Curriculum Vitae

Boy in Haitian Hospital

EDUCATION

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine/ Medical College of Virginia, Richmond Va.

Doctor of Medicine, expected 5/08.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC.

Pre-medical, post-baccalaureate program 5/03, GPA: 3.86.
Dean’s List Fall 2001-Spring 2003, Chancellor’s List Fall 2002-Fall 2003.

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY.

MFA in Photography and Printmaking, 6/98.

Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

Dual BA in Psychology and Fine Arts, 8/95.
Dean’s List Spring 1994, First Honors Spring, 1995.

Academic Awards:

Inez Caldwell Scholarship for academic excellence in Biology, 8/02-5/03.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

HOMBRE (Honduras Outreach Medical Brigada Relief Effort), 9/04- 7/05, Danli, Honduras.
Pharmaceuticals and Materials Officer, Medical Assistant.

  • Identified hospital and community resources willing to donate medications equipment or materials.
  • Collected, documented, and distributed materials among students/doctors for transport to Honduras.
  • Served with a surgical team providing primary medical services to an underserved population while in a different culture and with limited supplies.
  • Assisted surgeons in evaluating patients for surgery, doing pre-operative history and physicals, and ordering appropriate tests. Documented findings, created charts, and coordinated operating schedules within our group and with the hospital’s surgical staff.
  • Assisted surgeons in a wide variety of cases that ranged from orthopedic to gynecological procedures.

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Emergency Department, 1/05-4/05. Richmond, VA.
Independent Elective.

  • Learned how to work in an ER setting, performing basic history and physical exams, presenting findings to attendings and assisting in sterile procedures.

Healthserve. 12/02-5/04, Greensboro, NC.
Nursing Assistant I.

  • Obtained the patient’s chief complaint, medication history, and recorded vital signs.
  • Observed healthcare professionals provide primary medical services to an under-served population.

Hôpital Lumiére, 08/97, Bonne Fin, Haiti.
Translator, Photographer, Medical Assistant.

  • Spent 2 weeks in a rural Haitian hospital with an orthopedic surgeon working as a physician’s assistant and translator. Assisted the physician in clinic and on rounds, performing minor procedures, keeping records, and communicating with the patients. Observed numerous surgeries and facilitated communication between the surgeon and the hospital’s nurses.
  • Photographically documented the experience and exhibited the photographs in two separate shows to the general public.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE/PRESENTATIONS

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine/ Medical College of Virginia.
Department of Orthopedics.

Research Assistant.

Project title: “Biomechanical Comparison of the Synthes Fixed-Angle vs. the DePuy Poly-Axial Proximal Tibial Locking Plate with Axial Loading in a Composite Sawbone Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fracture Model.“

Principal Investigator: Dr. William Foster, Dr. Lee Ebersberger

  • Currently comparing the biomechanical stability of two plating systems on tibial plateau fractures.

The University of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Department of Biochemistry.

Research Assistant.

Project Title: “Oxidation of 4-Nitrophenol and 4-Nitrocatechol by Wild-Type and Mutant P450 Enzymes.”

  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Greg Raner

  • Investigated the breakdown of environmental pollutants by P450 enzymes in E. Coli. Identified the mechanism by which the bacteria degraded these pollutants, as well as the ideal conditions and the metabolites produced.

  • Collected and assisted in analysis of data.
  • Presented the results as a poster at the Nov. 2002 SERMACS meeting in Charleston, SC.

Project title: “Synthesis of an Enzyme-Sparing Substrate.”

  • Developed an alternative synthetic methodology of a substrate (para-nitrophenoxydodecanoic acid) that serves as an enzyme-sparing agent. It will give all of the future P450 experiments clearer, better readings. This substrate was instrumental in others’ thesis.

Project title: “Effect of herbal products and their constituents on human cytochrome P450 activity”

  • Principal Investigators: Dr. Greg Raner and Dr. Nadja Cech
  • Investigated the possible deactivation of P450s in rabbit and human liver cells by the terminal alkynes in Echinacea. This may have significant implications for possible herb-drug interactions.
  • Isolated the compounds of interest and performed preliminary assays to determine which isoforms are inhibited by raw extract. Presented results as poster at the Nov. 2003 SERMACS meeting in Atlanta, GA.

PUBLICATIONS

Various authors. (2007). In B.Gabice, S.Gupta (Ed.), MCV Class of 2009 Guide to the M3 Year: A Complete Description of Everything You Need to Know For Your Third Year Clerkships: Wards, Clinics, and Beyond. (pp.24, 45-46, 51). Richmond, VA: MCV Medical Student Government.

Mortenson, A. “M&M: Benign Neglect.” Skull and Bones. 3, 20-22. (May 2006)

Raner, G., Cornelious, S., Moulick, K., Wang, Y., Mortenson, A, Cech, N. “Effect of herbal products and their constituents on human cytochrome P450 activity.” Food and Chemical Toxicology 3/07. Accepted 6/2007.

Cech NB, Eleazer, MS, Shoffner, LT., Crosswhite, MR., Davis, AC, and Mortenson, AM.
“High performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for simultaneous analysis of alkamides and caffeic acid derivatives from Echinacea purpurea extracts.” Journal of Chromatography A. 1103 (2) 27. 219-228. (January 2006)

Dixon, M.U., O. Omoseebi, A.A. Lawson, J. Bao, J.P. Handler, S.A. Brown, L. King, Mortenson, and G.M. Raner, “Oxidation of 4-nitrophenol and 4-nitrocatechol by wild-type and mutant P450BM3 enzymes.” J. Undergrad. Chem. Res. 4, 149-155 (2002).

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE

University of North Carolina, Greensboro. 10/01-5/04. Greensboro, NC.
Lab Instructor/Assistant, Tutor, Research Associate.

  • Independently taught basic chemistry lab sections and assisted in advanced lab sections, setting up labs, supervising students, answering questions, and guided students through the learning process while enforcing and maintaining safety standards.
  • Graded papers and kept a database tracking students’ academic progress.
  • Tutored organic and general chemistry students.
  • Conducted three years of biochemistry research on the liver enzymes Cytochrome P450.

Artist, Graphic and Web Designer. 4/98- 8/01. Greensboro, NC.

  • Interviewed clients to determine their needs, the scope of the project, and translated those needs into fully functioning websites and print materials.
  • Developed interviewing and negotiating skills and gained business experience in the corporate environment as well as a freelance artist and as a small business owner.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS/DEVELOPMENT

  • National Association of Women Surgeons (2004-present). Elected student representative Fall 2004. Attended twice yearly conferences starting 2005- present.

SPECIAL INTERESTS/ACTIVITIES

  • Cycling, road and mountain. 1985- present. Tufts and Georgetown cycling teams (1990-1995), member of Greensboro Velo Club (2000-2004), Richmond Area Biking Association (2004-present).
  • Ashtanga yoga, 2001-present.
  • Sea kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving.