Nick Kushner

Nick Kushner has a diverse work experience in the field of molecular biology and vaccine development. Nick began their career as a Research Associate at Cambridge Biotech Corporation, where they played a crucial role in the development of a recombinant vaccine against Feline Leukemia Virus. Nick also contributed to the progression of Genentech/CBC's HIV-1 vaccine phase 1 clinical trials.

Later, Nick worked as a Research Associate at the Virus Research Institute, where they evaluated recombinant HIV-1 vaccines and demonstrated for the first time that monkeys immunized with HIV-1 antigens can be protected against an HIV-1 envelope containing virus.

Nick then joined the Harvard School of Public Health as a Senior Research Specialist. Here, they developed and evaluated HIV vaccines consisting of recombinant proteins fused with de-toxified anthrax proteins. This approach allowed for the delivery of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and helper epitopes into mammalian cells.

At Vaccine Technologies, Inc., Nick worked as a Scientist, focusing on vaccine production. Nick played a crucial role in the production of a recombinant fusion protein HIV vaccine.

Subsequently, Nick joined Agenus as a Senior Research Associate, where they performed molecular cloning of TCR and CAR-T constructs for immune-oncology applications. Nick was also involved in the transfection of mammalian cells and the transduction of T cells to enhance the immune system's ability to fight cancer.

Currently, Nick is working at MiNK Therapeutics as a Scientist 1. Their responsibilities include molecular cloning of lentiviral vectors, transfection of cells to make lentivirus, and determining the transduction efficiency by flow cytometry. Nick is also skilled in PCR, qPCR, ELISA, and Western blot techniques.

Throughout their career, Nick has shown expertise in various molecular cloning techniques, virus production, and immunological assays.

Nick Kushner attended Brandeis University, where they pursued a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Biology. No specific start or end dates for their education at Brandeis University were provided.