Bio
I am an aspiring physician-scientist who is passionate about improving accessibility of personalized medicine. My scientific interests range from computational genomics method development to bioinformatics of public health data. I am currently exploring the role of cell-cell fusion in cancer evolutionary trajectories and metastatic potential (with a particular emphasis on the evolution of chemotherapeutic resistance). My clinical interest are constantly changing as I get further into my medical education. At the moment, I am particularly interested in exploring the fields of Clinical Genetics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Med-Peds, and Ob/Gyn.
In my free time, I am an avid music-consumer; when I can do so in a Covid-conscious manner, you can find me at music festivals and concerts or just at home singing Broadway and Disney soundtracks to my cat, Ayanna. I identify as a board-game geek, a band nerd, choir geek, and overall weirdo (in a good way).
I am most accessible via email! I have socials but I use them very sporadically.
Education
Case Western Reserve University – Medical Scientist Training Program | Cleveland, OH
M.D. | July 2021 - May 2029 (expected); ongoing
Ph.D. Systems Biology and Bioinformatics | July 2021 - May 2029 (expected); ongoing
University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA
B.S. Bioengineering, with Honors | August 2016 - August 2020
B.A. Computer Science, with Distinction in Scholarship | August 2016 - August 2020
Research
Theory Division: Dr. Jacob G. Scott | Cleveland Clinic Translational Hematology and Oncology Research (THOR) Division
PhD Research, Summer 2022- Present
Project: Cell-cell fusion and the Evolution of Chemotherapeutic Resistance
Fredrick Schumacher Lab | CWRU Dept. of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
PhD Rotation, Fall 2021
Project: Revisiting Horvath’s Epigenetic Clock to Predict and Model Cancerous Tissues
Computational Genomics Research Group | University of California, Berkeley
Undergraduate Research Apprentice, August 2017-December 2020
Project: MasterQC - A Bioinformatics Quality Control Tool
Vandsburger Research Group | University of California, Berkeley
Undergraduate Researcher, 2017-2018
Project: Development of a Viral-Engineering Protocol for Drug Delivery Tracking in Patients with Heart Disease
Work Experience
Thermo Fisher Scientific | Carlsbad, CA
Bioinformatics R&D Intern, Summer 2019
Project: Database Development for Gene Panel Primer Manufacturing QC in NGS R&D
Zeiss Meditec | Pleasanton, CA
Systems Engineering Intern, Summer 2018
Project: V&V Tool Development for Ophthalmic Medical Device Line
Publications
Paulameena V. Shultes, Davis T. Weaver, Dagim S. Tadele, Rowan J. Barker-Clarke, Jacob G. Scott, Cell-cell fusion in cancer: The next cancer hallmark?, The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Volume 175, 2024,106649, ISSN 1357-2725, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106649
Paulameena V. Shultes, Dagim S. Tadele, Arda Durmaz, Davis T. Weaver, Rowan Barker-Clarke, Mina N. Dinh, Siqing Liu, Endalkachew A. Alemu, Simon Rayner, Jacob G. Scott, Cell-Cell Fusion in NSCLC Confers a Fitness Benefit Under Drug Selection. bioRxiv 2024.12.02.626399; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.02.626399