Resume
Dennis Sun
EDUCATION
University of California, Berkeley // Beginning Fall 2015
Ph.D. Candidate in Molecular & Cellular Biology
// Designated Emphasis in Computational and Genomic Biology
// National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
Harvard University // Fall 2011-Spring 2015
Bachelor of Arts in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology
// Magna cum laude with high honors in field; Phi Beta Kappa
// Secondary Field: English
// Language Citation: Japanese
// Coursework: Developmental Biology, Molecular & Cell Biology, English Literature, UI/UX Design
Mt. Carmel High School // Fall 2007-Spring 2011
// Honors: National Merit Scholar Finalist; National AP Scholar; California Scholarship Federation Life Member
// Activities: Varsity, Academic League. State Competitor and Student Coach, Science Olympiad.
WORK EXPERIENCE
LIFE SCIENCES
Graduate Student @ UC Berkeley, Nipam Patel Lab // April 2016-present
Investigating cis-regulatory elements driving evolution of body plan in crustaceans.
Rotation Student @ UC Berkeley, Nipam Patel Lab collaborating with Hernan Garcia Lab // Dec 2015-Feb 2016
Developed techniques for live imaging of transcription in embryo of the amphipod crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis.
Rotation Student @ UC Berkeley, Nicole King Lab // Dec 2015-Feb 2016
Developed techniques for imaging organelles in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta using organelle dyes.
Assessed organelle morphology of rosette formation defect mutants using confocal microscopy.
Rotation Student @ UC Berkeley, Craig Miller Lab // Sept 2015-Nov 2015
Performed bioinformatic analysis to identify cis-regulatory regions conserved between mouse hair follicle stem cells and sticklebacks.
Performed transgenic assays to determine location of tooth stem cells in stickleback fish.
Undergraduate Researcher @ Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Paola Arlotta Lab // Fall 2013-Spring 2015
Worked on projects involving axolotl brain regeneration, cancer; experience in amphibian neural surgery.
Developed novel in vivo brain electroporation technique in axolotls.
Harvard Stem Cell Institute Internship Program Intern @ Harvard Stem Cell Institute // Summer 2014
Interned at HSCI under the supervision of Dr. Paola Arlotta and grad student Ryoji Amamoto.
Short-Term International Student @ Kyoto University Center for iPS Research and Application (CiRA) // Summer 2013
Worked in Dr. Kenji Osafune's lab on directed differentiation of nephric ducts in mouse iPSCs.
Supported by the Weissman International Internship Program at Harvard University.
Molecular & Cellular Biology Reagents R&D Intern @ Life Technologies // Summer 2012
Worked on lipid-based transfection with the Lipofectamine team.
Isolated primary peripheral blood mononucleocytes and assayed transfection methods.
DESIGN
Sole Proprietor @ Mezarque Design // Fall 2012-Present
Design for high-profile biotech companies, Harvard student organizations.
Founding Designer @ Springboard, Harvard College's first design club
Helped establish new student organization with other Harvard students.
Graphic Design Consultant @ Life Technologies // Fall 2012-Fall 2013
Designed figures & icons for various products. See example here (Icons on left side of second page).
Lead Interface Designer @ Lost Rabbit Games // Fall 2012-Present
Designed interfaces for Paragrams and an upcoming project.
Associate Design Executive @ The Harvard Crimson // Winter 2011-Winter 2013
Designed pages for the Sports Section and for Fifteen Minutes Magazine.
Managed a team of 5-7 designers.
Public Relations Chair @ The Harvard-Radcliffe Kendo Club // Winter 2011-Winter 2013
Designed posters and graphics for events, organized publicity.
WRITING
President & Founder @ The Harvard College Writers' Workshop // Winter 2012-Winter 2014
Founded the first inclusive creative writing organization at Harvard College.
Managed team of 10 Board members to organize events, publicity.
Editor-In-Chief @ The Mt. Carmel SUN Newspaper // Fall 2010-Spring 2011
Managed team of 50+ staff members, including designers, writers, and photographers.
Newspaper placed 8th in the nation at the JEA/NSPA convention Best of Show.
Editor-In-Chief @ MC SHINE Anthology // Fall 2009-Spring 2011
Established MCHS's first creative writing anthology.
Managed expenses, organized staff of 10 students to create book containing work of >100 students.
SKILLS
Proficient in: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, & Photoshop; Microsoft Word & Powerpoint; Publication design; Graphic design; Microdissection; Vertebrate surgery; Standard molecular biology techniques; Mammalian cell tissue culture; Copy editing
Advanced in Design thinking; Confocal microscopy
Experience in RNA-Seq analysis; bash; Microsoft Excel; Objective-C; C; HTML/CSS/PHP/Javascript; D3; Creative writing
HONORS
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship // March 2016
Awarded for "demonstrated potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise."
Harvard Phi Beta Kappa // Spring 2015
Elected to the Harvard Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Iota in the final senior election.
Awarded for "outstanding scholarly achievement" demonstrating "both depth of study and breadth of intellectual interest."
Captain Jonathan Fay Prize // Spring 2015
Selected among 68 Thomas T. Hoopes Prize winners for exceptional thesis work.
Award honors “the most outstanding imaginative work or piece of research in any field” done by a graduating senior.
Thomas T. Hoopes Prize // Spring 2015
Received for an outstanding undergraduate thesis titled "The Interface of Cancer and Regeneration in the Axolotl Brain."
James Buell Munn Book Prize // Spring 2015
Received a prize from Lowell House at Harvard for literary accomplishments.
Weissman International Internship Fellowship // Summer 2013
Received a fellowship to work on stem cell research at Kyoto University.
Harvard College Scholar // for 2011-2012 Academic Year
Award recognizes students who achieve GPAs in the top 10% of their academic class for the academic year.