Zak Whichard

Risk Management Professional
Interests:
  • Mathematical Modeling
  • Physics, Astrophysics & Observational Astronomy
  • Systems Biology
  • Finance
  • Complex Networks
    • Email: zakwhich(at)gmail.com
    • Location: Chicago, IL

    Who am I?

    I am an academic apostate, trading a PhD program to explore the world of risk management.
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    Work Experience

    Mathematician and Research Tech

    Corey Lab, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

    • Period: November 2008 - July 2011
    • Job type: Full-Time

  • Wrote and published a comprehensive review paper on the mathematical models employed in studies of hematopoiesis and associated pathologies.
  • Developed experimental protocols for quantifying G-CSF receptor expression via flow cytometry, training other lab members to use of the flow cytometer and properly analyze/interpret their data.
  • Maintained cultures of human cancer cell lines and experimentally searched for maximally synergistic combinations of chemotherapeutic agent.

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    Education

    The University of Chicago

    Bachelor of Arts, Physics with Honors, June 2008

  • Wrote an Honors thesis detailing a method I developed to systematically search for QSO-Galaxy pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasar database. Discovered 15 previously unknown QSO-Galaxy pairs.

    • Northwestern University

    Masters of Science, Applied Mathematics, June 2012

  • Developed a mathematical model of microRNA-based gene regulation, using methods from sensitivity analysis to determine which physical parameters would make the most effective targets for therapies aimed at modulating aberrant protein production.
  • Studied the dynamics of language by analyzing Google books data from 1820 to 2000 to better understand the relationship between changes in word frequency and dissemination across books.
  • Worked with an in silico model of the e.coli K12 metabolic network, modeling drug interventions as network perturbations, attempting to find antagonistic drug combinations that prevent acquired drug resistance.

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    Publications

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