Kathleen Zapata

San Francisco, Ca.

Hi, I am Kathleen!

I'm a highschool student and a science enthusiast. I enjoy coding, problem solving, and finding solutions whether its small everyday inconveniences to tackling big world problems.

Experience

Work

Pathology Intern
AbbVie | March 2021 - Present
  • Assist industry researchers with immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays and experiments for cancer research and drug development.
  • Senior project involves the validation of cell lines for IHC projects.
  • Prior projects include: digital microscopy, quality controlling tissue slides, histology projects.
SIMR Student
Stanford School of Medicine | June 2023 - August 2023
  • Investigated the sensitivity of TP53 mutant human HSCs to CD47 antibody compared with wild-type HSCs.
  • Utilized CRISPR/CAS9/AAV6 gene editing methodology to knock out TP53 in human primary CD34+ cells derived from cord blood and adult peripheral blood.
  • Conducted in vitro assays to assess the impact of CD47 blockade on phagocytosis by macrophages.
Summer Analyst Intern
Accenture | June 2022 - August 2022
  • Completed a 6-week survey course focused on introducing the professional culture of global businesses and topics, skills, and issues that are defining the future of work
  • Developed core skills like problem solving, public speaking, and professional communication
  • Collaborated with three interns to create a passion pitch project that included a final presentation for Accenture and guests.

Extracurriculars

Mission Bit
Fall 2021 - Present
Student Advisory Board (SAB) Member
  • I lend support in diversifying the tech industry by introducing underrepresented youth in the Bay Area to Computer Science.
  • Showcased CS projects for executives at top tech companies for their annual SFMoMA gala, raising $66,000 for funding free coding classes
The Spartan Press
2020 - Present
Editor, *Former Editor In Chief
I manage ICA's Student Run Newspaper, this includes their newspaper, social media, and podcast departments. I organized field trips to local newspapers and hosted panel questions with their CEO and writers.
*I stepped down from my position to make time for my CS passion projects.
Code Nation
Fall 2021 - Present
Girls Who Code
Summer 2021 - Present

Projects


  • The outcomes of this study are expected to have significant clinical implications, offering a potential therapeutic avenue for addressing TP53 mutant clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and mitigating the risk of hematological malignancies. The CD47 antibody emerges as a promising candidate for further development as a targeted therapy, especially for CH patients with TP53 mutations.
  • The project involves the utilization of human hematopoietic stem cells sourced from umbilical cord blood and mobilized adult peripheral blood. Employed CRISPR gene editing techniques established in the Majeti lab to selectively knock out TP53 in human CD34+ cells.
  • Performed in-depth in vitro and in vivo experiments to analyze the influence of CD47 blockade on various cellular processes, including phagocytosis, survival, and proliferation.
  • Presented at SIMR Poster Session, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Conference for SPARK students hosted by Cedars-Sinai, and Stanford's Annual Stem Cell Conference

  • Business pitch for an app that tackled the microplastic problem and the confusion gap of recycling plastic waste.
  • By utilizing A.I. and M.L., prototyped an app concept that streamlined the process of recycling by categorizing common waste products for disposal based on an image.
  • Top Presentation within the San Francisco Accenture | Honorable Mention at L2L's symposium
    • Web Version laggy and does not include full build

  • Immersive video game museum highlighting the accomplishments of Civil Rights activists and leaders. Created with Unity and C#
  • Presented at the SFMoMa for a tech gala and invited by VPs from Unity to present at their office
  • Won Most Impact

    • Disco Mag!
    AAPI Talk

    Contact

    kathleenpzapata@gmail.com