James R. Maiolo III

California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
MC 127-72
Pasadena, CA 91125
(626) 590-0373
maiolo@caltech.edu

EDUCATION

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA June 2009
Ph.D. in Chemistry (GPA 4.1/4.0)
Minor: Computer Science

Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA June 2003
B.A., Highest Honors in Chemistry (GPA 3.96/4.0), graduated in 3 years
Minor: Math

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

California Institute of Technology Sept. 2004 – present
Graduate Researcher
  • Project Name: Photoelectrochemistry of Microstructured Silicon Devices
  • Purpose: Fundamental discoveries applying to structured solar energy devices for low-cost solar cells have been made.
  • Achievement: Information will create further exploration of these devices in the field at large.
  • Built and maintained instrument control software and data analysis tools in Matlab and Visual Basic for Excel

Merck & Co., Inc. June 2003 – Sept. 2004 &
Research Intern – High Throughput Screening Division Summer 2002
  • Purpose: Cellular studies of peptide uptake and transport by confocal microscopy were used to develop tools probing normal and disease-state cellular function; Protein-protein interaction studies on mutants of the protein responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Achievement: Discovered potential applications of cell-penetrating peptides and clarified certain aspects of their behavior

COMPUTER SKILLS

CS Coursework: Algorithms, Computer Systems, Databases, Distributed Computing, Computability and Complexity, Learning Systems, Language Lab (Java)

Programming Languages: Java, C++, C, Python, Scheme, Matlab, Visual Basic (Excel), ActionScript 3.0, SQL, AppleScript, Objective C, Assembly

Operating Systems: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, UNIX

Technical Knowledge: OOP, XML, HTML, CSS, django, Cocoa, Subversion, Eclipse

SOFTWARE PROJECTS

SCD Animation

  • Flash program for composing and viewing animations of Scottish Dances.
  • Community website (www.kiltflip.com) allows dancers to create and edit animations.
  • ~14k loc in ActionScript 3.0 and Python, largely independent project with mentoring.

MatStat

  • Instrument control software written in Matlab.
  • Design and implementation of user interface and analog data acquisition.
  • ~16k loc in Matlab, entirely independent work.

SHARPEN

  • Combinatorial hierarchical optimization of protein structure.
  • Implemented as a module for Folding@Home, to be rolled out on ~30k PCs.
  • Collaboration with a Caltech post-doc and several undergraduates.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Loksha, I. V.; Maiolo, J. R.; Hong, C. W.; Ng, A.; Snow, C. D. SHARPEN – Systematic Hierarchical Algorithms for Rotamers and Proteins on an Extended Network, Journal of Computational Chemistry 2008, in press.

  • Maiolo, J. R.; Atwater, H. A.; Lewis, N. S. Macroporous Silicon as a Model for Silicon Wire Array Solar Cells, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2008, 112, 6194-6201

  • Maiolo, J. R.; Kayes, B. M.; Filler, M. A.; Putnam, M. C.; Kelzenberg, M. D.; Atwater, H. A.; Lewis, N. S. High Aspect Ratio Silicon Wire Array Photoelectrochemical Cells, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2007, 129(41), 12346-12347

  • Maiolo, J. R.; Ferrer, M.; Ottinger, E. A. Effects of Cargo Molecules on the Cellular Uptake of Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Biomembranes 2005, 1712, 161.

  • Ferrer, M.; Maiolo, J.; Kratz, P.; Jackowski, J. L.; Murphy, D. J.; Delagrave, S.; Inglese, J. Directed Evolution of PDZ Variants to Generate High-Affinity Detection Reagents, Protein Engineering Design & Selection 2005, 18, 165.

  • Maiolo, J. R.; Ottinger, E. A.; Ferrer, M. Specific redistribution of cell-penetrating peptides from endosomes to the cytoplasm and nucleus upon laser illumination, Journal Of The American Chemical Society 2004, 126, 15376.

POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS

  • Co-Chair, Gordon-Kenan Graduate Research Seminar, Ventura, CA, 2009

  • Caltech-MIT Powering the Planet Retreat, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, Poster, “Synthesis and Photoelectrochemistry of Rod Arrays for Solar Cells” February 2-4, 2008.

  • Molecular and Quantum-Dot Solar Energy Workshop, Estes Park, CO, Poster, “Macroporous Silicon as a Model for Nanorod Solar Cells” September 4-9, 2007.

  • Invited Seminar, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA, “Macroporous Silicon as a Model System for Silicon Nanorod Solar Cells, February 2007.

  • 225th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, Poster, “Cellular Uptake Studies of a Peptide Inhibitor of Protein Tyrosine Phosphotase SHP-2” March 23-27, 2003.

ACTIVITIES

  • Scottish Country Dancing – Instructor for a weekly class (since 2005), member of the local Teachers’ Committee, and treasurer for the local Management Committee (since 2007).

  • Music – Lead singer in a rock band (since 2005), and also play guitar and drums.
References given upon request.