Daniel Ackerman, Senior Scientist and PhD Student, Seeking Opportunity in Government and Biodefense Sectors
DANIEL N. ACKERMAN, National Strategic Research Institute
Abstract Number: 616
Working Group: Meet the Job Seekers
Abstract
My name is Daniel Ackerman. I am a Senior Scientist at the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) and a PhD student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). I have over 15 years of hands-on biological laboratory experience and have been studying bioaerosols for the past 4 years. I have provided wide-ranging technical expertise in biological assays along with sampling for infectious bioaerosols that have led me to developing methods for bioaerosol detection. I have worked with Tier 1 Select agents in both lab and field environments such as my time spent in Liberia during the 2014 Ebola Outbreak and have operated in all biosafety levels (BSL-1, 2, 3, and 4). I have supported missions that cover a broad spectrum of topics within the biodefense realm including hazard mitigation, counter-proliferation, sample collection, and detection. Currently, my studies have been focused on the advancement of bioaerosol detection and characterization. These studies encompass circular intensity differential scattering (CIDS) analysis of bioaerosols and investigating the methods to further the study of bioaerosol viability, specifically viruses. I have experience working in various methodologies to include molecular biology, microbiology, virology, cell culture, immunology, and aerosol biology. I wish to continue furthering my expertise in these disciplines and am looking for a position where I can generate ideas and have them come to fruition. My anticipated availability is dependent on my graduation date set for the end of summer semester 2025. Job positions of interest would be in the government or academia. Geographically, I would prefer to be located either in the Rocky Mountain States or the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, but I am flexible depending on the opportunities presented. I aim to make an impact in the aerosol community and hope to develop a novel tool to aid the mitigation of infectious bioaerosols.