Rute Tomaz has a diverse range of work experience. Rute is currently a Senior Scientist in Technical Operations at bit.bio, starting in October 2022. Prior to that, they worked as a Senior Scientist in R&D at AcuLive Therapeutics Ltd from March 2022 to September 2022.
Rute's longest tenure was at the University of Cambridge, where they worked as a Research Associate from April 2016 to February 2022. During their time there, they developed and optimized methods for reprogramming human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into hepatocytes. Rute also managed multiple students in various laboratory projects related to hepatocyte generation, liver disease modeling, and cell cultures.
Rute has also contributed to the COVID-19 response as a Volunteer Scientist at the Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre (UK Lighthouse Labs Network) from May 2020 to July 2020. Rute'smain responsibilities involved conducting high-throughput screening for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human biological specimens using RT-PCR.
Rute has had visiting researcher positions at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute from December 2016 to December 2018 and at Imperial College London from October 2015 to March 2016. Prior to that, they were a Doctoral Researcher at Imperial College London from October 2011 to September 2015.
Rute's early work experience includes being an Associate Faculty Member at Faculty of 1000 Ltd from October 2009 to October 2013 and a Research Assistant at NOVA Medical School - Faculdade de Ciências Médicas from November 2007 to August 2011. At NOVA Medical School, they planned and conducted experiments related to genetic and epigenetic alterations in patients with endocrine-related disorders. Rute also conducted screenings for genetic variants and implemented a genetic diagnosis for certain disorders.
Overall, Rute Tomaz's work experience showcases their expertise in stem cell research, genetic studies, and laboratory management.
Rute Tomaz began their education journey by completing a Licentiate Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Lisbon from 2002 to 2007. Following that, they pursued a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Imperial College London, specializing in Pluripotent Stem Cells and Epigenetics, which lasted from 2011 to 2015.
In addition to their formal education, Rute Tomaz has obtained various certifications to enhance their skills and knowledge. Rute completed an Advanced Cell Therapy Technology (CELLT1) certification at Cytiva in December 2022. Furthermore, they obtained an Introduction to Shell certification from DataCamp in May 2020. In August 2019, they completed a Drug Discovery certification through Coursera. Rute Tomaz also undertook several courses related to data analysis, including Analysis of RNA-seq Data with Bioconductor at the University of Cambridge in May 2017, Analysis of Single Cell RNA-seq Data at the University of Cambridge in March 2017, and an Introduction to R course at DataCamp in March 2017. Additionally, they obtained certifications in Research and Human Tissue Legislation from the Medical Research Council in September 2016 and in the Introduction to RNA-seq and ChIP-seq Analysis from the University of Cambridge in July 2016.
October, 2022 - present