Dr. Farzaneh Tondnevis is a 2015 UF Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate of Dr. Linda Bloom and Dr. Rob McKenna’s labs where her primary research focused on the structural, biochemical and biophysical analysis of replication proteins.
Dr. Tondnevis is currently employed as an automation scientist at Advanced Cell Diagnostics-Biotechne and is working on the development of RNAscope ISH assays as well as other novel assays based on RNAscope technology on various automated platforms traditionally designed for running IHC for a fully online, walk-away assay.
With regards to the impact of the Department’s contribution to preparing Farzaneh for her career path, she states, “The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology did a terrific job at training students to become effective communicators and critical thinkers. In addition to these skills, the Department encourages students to think outside of the box and actively learn about new skills and techniques that might be thought or practiced at any of the labs in the Department. Although my current position has nothing to do with my area of research while being a graduate research assistant, I was still able to learn the new techniques quickly and capitalize on the newly gained knowledge.” While she was at UF, doing her Ph.D. work, she learned about a biophysical technique (SAXS) which she was able to utilize it in her project. She comments that “this promotion of learning about new techniques even without availability of a formal course and relying on yourself and being open to learning about techniques and skills enabled and empowered me to a great extent. This experience solidified a kind of confidence in me that will be useful to me in all aspects of life not just professionally but also personally, and this confidence was greatly on display and prepared me for my current position where I had to learn about a brand new technique to do my job and excel at it.”
Farzaneh is originally from IRAN and migrated to USA in March of 2004. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from UCSC (University of California at Santa Cruz) and then began her graduate studies at UF a year after graduation.
She is now back in California which she considers her second home since moving to the states. “I truly love science and bench work and trying my best to live a consequential life with the opportunity I have been given with the big move to the United States and now being a scientist. It has been a wild ride and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”