Genetics & Health-Related Research:

Genetics:

Bioinformatics:

Informatics:

In addition to my genomics bioinformatics research, I am also employing a very sophisticated data mining and text / literature mining suite, RapidMiner.

Science & Technology Education, Leadership, Mentorship, Science Policy & Management:

In Post-Doctoral training Dr. Stuart acquired additional extensive expertise involving yeast mitochondrial genetics, yeast genetics including mutant strain constructions, confocal microscopy, microarray-based gene expression studies of wild-type and mutant yeast strains, and the bioinformatics analyses of these large and complex expression datasets. The latter work led to bioinformatic training and expertise, including analyses using GeneSpring, Cytoscape, GenMAPP, GoMiner and other bioinformatic platforms / software, and other analyses.

In addition to this research activity, Dr. Stuart maintains an active interest in multiple areas of science, as outlined on this page. Dr. Stuart offers the ability to analyze, consult, and strategize on any of these research areas, including bioinformatic and other informatic analyses, providing review and interpretation of research data, assessing and annotating the results of genetics tests (e.g. personalized genetic test results), searching the scientific and medical literature on specific topics or subject areas and integrating this information into technical reports and reports, developing new insights from novel discovering in genetics / genomics (e.g. functional genetics) and their application or to or implications regarding human health ,and communicating this information to non-scientific audiences (patients; students; the general public).

For additional information or fully-confidential discussions regarding any of these areas-of-interest, please contact me at mail @ persagen.com.

Education; Leadership; Mentorship; Science Policy & Management

Throughout most of her career, Persagen Consulting Owner Dr. Victoria Stuart's professional scientific experience has involved working with others, providing scientific, technical and research support and expertise, including peer-mentorship and training of students and junior scientific and technical staff.

More recently, Dr. Stuart's work with Persagen Consulting for the Life Sciences Division of the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) has included the review of numerous Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) research education-related proposals - and, more recently - work associated with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's GEMS (Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science) program.

[Related to these programs are the High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) (click here for a descriptive PDF file), the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) (see also this PDF file), the Science Education Internship (SEI) program, and others.]

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Apprenticeship Program

"The Army Research Office (ARO) intends to conduct a pilot youth science program, the High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP), that will fund the Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) apprenticeship of promising high school juniors and seniors to work in a university structured research environment under the direction of existing ARO-sponsored principal investigators (PI) serving as mentors. ... The overall objectives of HSAP include: ensuring a high quality and high quantity STEM workforce in the US; fostering high school student interest in STEM subject areas; facilitating follow-on student opportunities including university enrollment and DoD scholarships/internships; and ultimately exposing the apprentices to the attractive, meaningful, and challenging military and civilian career STEM opportunities."

STEM education and outreach programs focus on a set of core objectives:

• Increase the number of STEM graduates to address the projected shortfall of scientists and engineers in National and DoD positions

• Expand the involvement of students in ongoing DoD research

• Provide STEM educational opportunities for students at all stages of their K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education

• Entice students into college-level Department of Defense (DoD) programs

• Inform students about military or civil service career opportunities in STEM

"The United States Army has long recognized that a scientifically and technologically literate citizenry is our nation's best hope for a secure, rewarding and successful future. For over 50 years, the Army has supported a wide range of educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for our youth and their teachers. Our nation's economy has greatly benefited from the technological achievements of the last century and is destined for greater achievements throughout the 21st century. STEM will continue to play a dominant role in all aspects of everyday life and be a key enabler of US military capability and national security in the 21st century. For these reasons, the Army has created the Army Educational Outreach Program, AEOP, which greatly expands and integrates an array of Army educational opportunities for the future generations of America's workforce and their teachers. The AEOP is comprised of Army-sponsored research, education, competitions, internships and practical experiences designed to engage and guide students and teachers in STEM. From elementary school through graduate school, students of all proficiency levels, interests, and ethnic, economic and academic backgrounds are encouraged to participate in real world experiences involving these important disciplines."

Among the numerous STEM-related scientific research proposals that I have reviewed for the ARO, most - if not all - include provisions, included among the review criteria, that include the inclusion of under-represented and disadvantaged groups in science and technology, including women, ethnic minorities, socioeconomically-disadvantaged groups, historically black colleges and universities (HCBUs).

GEMS: Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science Program

GEMS is an extracurricular science education program, which enables students to experience science in a real laboratory setting. The program is based on a multi-disciplinary educational curriculum, and is focused on age- and grade-appropriate hands-on activities, in areas such as science, engineering, mathematics, computational sciences, computational biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry and biology. Students receive a stipend to participate in one week-, two week- and four-week long programs, depending on student grade and program site. Programs offered at different sites are unique. Please take the time to explore these programs, offered at the sites listed below.

GEMS programs are offered at the following locations:

• Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD
• The Army Research Lab, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
• The Army Research Lab, Adelphi, MD
• The Army Research Lab, White Sands Missile Range, NM
• The Engineer Research & Development Center, Vicksburg, MS
• Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center, Huntsville, AL

Leadership & Scientific Service

Dr. Stuart's professional and personal mission is the advancement of science and technology, education, human health, societal issues, and fostering individual growth and development. To achieve these goals, leadership and teamwork are important. Dr. Stuart's scientific leadership includes scientific service as a Councilor, President-Elect and President (2006 - 2007) of the Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society, a non-profit scientific research society based in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina (USA). In addition to leading this organization (GEMS Board Meetings; planning and hosting the twice-yearly scientific conferences including the Annual Meeting; etc.), GEMS encourages the full participation of students (undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate) at it's conferences, including student talks and poster presentations. These students include those from HBCU.

In her personal life, Dr. Stuart is a former President of her Fraternity (Phi Kappa Pi, Halifax, Nova Scotia) and more recently has served as a leader and an advocate in the transgender community; she founded a highly successful ongoing transgender support / education / advocacy / outreach group, the Durham Gender Alliance (in Durham, North Carolina), as well as an online advocacy group, TransAdvocates, and formerly served as the Chair of the Trans Alliance Society, the leading transgender support / education / advocacy / outreach group in British Columbia, Canada.