EDUCATION

Ph.D., Chemistry (concentration in Biochemistry), University of California, Santa Cruz. Degree expected Summer 2005.

Dissertation: Molecular Crowding and Oligomer Formation of a-synuclein.

Advisor: Dr. Anthony L. Fink

Master of Science, Chemistry, San Francisco State University, August 2000.

Thesis: X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Investigation of Nickel Speciation in Datura Innoxia

Advisor: Dr. Jane Dewitt

Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, May 1998.

Additional Training:

Light Scattering University, Wyatt Technology Corporation 6/02. Three day intensive training seminar on multi-angle light scattering.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Doctoral Research, UC Santa Cruz, 1/01 – present

Dr. Anthony L. Fink, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Designed and implemented experiments to study the effects of molecular crowding on the kinetics of a-synuclein fibrillation and it’s biophysical characteristics. Used cross-linking and SEC-MALS experiments to study a-synuclein oligomer formation and to increase understanding of the fibrillation process. Examined the effects of a-synuclein dimer formation through the use of a disulfide-linked mutant. Studied the effects of metals on a-synuclein fibrillation. Worked on fluorescent labeling of a-synuclein. Designed experiments for and supervised undergraduate researchers.

Methods included: UV-Vis, Circular Dichroism, Fluorescence techniques, Liquid Chromatography including HPLC, Electron Micoscopy, Static (multi-angle) Light Scattering, Dynamic Light Scattering, Mass Spectroscopy, Electrophoresis, protein purification and other general biochemical techniques.

Master’s and Undergraduate Research, CSU San Francisco, 6/97 – 8/00

Dr. Jane Dewitt, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Designed and implemented experiments to examine the uptake and speciation of nickel in a metal tolerant Datura innoxia plant cell line.

Methods included: X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, HPLC, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, UV-Vis and other general laboratory techniques.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant, UC Santa Cruz

Biochemistry Lecture (Bio 100) Biochemistry Lab (Bioc 110)
General Chem Lecture (Chem 1A, 1B and 1C) General Chem Lab (1M and 1N)

PUBLICATIONS

Uversky, V.N.; Cooper, E.M.; Bower, K.S.; Li, J.; Fink, A.L. 2001. Accelerated a-synuclein fibrillation in crowded milieu. FEBS Letters 515, 99-103.

Munishkina, L.A.; Cooper, E.M.; Uversky, V.N.; Fink, A.L. 2004 The effect of macromolecular crowding on protein aggregation and amyloid fibril formation. J. Mol. Recognit. 17, 456-464.

Cooper, E.M.; Hjülberg, D.; Villa, J.; Andrews, J.C.; DeWitt, J.G. 1997. Changes in Nickel and Lead Speciation Upon Accumulation by Metal Tolerant Datura innoxia Plant Tissue Culture. SSRL Activity Report.

Cooper, E.M.; Fink, A.L. SEC-MALS studies of a-synuclein oligomerization. In preparation.

Cooper, E.M.; Hayashi, Y.; Kalira, V.; Uversky, V.N.; Fink, A.L. The Effect of Macromolecular Crowding Agents on the Fibrillation and Biophysical Characteristics of α-Synuclein. In preparation.

Cooper, E.M.; Ahmed, A.; Fink, A.L. Is dimer formation a rate limiting step in a-synuclein fibrillation? In preparation.

PRESENTATIONS AND MEETINGS ATTENDED

Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, January 2002. “Effect of Macromolecular Crowding Agents on a-synuclein Fibrillation,” Cooper, E.M.; Uversky, V.N.; Fink, A.L.

Annual SSRL User’s Conference, October 1999. “Nickel Speciation in a Non-Hyperaccumulating Plant Species,” Elisa Cooper and Jane DeWitt.

National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, March 1999. “Histidine’s Effect on the Nickel Uptake in a Non-Hyperaccumulating Species,” Elisa Cooper and Jane DeWitt.

National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, September 1997. “Understanding Transformation of Heavy Metals in a Metal-Tolerant Plant Using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy,” Elisa Cooper, Dave Hjulberg, Joseph Villa and Jane DeWitt.

AWARDS

- Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professorate Fellowship, UC Santa Cruz 1/05 – 6/05
- Dean’s Fellowship, UC Santa Cruz 00/01 School Year
- Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship, SFSU 99/00 School Year
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, SFSU 6/98

REFERENCES

Anthony L. Fink, Ph.D., Depart. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (831) 459-2744, E-mail: enzyme@ucsc.edu

Olof Einarsdottir, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (831) 459-3155, E-mail: olof@chemistry.ucsc.edu

Jane Dewitt, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, (415) 338-1895, E-mail: dewitt@sfsu.edu

Roberto Bogomolini, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (831) 459-4294, E-mail: bogo@chemistry.ucsc.edu