates with no previous bioinformatics experience.