Curriculum vitae - Deemah Schirf

CURRICULUM VITAE

Deemah Nasr Schirf
8418 Timberwilde
San Antonio, Texas 78250-4427
(210) 680-9265
email: deemah.schirf@utsa.edu

Present Position: Lecturer II, Department of Life Sciences, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

Education:

  • Graduate

1984-1987: The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

M. S. in Biology

  • Undergraduate

1980-1983: The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

B. S. in Biology

1978-1980: San Antonio Community College, San Antonio, Texas

Pertinent Work Experience:

  • 2008- present, Adjunct, Department of Biology, Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, Texas

    Instruct lecture classes in freshman biology and nutrition

  • 2003-present, Lecturer II, Department of Life Sciences, The University of Texas
    at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
    Instruct lecture classes in freshman biology, genetics, and biology of aging

  • 2000-2003, Lecturer I, Department of Life Sciences, The University of Texas
    at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
    Instruct undergraduate laboratories in the areas of genetics and basic science and lecturer of record for freshman biology, genetics, and biology of aging

  • 1998-2000, Research Scientist Associate II, Department of Life Sciences, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
    Direct graduate and undergraduate students in a mosquito genetics research laboratory; PCR and various molecular and biochemical assays; management of the laboratory to include ordering, scheduling, interacting with various committees, writing protocols, coordinating with the Texas Department of Health in the Rio Grande Valley and collaboration with commercial companies; and performing statistics and graphical manipulation for publications

  • 1997-1998 Senior Research Assistant, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
    Optimize agarose gels for nucleotide sequencing

  • 1996-1997 Research Assistant, Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, The University of Texas
    Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
    Duties included the use of cell lines to study nephrological disease processes utilizing cell culture techniques; protein isolations in conjunction with immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE, and Western blotting; RNA isolations and various techniques utilized in the study of apoptosis

  • 1991-1994 Senior Research Associate I, GenelabTechnologies, San Antonio, Texas
    Duties include handling infectious material, such as Hepatitis C and E, performing an array of molecular biology techniques including isolation of RNA and DNA, establishing and optimizing strand specific PCR assays, Southern blot analysis, autoradiography, formalin inactivation of viruses and DNA plasmid preparations. Responsibilities include ordering, keeping data, writing weekly progress reports, maintaining and performing lab duties as required.

  • 1990-1991 Research Associate, The University of Texas at Health Science Center, The Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, San Antonio, Texas. Duties included isolating and purifying DNA from transgenic mice, performing PCR, Southern analysis, slot blot analysis of restricted genomic DNA, oligolabelling and autoradiography. Duties also included supervising laboratory personnel and maintaining records.

  • 1987-1988 Senior Research Assistant, The University of Texas Health Science Center, The Department
    of Cellular and Structural Biology, San Antonio, Texas. Duties included restriction analysis of genomic and plasmid DNA, cloning, sequencing, plasmid preparations, CAT assays, nuclear extracts, RNA extractions, sucrose gradients, ligations, S1 nuclease and other duties as required.

  • 1987 Research Assistant I, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
    Duties included biochemical assays of various acid hydrolases, statistics and writing of reports as well as other duties as required.

  • 1985-1987 Teaching Assistant I, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
    Duties included the instruction and supervision of various undergraduate laboratories including general biology, genetics and biochemistry.

Special training:

  • 1983-1984 Clinical rotation for Medical Technology including training in clinical microbiology

  • 1987 Radioisotope User's Training Course, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas

Research Interests:

  • Microbiology

  • Genetics

  • Biochemistry

  • Molecular Biology

Professional societies:
Sigma Xi

References: available upon request

Publications:

Abstracts (1) and Papers Personally Presented (2):

(1,2) Deemah N. Schirf and P. F. Dehn. 1986. The effects of hypoxia on enzymes regulating adenylate metabolism in the catfish, Ictalurus melas: I. Preliminary studies. Texas Academy of Sciences. 27(s):70.

(1) M. R. Tamayo, V. R. Schirf, D. N. Schirf, C. I. Gonzalez and P. H. Rodriguez. 1988. Variation in acid hydrolase activities in filarial susceptible and refractory strains of Aedes aegypti. Genome. 30:180.

Journal articles:

Deemah N. Schirf, P. H. Rodriquez, V. R. Schirf, C.I. Gonzalez and M. Tamayo . 1989. Variation in four acid hydrolase activities in filarial- susceptible and -refractory genotypes of Aedes aegypti. Biochem. Genet. 27 (9/10):533-539.

Christi A. Walter, Deemah Nasr-Schirf, and Victor J. Luna. 1989. Identification of transgenic mice carrying the CAT gene with PCR amplification. Biotechniques 7(10): 1065-1070.

Paul H. Rodriguez, Michael R. Tamayo, Richard Castillon, and Deemah Nasr-Schirf. 1998. Variation in acid hydrolase enzyme titers in different developmental stages of Aedes togoi. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 14(4):380-384.