Product Manager, 2018 - 2022

Research
Microbiology
Leadership
Publishing

Knock Knock Games · San Francisco, CA — May 2018 — Nov 2022

Modern research laboratory with microscopes and equipment
  • Led cross-functional team of 5 researchers on antibiotic resistance project
  • Published 3 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals
  • Secured $250K in grant funding for ongoing research
  • Mentored 2 junior scientists and 4 undergraduate interns

Company Overview

Knock Knock Games was an “instant games” game studio producing HTML5-based games that could be played instantly on chat platforms like Facebook Instant Games and WeChat. It produced numerous 2D and 3D titles with its greatest hit being “Car Match: Hollywood”, a match game which garnered millions of installs.

Role Overview

As Senior Research Scientist at Acme Laboratories, I lead a dynamic team investigating bacterial resistance mechanisms with the goal of developing next-generation antimicrobial therapies.

Key Achievements

  • Grant Success: Secured competitive NIH R01 grant ($250,000) to fund multi-year study on novel resistance pathways
  • Publication Record: First-author on 2 papers in Nature Microbiology and Cell Host & Microbe
  • Team Leadership: Built and mentored high-performing research team, resulting in 40% increase in lab productivity

Research Focus

My work centers on understanding how bacteria evolve resistance to last-resort antibiotics. Using advanced genomic techniques and high-throughput screening, we’ve identified several promising therapeutic targets.

Key techniques and methods:

  • CRISPR-based genetic manipulation
  • Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis
  • High-content imaging and automated microscopy
  • Protein crystallography and structural biology

Collaborative Projects

Working closely with the medicinal chemistry team to translate our findings into drug candidates. Also partnered with Stanford University researchers on a cross-institutional study of hospital-acquired infections.

Impact

Our research has informed clinical guidelines for antibiotic stewardship and contributed to the development pipeline for two novel antimicrobial compounds currently in preclinical testing.