Bre Minniefield, PhD

Dr. Bre‘ Minniefield is a biomedical scientist trained in genomics, bioinformatics, epidemiology, and general biology. While pursuing her Ph.D. at UAB, Dr. Minniefield conducted genomic analyses on different common/chronic diseases. Her passion for helping enhance healthcare treatment led her to conduct the largest African American Hypertensive Pharmacogenomic study at this time. After earning her Ph.D. as a MERIT Scholar Postdoc, Dr. Minniefield used fruit flies to observe the role of specific genes in exercise and exercise response. Currently, Dr. Minniefield's research interest is to continue her research on genomic-protein interaction and regulation that leads to chronic disease.  

As a professor, Dr. Minniefield's goal is to teach the subject of life, biology. She believes students must learn how to be confident learners and dissect the topic of biology.  

Dr. Minniefield uses various teaching methods, interactive activities, and hands-on research to increase student understanding, subject retention and to inspire her student's minds as potential investigators, leaders, and thinkers of the future.

CURRICULUM VITAE

EDUCATION
University of Alabama at Birmingham June 2016 – August 2021
Ph.D., Biomedical Science (Genetics/Genomics/Bioinformatics)

Virginia State University May 2015
M.S., Biology (Genetics/Bioinformatics)

Radford University September 2012
B.S., Biology (General Concentration)

Lafayette High School May 2008
Diploma (Advanced Studies)

PhD. RESEARCH THESIS
2018 – present, Genomic Background of Blood Pressure Response to Thiazide Diuretics in
African Americans, (Focus on mtDNA influence on metabolic traits in hypertensive African
Americans).

M.S. RESEARCH THESIS
05/2013 – 05/2015, Human Disease Obesity Specific Populations/Ethnicities, (Focus on African
Americans). Configured new methodology for search of novel SNPs loci using Bioinformatics
method.

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE
Areas of expertise and strengths include:

• College-level teaching (freshman – senior)
• Sterile lab techniques
• Lab testing (cell/bacterial culture, DNA/RNA, STR techniques, plant/water/pH/soil quality, protein purification, drug safety, assays (DNA, RNA, protein, cell), flow cytometry, different staining methods (e.g. crystal violet, wright, ethidium bromide)
• Genetic/Genomic/Epidemiology Association Analysis (GWAS, EWAS)
• Lab machines (running centrifuge, PCR/Microarray, LC/MS, ICP/MS, S/N/W Blot, IN Vitro/Autoclave)
• Analytical software; e.g., R, SPSS, Sequencing tools (Galaxy, SAMtools, BWA, SV-Callers, etc.)
• Coding Langue(s): Python, Linux, Perl
• Lab forms/notebooks, data sheets, excel spread-sheet updates
• Wildlife setting (bats/ (black and turkey) vultures/red cockaded woodpeckers/plants (black cohosh, farming crops, wine grapes, native and exotic species) /wetlands/portal searches, telemetry, tagging, surveying, emerging counts, mist netting (of bats and birds))
• Communication qualifications: customer service skills, data entry (in-field and in-lab)
• Customer service (clients, public, landowners, visitors, interested parties)
• Canvas, Blackboard, Microsoft Office programs

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
08/2016 – present – Biomedical PhD Candidate (official, Oct. 2019), University of Alabama at
Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Conducting scientific research & course work in Genetics/Genomics/Bioinformatics. Duties included:

• Actively involved in course work: passing all courses with a grade of B or higher
• Enhancing known and acquiring new scientific methodologies to use throughout research career
• Secure a “lab home” and develop a research project
• Acquire 1st Author publications (on at least 2 articles)

01/2021 – 05/2021 – Teaching Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Instructing a seminar course; GGSC 320. Duties included:

• Developing and using a syllabus to deliver course content
• Planning, developing, and using a variety of teaching methodologies and materials to provide instruction for different learning styles
• Prepping lectures/activities for students to conduct necessary course tasks
• Developing testing/assignments/projects materials and evaluating students’ performance
• Counseling students and recommending strategies to improve performance Maintaining open communications with students through posted office hours, electronic media, bulletin boards, etc.
• Maintaining student records and submitting reports and forms within requested timeframes

09/2020 & 11/2020 – Online Instructor, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Instructing a seminar course; BY 101. Duties included:

• Developing Online Lectures/Activities and Student Evaluations
• Planning, developing, and using a variety of teaching methodologies and materials to provide instruction for different learning styles

01/2020 – 05/2020 – Teaching Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Instructing a seminar course; GGSC 320. Duties included:

• Developing and using a syllabus to deliver course content
• Planning, developing, and using a variety of teaching methodologies and materials to provide instruction for different learning styles
• Prepping lectures/activities for students to conduct necessary course tasks
• Developing testing/assignments/projects materials and evaluating students’ performance
• Counseling students and recommending strategies to improve performance Maintaining open communications with students through posted office hours, electronic media, bulletin boards, etc.
• Maintaining student records and submitting reports and forms within requested timeframes

01/2016 – 05/2016 – Adjunct Instructor, Rappahannock Community College, Glenns, VA
Instructing 2 lab courses; BioL 101 & BioL 102. Duties included:

• Developing and using a syllabus to deliver course/lab content
• Planning, developing, and using a variety of teaching methodologies and materials to provide instruction for different learning styles
• Prepping Laboratory space/activities for students to conduct necessary course tasks
• Developing testing materials and evaluating students’ performance
• Counseling students and recommending strategies to improve performance Maintaining open communications with students through posted office hours, electronic media, bulletin boards, etc.
• Maintaining student records and submitting reports and forms within requested timeframes
• Attending faculty meetings and keeping Chair informed of Departmental issues

01/2015 – 05/2015 – Adjunct Professor, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA
As a part of Master’s Program, responsible for teaching Introduction to Biology Course to 24 students
(freshman – senior). Duties included:

• Developing and using a syllabus to deliver course/lab content
• Planning, developing, and using a variety of teaching methodologies and materials to provide instruction for different learning styles
• Prepping Laboratory space/activities for students to conduct necessary course tasks
• Developing testing materials and evaluating students’ performance
• Counseling students and recommending strategies to improve performance
• Maintaining open communications with students through posted office hours, electronic media, bulletin boards, etc.
• Maintaining student records and submitting reports and forms within requested timeframes
• Attending faculty meetings and keeping Chair informed of Departmental issues

05/2011 – 08/2014 – Bat Field Technician, Environmental Solutions, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Worked as a seasonal employee in a team environment to research and confirm the presence and foraging activity of bats. Work required ongoing communications with Federal, state, and local agencies; landowners; and the public. Duties included:

• Assisting with acoustic monitoring to confirm presence and pinpoint foraging activity
• Setting up and monitoring mist-netting
• Pinpointing forging locations using radio telemetry
• Handling and identifying bat species
• Assisting with vegetation plot surveys
• Completing fieldwork data forms
• Habitat/wetland assessments

PUBLICATIONS

• A 6-CpG Validated Methylation Risk Score Model for Metabolic Syndrome: 2021 The HyperGEN and GOLDN Studies https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259836
• Mitochondrial Haplogroup Association with Fasting Glucose Response in African Americans 2021 Treated with a Thiazide Diuretic https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.18.464878v1
• Ten Papers to Read: COVID-19: Top 10 Series 2020 http://ubrite.informatics.uab.edu/covid19/index.php/ten-list-series/
• Ten Paper to Understand: COVID-19: Top 10 Series 2020 http://ubrite.informatics.uab.edu/covid19/index.php/ten-list-series/
• The Interplay Between the Microbiome and Cardiovascular Risk. Current Medicine Reports 2018 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40142-018-0144-y

PRESENTATIONS
Alabama Academy of Science (AAS) Annual Meeting 2022
UAB Undergraduates Expo Judge 2021
Oakwood University Seminars 2021
Alabama Academy of Science (AAS) Annual Meeting 2021
UAB GBS Annual Symbosium Oral Presentation MetS MRS 2020
3MT for Graduate Biomedical Science PhD Recruitment Dinner 2020
3 Minute Thesis, University of Alabama at Birmingham 2019
UAB Discoveries in the Making “African American Health Matters” 2019
Bioinformatics PowerTalk Series, University of Alabama at Birmingham 2018
Graduate Biomedical Student Symposium, University of Alabama at Birmingham 2017

HONORS & FUNDING
UAB MERIT Scholar 2021
2nd Place; AAS Annual Meeting 2021
PALM Network Fellowship 2020
NIH-NOA Grant Award #: 3R01HL123782-02S1 2018
Golden Key International Society Member 2016
Magna Cum Laude (3.94 GPA), Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA 2015

CERTIFICATION
Genetics Society of America (GSA) Member 2021
PALM Network Fellow 2020
ROSE Network Member 2020
UAB CIRTL Associate Certificate 2020
UAB CIRTL Professional Development Program Certificate 2019
NHGRI Funded — 7th Annual Short Course on Next-Generation Sequencing 2017
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Certification 2014

TEACHING CLASSES/WORKSHOPS
UAB GRD 764 GBS Individual Teaching Exp. I 2020
UAB GRD 752 CIRTL Seminar on STEM Teaching 2018
UAB GRD 750 CIRTL Sem. Teaching & Learning 2018
UAB GRD 727 Writing & Reviewing Research 2018
UAB GRD 716 Dev. A Teaching Portfolio 2018
UAB GRD Principles of Sci. Integrity 2017

VOLUNTEER & MENTOR ACTIVITIES
UAB-CORD Science Fair Judge 2022
UAB Undergraduate Spring Expo Judge 2021
GBS/GGB Admissions Committee 2021
Lawson State Community College Biology 250 Mentor 2019
UAB Women in STEM Mentor 2018-present
UAB Undergraduate Spring Expo Judge 2018
UAB Entrepreneurship - STEM Enrichment Program 2018
Vice President of GCAT (Graduate Careers & Awareness) 2018-present
Rappahannock Community College Science Tutoring Session 2016
New Zion Baptist Church, Williamsburg, VA (feeding needy & homeless) 2013