Mark A. Engelhardt, PhD

Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Toronto, ON, Canada

engelhardt [at] mshri.on.ca

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Profile

Proficiency in a wide range of microbiological, cell biological, biochemical, and computational techniques. Strong analytical skills. Experienced in collaborative interdisciplinary initiatives. Strong communication skills.

Education

1991-1996 B.Sc. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Thesis Advisor: Gerry Wright)
1996-2002* M.Sc. Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California (Thesis Advisor: Dan Herschlag)
2003-2006 Ph.D. Biochemistry (Computational Biology), Stanford University, Stanford, California (Thesis Advisors: Dan Herschlag and Vijay Pande)
2006-present Postdoctoral Fellow (Cell, Molecular, and Computational Biology), Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, Canada (Advisors: Tony Pawson and Mike Tyers)

*leave of absence 2001-2003 due to heart procedure and subsequent health issues

Professional Experience

1992 Research Assistant (summer), Product Testing and Development, AEA Technology, Staufen, Germany (Helmut Siegel)
1993 Research Assistant (summer), Immune Role of CD43, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Hermann Ziltener)
1994 Research Assistant (coop work term), Prostacyclin Binding and Activity, Merck-Frosst Pharmaceuticals, Montreal, Quebec (Kathleen Metters)
1994-1995 Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario (Barbara Russer)
1995-1996 Research Assistant (coop work term), Role of Biodegradation in Oil Spill Dispersal, AEA Technology, Harwell/Culham, United Kingdom (Richard Swannell)
1996 Consultant, Role of Biodegradation in Oil Spill Dispersal, AEA Technology, Culham, United Kingdom
1996 Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada (Beryl Piccinin)
1996 Undergraduate Research, Antibiotic Resistance, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada (Gerry Wright)
1996-2002 Graduate Research, RNA Structure and Catalysis, Stanford University, Stanford, California (Dan Herschlag)
1997-1998 Teaching Assistant, Graduate Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California (Dale Kaiser)
2003-2006 Graduate Research, Computational Models of RNA Electrostatics, Stanford University, Stanford, California (Dan Herschlag and Vijay Pande)
2006-present Postdoctoral Fellow, Synthetic Biological, Molecular Biological, and Cell Biological approaches to Systems Biology, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, Canada (Tony Pawson and Mike Tyers)

Awards and Fellowships

1991-1992 Chancellor's Scholarship
1991-1996 Dean's Honour List, McMaster University
1991-1996 Canada Scholarship
1993 Protein Engineering Centre for Excellence Grant for Summer Research
1994-1995 Dr. Harry Lyman-Hooker in-Course Scholarship
1995 T. Russell Wilkins Travel Scholarship
1995-1996 HRH The Princess of Wales' Canada Scholarship in the Biological Sciences
1995-1996 Edwin Marwin Dalley Memorial Scholarship
1997-2000 Lucille P. Markey Biomedical Research Fellow, Stanford University
1998-2000 NSERC Postgraduate Fellowship

Publications

1995 M.A. Engelhardt, D.J. Mitchell, and R.P.J. Swannell. Biological Fate of Dispersed Oil. Year-end report to the United Kingdom Department of the Environment, from AEA Technology, Harwell, United Kingdom.
1996 R.P.J. Swannell, D.J. Mitchell, and M.A. Engelhardt "O brave new words..." Nature 379(6560):14.
1997 R. P. J. Swannell, F. Daniel, B. C. Croft, M. A. Engelhardt, S. Wilson, D. J. Mitchell, and T. Lunel. Influence of physical and chemical dispersion on the biodegradation of oil under simulated marine conditions. In Proceedings of the Twentieth Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
2000 M.A. Engelhardt, E.A. Doherty, D.S. Knitt, J.A. Doudna, and D. H. Herschlag. The P5abc peripheral element facilitates preorganization of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme for catalysis. Biochemistry(39):2639-2651 (pdf)
2001 M.A. Engelhardt, K. Daly, R.P.J. Swannell, and I. Head. Isolation and characterization of a novel hydrocarbon-degrading, Gram-positive bacterium, isolated from intertidal beach sediment, and description of Planococcus alkanoclasticus sp. nov. Journal of Applied Microbiology(90):237-247. (pdf)
2002 E.J. Sorin, M.A. Engelhardt, D.H. Herschlag, and V.S. Pande. RNA simulations: Probing hairpin unfolding and the dynamics of a GNRA tetraloop. Journal of Molecular Biology(317):493-506. (pdf)
in prep M.A. Engelhardt and V.S. Pande. Hybrid Grand Canonical Monte Carlo Simulations of Nucleic Acid Ion Atmosphere.
in prep M.A. Engelhardt*, Y. Bai*, D.H. Herschlag, and V.S. Pande. Experimental and Computational Determination of Metal Ion Interactions with Nucleic Acids. (*Equal Contributors)

Computational Skills

Experience programming using bash, SQL, perl, python, c, and c++. Have worked both alone and in groups using cvs/subversion to track changes and coordinate efforts.

Languages

English first language
French high proficiency
German medium proficiency

Other Interests and Activities

Cycling cycled across Canada in 1996
Teaching tutored low income students (Toronto, Ontario, 2003)
Computation perform computer support work for www.wellspouse.org (2004-present)
Tai Chi martial and meditative forms (1997-present)