Grant Wiersum
Summary
- Established record of success applying analytical problem-solving to basic research and business applications.
- Graduate of Northwestern’s Master’s of Data Science program with specialization in Artificial Intelligence.
- Strong tech stack including Microsoft and Linux operating systems, scripting in BASH and SQL, development in Python, Java and R. Working knowledge of cloud platforms, i.e. Snowflake, GCP and Azure, and deployment using Flask, Docker and Streamlit. Web development with WordPress.
- Deep experience in conducting rigorous research, analyzing findings and delivering collaborative problem-solving across technical areas.
Education
Northwestern University
Master of Science
Data Science and A.I.
August 2023, GPA 3.7
- Natural Language Processing of BioRxiv – Used BioRxiv API to download one year of scholarly pre-print abstracts. Applied the BERT Large-Language Model (LLM) to tokenize abstracts. Constructed relational, graph database of authors based on co-authorship. Performed dimensionality reduction to produce an intelligible 2-dimensional map using UMAP.
- Alignment-Free RNA-Seq Deconvolution – Accessed Sequence Read Archive to download a benchmark dataset. Used samtools to pre-process data. Adapted an AI autoencoder framework to tokenize RNA-seq data from C. elegans. Successfully demonstrated efficiency, accuracy and recall of technique in identifying human kidney-cell subtypes.
- Economic Modeling of Craigslist Apartment Listings – Developed a Selenium-based web-scraper. Scraped entirety of Chicago-area Craigslist apartment listings. Organized, cleaned and tabulated available attributes. Developed an economic model to determine the impacts of each property attribute on rent prices. Predicted return-on-investment of renovations and hypothetical listing prices.
Loyola University Chicago
Bachelor of Science
Biological Chemistry
December, 2014
Professional Experience
Abbvie
Target Enabling Technologies
Small-molecule-Protein Biochemistry
Lake Bluff, IL
Scientist (Contract)
January– December 2022
- Joined information-management working group and led quality-control studies to improve data integrity and accuracy in a mission-critical SQL-based LIMS system.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams, communicating findings and strategic insights, orally and in writing.
- Provided high-quality support for basic research activities through expression, purification and characterization of target proteins.
- Performed protein characterization using techniques including: Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS), Affinity and Size-exclusion FPLC and HPLC, Mass Spec, Western blotting, SDS and Native PAGE.
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Satchell Lab
Chicago, IL
Laboratory Technician
March 2018 – December 2021
- Proposed and functionalized a switch from PCR-based cloning to a pipeline based on synthetic nucleic acid constructs at considerable time and material cost savings.
- Performed basic research in the area of potential pandemic pathogens including bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases.
- Performed quantitative analyses to identify opportunities for pipeline improvement.
- Presented findings through oral presentations and through academic publication.
Abbott Laboratories
Diagnostics Division
Assay Development and Migration
Associate Scientist (Contract)
February 2017 – March 2018
- Performed troubleshooting and formulation of biochemical assays, recommending formulation revisions as appropriate.
- Performed statistical analyses with Microsoft Excel.
- Established standard operating procedure for guard-band testing and mentored junior scientists.
- Prepared deliverable documents for FDA approval of diagnostic devices by use of LIMS/ELN
- Presented findings to colleagues through written documents and oral presentation.
Performance Bike
The Bike Lane Chicago
Backcountry Chicago
Mechanic
March 2015 – July 2018
January 2023 – August 2023
November 2023 – Present
- Achieved a 24% increase in labor throughput vs the previous year.
- Managed a team of four mechanics and additional associates to meet sales and customer service goals.
- Took personal responsibility for developing strong customer relationships and resolving conflicts.
- Maintained organized front and back stocks of products, problem-solving when supply-chain issues arose.
Performance Bike
Lead Mechanic
July 2016 – March 2018
- Serviced and repaired bicycles to a high standard of quality.
- Organized and improved efficiency in the repair area.
- Developed strong customer relationships and resolved conflicts.
- Kept an up-to-date knowledge of industry best practices.
- Multitasked to complete work tickets in a timely manner.
Family Business
Property Manager
2008 – present
- Managed maintenance and renovations for up to nine units.
- Acted as a general contractor, ordering supplies, maintaining activities according to a budget and timeline, hiring trades professionals and ensuring quality of work.
- Conducted real-estate market research to identify property features and their values to renters.
- Modeled return-on-investment for business decision making, forecasting outcomes for theoretical sales, reinvestments in other asset classes and rental-unit renovations.
- Acted as first point-of-contact for tenants, collecting rent, scheduling repairs and conducting showings.