Interests

• Gene therapy

• Mechanisms of disease

Deborah Pushparajah

Research Associate-Retinal Project Lead

Debbie is working as a research coordinator and scientist with the Slavcev Research Group. She completed her M.Sc. Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo in December 2022, where she worked on the construction of a hybrid phage display system that can be used for cancer therapeutic applications. She has also worked as a Research Associate with Mediphage Bioceuticals, where she assisted with the development of a polymer and lipid-based nanoparticle carrier for ministring DNA delivery. She is currently working to produce ssDNA vectors for a gene therapy platform using a novel production and producing a dsDNA miniphagemid vector for a gene therapy platform.

Education

• B.Sc. Honours Biology, with Molecular Genetics Specialization, University of Waterloo (2020)

• M.Sc. Pharmacy, University of Waterloo (2022)

Contact

• deborah.pushparajah@theraphage.bio

PUBLICATIONS:

• Talebnia, F., Pushparajah, D., Chandrasekaran, S., Hersch, S. J., Nafissi, N., & Slavcev, R. (2023). Application of an electro elution system for direct purification of linear covalently closed DNA fragments. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 1218, 123622.

• Pushparajah, D. (2022, December 21). Design of a DNA-Encoded Human Papilloma Virus-Like Particle Displaying a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Antagonistic Peptide for Characterization in Mammalian Cells. UW Space.

• Pushparajah, D., Jimenez, S., Wong, S., Alattas, H., Nafissi, N., & Slavcev, R. A. (2021). Advances in gene-based vaccine platforms to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 170, 113–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.003