CV

Education

• Ph.D. in Clinical Bio-Analytical Chemistry, Cleveland State University, 2018
• M.S. in Analytical Chemistry, Governors State University, 2009
• B.S. in Pharmacy, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, 2007

Work experience

• Research Associate - Bioimage Informatics (2021-present)
  Imaging Core, Lerner Reserach Institute, Cleveland, OH
  • Consultation for High-Content Imaging: Provided expert consultation on experimental design, data acquisition, and image analysis for high-content imaging experiments.
  • Workflow Development for Big Data Automation: Developed automated workflows for big data projects, enhancing efficiency and data processing capabilities.
  • Bioimage Informatics Services: Established robust bioimage informatics services to support investigators at LRI and partner institutes.
  • Bioimage Analysis Training: Provided comprehensive training to investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff on developing cutting-edge in-silico methods for extracting data from images.
  • Research Collaboration: Collaborated with investigators on research projects, contributing to studies that resulted in co-authorship of articles published in high-impact journals.
  • Web Application Development: Developed “Resource Tracker Web,” a web application for tracking equipment usage of shared instruments and enabling billing in iLab.
  • Technical Maintenance and Troubleshooting: Maintained various workstations, software, and microscopes, leveraging expertise in troubleshooting and resolving computer and technological issues.
• Imaging Specialist (2018-2021)
  Imaging Core, Lerner Reserach Institute, Cleveland, OH
  • Provided imaging consultation and training for confocal, TIRF, multispectral and scanning electron microscopy. Offer image processing and data analysis support to biomedical researchers.
  • Developed in-house image analysis protocols using open-source as well as commercial software to reveals multi-parameter cellular expressions and interactions while retaining spatial context for whole slide multispectral imaging.
  • Developed Resource Tracker 2.0 to verify user, verify activity number, track instrument usage, and bill user activities in iLab for Imaging Core users.
• Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2019)
  Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
  • Investigated role of Myo18a in regulation of humoral immunity by studying spatio-temporal distribution of Myo18a within B cells
  • Explored morphological features of murine B cells from WT and KO mice using Scanning Electron Microscopy.
• Graduate Assistant (2012-2015)
  Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
  • Duties included: Supervise operations and maintain Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Facility. Provide support and teach labs for SEM and EDS analysis to graduate and undergraduate students.
• Graduate Assistant (2008-2009)
  Governors State University, University Park, IL
  • Duties included: Taught labs for physical chemistry and instrumental analysis to undergraduate students. Maintain Agilent LC/MSD-Trap, BRUKER NMR 300, Varian GC/MS/MS, and Thermo ATR FTIR. Help students develop a method for their sample extraction and analysis using spectroscopy, chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• Marketing Representative (2007)
  Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited
  • Successfully promoted with increase in sales of Thromboflux in Ahmedabad territory.
• QC Chemist Intern (2007)
  Trio Pharma, Ahmedabad, India.
  • Analyse raw material and maintain record for each batch.

Skills

• Light Microscopy
  • Cell and tissue imaging using confocal, multi-photon and TIRF microscopy
  • Hyperspectral and multispectral imaging for multiplex slides
• Electron Microscopy
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Enenrgy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for biomaterials.
  • Low kV SEM for cell, tissue and biofilm imaging
• Image processing (ImageJ, QuPath, CellProfiler, Volocity, Digital Micrograph, Image-Pro, HALO, Matlab)
  • Whole slide multiplex analysis
  • 3D volume processing & analysis for confocal and MRI data
  • Tracking cells for timelapse imaging
• Machine learning and data analysis
  • Deep learning for tissue and cell segmentation for the whole slide image analysis
  • Single cell data analysis (Clustering, Classification and Dimentionality reduction)
• Raman chemical imaging
  • Map crystalline domain for implant material (Poly-L-lactic acid) using Raman imaging.
  • Analyse Raman spectral imaging data with Matlab
• Chromatography
  • Extraction and analysis of Melamine from milk products using LC-MS and GC-MS.
• Programming & computing
  • Strong knowledge of object-oriented programing and application development tools.
  • Version control for software development (Git, Github)
  • Matlab and Python for data analysis and visualization.
  • Build workstations for image analysis, deep learning and data science applications.

Publications

My NCBI Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/ajay.zalavadia.1/bibliography/public/

A novel surface plasmon coupled tunable wavelength filter for hyperspectral imaging

John F. Turner II, and Ajaykumar H. Zalavadia, "A novel surface plasmon coupled tunable wavelength filter for hyperspectral imaging", Proc. SPIE 10376, Novel Optical Systems Design and Optimization XX, 103760A (24 August 2017).

A Broadly Tunable Surface Plasmon-Coupled Wavelength Filter for Visible and Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging

Zalavadia, Ajaykumar. "A Broadly Tunable Surface Plasmon-Coupled Wavelength Filter for Visible and Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Cleveland State University, 2018. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. 16 Jun 2020.

Cardiac expression of microRNA-7 is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling

Gupta, M.K., Sahu, A., Sun, Y. et al. Cardiac expression of microRNA-7 is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling. Sci Rep 11, 22018 (2021).

P-Cadherin Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Cell Migration and Mucosal Repair, but is Dispensable for Colitis Associated Colon Cancer

Naydenov, N.G.; Lechuga, S.; Zalavadia, A.; Mukherjee, P.K.; Gordon, I.O.; Skvasik, D.; Vidovic, P.; Huang, E.; Rieder, F.; Ivanov, A.I. P-Cadherin Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Cell Migration and Mucosal Repair, but Is Dispensable for Colitis Associated Colon Cancer. Cells 2022, 11, 1467.

Adaptation to chronic ER stress enforces pancreatic β-cell plasticity

Chien-Wen Chen, Bo-Jhih Guan, Mohammed Alzahrani, Zhaofeng Gao, Long Gao, Syrena Bracey, Jing Wu, Cheikh Mbow, Raul Jobava, Leena Haataja, Ajay Zalavadia, Ashleigh Schaffer, Hugo Hugo Lee, Thomas Laframboise, Ilya Bederman, Peter Arvan, Clayton Mathews, Ivan Gerling, Klaus Kaestner, Boaz Tirosh, Feyza Engin, Maria Hatzoglou. Adaptation to chronic ER stress enforces pancreatic β-cell plasticity. Nature Communications, 13, 4621 (2022).

The MIF promoter SNP rs755622 is associated with immune activation in glioblastoma

Alban, T.J., Grabowski, M.M., Otvos, B., Bayik, D., Wang, W., Zalavadia, A., Makarov, V., Troike, K., McGraw, M., Rabljenovic, A. and Lauko, A., 2023. The MIF promoter SNP rs755622 is associated with immune activation in glioblastoma. JCI insight, 8(13).

Ifit2 restricts murine coronavirus spread to the spinal cord white matter and its associated myelin pathology

Madhav Sharma, Debanjana Chakravarty, Ajay Zalavadia, Amy Burrows, Patricia Rayman, Nikhil Sharma, Lawrence C. Kenyon, Cornelia Bergmann, Ganes C. Sen, Jayasri Das Sarma. Ifit2 restricts murine coronavirus spread to the spinal cord white matter and its associated myelin pathology. Journal of Virology. e00749-23. doi:10.1128/jvi.00749-23

VISTA promotes the metabolism and differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by STAT3 and polyamine-dependent mechanisms

Zhang, K., Zakeri, A., Alban, T., Dong, J., Ta, H. M., Zalavadia, A. H., Branicky, A., Zhao, H., Juric, I., Husich, H., Parthasarathy, P. B., Rupani, A., Drazba, J. A., Chakraborty, A. A., Ching-Cheng Huang, S., Chan, T., Avril, S., & Wang, L. L. (2024). VISTA promotes the metabolism and differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by STAT3 and polyamine-dependent mechanisms. Cell reports, 43(1), 113661.

Coactosin-like protein 1 regulates integrity and repair of model intestinal epithelial barriers via actin binding dependent and independent mechanisms

Lechuga, S., Marino-Melendez, A., Davis, A., Zalavadia, A., Khan, A., Longworth, M. S., & Ivanov, A. I. (2024). Coactosin-like protein 1 regulates integrity and repair of model intestinal epithelial barriers via actin binding dependent and independent mechanisms. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 12, 1405454.

Talks

FT-IR Imaging.

January 01, 2008

Conference proceedings talk at Chemistry Club Poster Presentation 2008, Governors State University, Governors State University, University Park, IL

Aspects of GC/MS and LC/MS analysis for Melamine in milk.

January 01, 2009

Conference proceedings talk at 15th Annual Student Research Conference 2009, Governors State University, Governors State University, University Park, IL

High Fidelity Raman Chemical Imaging using an Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter.

April 15, 2011

Conference proceedings talk at College of Sciences and Health Professions Research Day 2011, Cleveland State University, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

A Novel Virtually Imaged Phased Array Surface Plasmon Wavelength Filter for High Resolution Spectroscopy.

March 13, 2012

Conference proceedings talk at Pittcon 2012, Orlando, FL

Design and theoretical modeling of a hybrid virtually phased array surface plasmon wavelength filter

April 20, 2012

Conference proceedings talk at College of science annual research day 2012, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

Surface plasmon imaged phased array (SPIPA): Design and modeling

June 15, 2012

Conference proceedings talk at Polymer Initiative Northeast Ohio 2012, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Surface Plasmon Imaged Phased Array: Design and theoretical Modeling.

November 03, 2012

Conference proceedings talk at Cleveland State Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2012, Cleveland, OH

SPIPA (Surface Plasmon Imaged Phased Array) An ultra narrow bandpass filter for spectroscopy and spectral imaging.

March 18, 2013

Conference proceedings talk at Pittcon 2013, Philadelphia, PA

A Broadly Tunable Surface Plasmon-Coupled Wavelength Filter for Wide-Field Visible and Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging.

March 02, 2014

Conference proceedings talk at Pittcon 2014, Chicago, IL

Wide-field Hyperspectral Imaging and Spectroscopy using Surface Plasmon-Coupled Wavelength Filter.

October 02, 2014

Conference proceedings talk at SCIX 2014, Reno, NV

A Tunable Surface Plasmon-Coupled Wide-Field Hyperspectral Imaging Filter.

March 11, 2015

Conference proceedings talk at Pittcon 2015, New Orleans, LA

Explore tumor microenvironment using multiplex immunofluorescence and spatial analysis (Bioimaging and Image analysis)

July 27, 2021

Department Seminar at Promotion Seminar - Shared Laboratory Resources, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Teaching

Graduate Assistant

Graduate Assistant

Instructor of Molecular Medicine

Service and leadership

• Lead developer for the core billing software and iLab integration.
• Research Associate/Project Scientist Leadership Council