EDUCATION

B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering, "Magna Cum Laude," University of Pittsburgh, 1985.

M.S.in Ch.E., University of Pittsburgh, 1987. Thesis: "Testing of a System Designed to Monitor the Chloride Channel of the GABA Receptor."

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 1996. Dissertation: "Development of a General Model for Coal Liquefaction."

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WORK EXPERIENCE

University of Virginia - Department of Chemistry (1999 - present)
Senior Scientist/Bioanalytical Laboratory Manager

   In this position I am  responsible for the day-to-dayoperations of the chemistry, optic, and cleanroom laboratories.  Theseresponsibilities include maintaining equipment, ordering supplies, and thetraining and supervision of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers. I am also extensively involved in the writing of grant proposals and collaborationswith researchers in other departments at UVA and in outside organizations.

   My research is focused on the production of microchip devices and instrumentation for clinical, environmental, and forensic analyses in glass and other substrates.  I am applying these devices to investigate the development of small scale analytical methods, with a particular interest in DNA/protein interactions of importance in the study of cancer and other diseases.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Department of Immunogenetics (1999)
Postdoctoral Researcher

   My research focused on methods for improving biochemical techniques carriedout in nanoliter volumes on microchips. Specific focuses were temperature measurement to determine reaction conditions and development of a microchip system for DNA sequencing.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (1995-99):
Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) - Pittsburgh Office

   As a member of the FETC Exploratory Research team, I conducted an assessmentof current kinetic models for coal liquefaction and experimental studies tosupport new liquefaction model development. These studies involved a set ofcoal liquefaction preheater simulation experiments for which my responsibility was development of analytical methods for evaluating the final products.Inparticular, NMP extraction techniques, HPLC, and TGA methods were investigated.TGA and DSC methods were also used to measure fly ash carbon content, carbonization of organic materials extracted from coal, and coal/catalyst water desorption. The reactants and products from reactions of model compounds over MoS ₂ and Mo₂C catalysts are analyzed using a GC/MS, for which I was responsible. An additional project was an investigation into the stability of diesel fuel additives,designing the necessary experiments and carrying out all analyses.

   My accomplishments at FETC include reconditioning and returning to service both the HPLC and TGA/DSC instruments, adding computerized data collection and storage to both instruments and providing for vacuum operation of the TGA; the newest software for the GC/MS was purchased and installed undermy supervision. My efforts to determine relevant conditions for thedieselfuel additive stability study included consultations with diesel fuelproviders and servicers, and obtaining samples of fresh and contaminatedfuelsfor investigational purposes. I provided assistance to Japanese researchersworking on coal liquefaction, and my work was presented at two ACS nationalmeetings and at a FETC sponsored conference.

University of Pittsburgh (1985-96):
Graduate Student Researcher

   My Master's thesis project involved reconstitution of ion channel proteins into bilayer lipid membranes, and measurement of the currents through the ion channels.  For the GABA neuroreceptor, the main ionchannelprotein used in this thesis work, I was involved in its purificationfrombrain matter,using affinity and ion exchange chromatography, and wasresponsiblefor efforts to clone the receptor in Sf9 insect cells using thebaculovirusexpression system. This work also included characterization ofthe purifiedand cloned receptor proteins using SDS-PAGE, ELISA, and radioligandbindingtechniques.  Subsequent work involved bench scale fermentationstudies on theSf9 cells using a defined medium. Analysis of the medium andoff-gases duringgrowth, using HPLC, MS, and enzymatic assays, allowed themetabolic pathwaysin these cells to be determined. In a separate electrochemistryproject, theeffects of fluorine treatment on carbon electrodes were investigatedusingcyclic voltametry.

   My Ph.D. project was the development of a computer simulation of the small-scale batch coal liquefaction process. Thermodynamic and mass transport calculations were integrated into a kinetic scheme to produce an overall model which could simulate liquefaction results from most experimental conditions.

   My research accomplishments included designing a systemto measure ion channel currents in lipid membranes and transfer of cDNAs into baculovirus vectors using homologous recombination. The medium developedinthe metabolic pathway study outperformed commercial serum-free media. Thecoal liquefaction model's ability to simulate processes carried out undervarious conditions was a major advance over previous situation limited models;inaddition, this model could be adapted to simulate other three phase reactionsystems of interest.  Results of the metabolic studies and modelingworkhavebeen presented at national and international meetings.

Graduate Student Tutor - School of Engineering Impact Program

   As the physics tutor for the Impact Program, I instructed individual students and groups in: Introductory Physics 1 and 2, GeneralPhysics1 and 2, and Quantum Mechanics.

Graduate Student Teaching Assistant - Recitation and Laboratory Instructor

   Classes for which I was a teaching assistant were: Introduction to Fortran, Engineering Calculations using Computers, Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, and Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory.

Freelance Scientific Writer and Researcher (1994-present):
     I conducted technical research, writing and analytical reviewsof manuscripts for Robert Ubell & Associates.  I contributed biographicalsketches to: Notable Twentieth Century Scientists (Gale Research Inc., 1994)and Notable Black American Scientists(Gale Research Inc., 1998).  I prepared an application note on rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices using a UV source for OAI Associates.

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (1993):
Research Technician: Hematology/Oncology Department

   My responsibilities included general molecular biology research involving DNA and cell culture, along with specific techniques such as DNA footprinting, PCR, and stable transformations of fibroblasts.

City of Pittsburgh - Alternative Vehicle Fuels Program (1992):
Project Manager - Natural Gas Vehicle Project

   My responsibilities included preparation of progress reports to funding agencies, preparation of new grant and funding applications, and data management for the natural gas vehicular applications.

   Under my tenure, there was an increase in the number ofnatural gas vehiclesused by the city, and federal government funding wasobtainedto carry outan educational/developmental study on increasing theuse of natural gas vehiclesby fleet operators in Pittsburgh.

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PRESENTATIONS

J. Ferrance and J.P. Landers, Sample Preparation-Integrated Electrophoretic Microchips for Genetic Analysis," Invited Lecture, 14th Frederick Conference on Capillary Electrophoresis, Frederick, MD, November, 2003.
   
J. Ferrance and J.P. Landers, "Integrated Biochip Systems for Forensics and Homeland Bio-defense," Invited Lecture, VA Biotech Summit, Tyson Corner, VA, October, 2003.

J. Ferrance and J.P. Landers, "Developments towards a Complete Micro-Total Analysis System for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Diagnosis," Analytical Horizons, Elsevier Symposium, Ellecom, The Netherlands, May 2003.

J. Ferrance, B. Giordano, L. Jin, L. Legendre, C. Given, Q. Wu, A. Couch, and J.P. Landers, "Sensitive Microchip Analysis of Proteins (and Peptides) with LIF Dynamic On-column Labeling," Pittsburgh Conference, Orlando, FL, 2003. 

J. Ferrance and J. Landers, "Defining a Micro-Total Analysis System for Genetic Analysis: Triumphs and Pitfalls," Electrophoresis Society Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, 2002.

J. Ferrance and J. Landers, "Defining a Micro-Total Analysis System for Genetic (and Proteomic) Analysis: Triumphs and Pitfalls," Laser Microdissection Conference, Washington DC, 2002.

J. Ferrance and J. Landers, "Towards the Integration of DNA Purification and Amplification into Microfabricated Electrophoretic Devices," GenomicSample Preparation Conference, Boston, MA, 2001

J. Ferrance, and J.P. Landers, "Exploiting Sensitive Laser-Induced Fluorescence Detection on Electrophoretic Microchips for Executing Rapid Clinical Diagnostics," IXth International Symposium on Luminescence Spectrometry, Montpellier, France, 2000.

J.P. Ferrance, R.P. Warzinski, and B. Bockrath, "The Effect of Catalyst,Hydrogen Pressure, and Solvent in Coal Liquefaction under Simulated PreheaterConditions," American Chemical Society National Meeting, Boston, MA, 1998.

J. Ferrance and R. Warzinski, "A Coal Liquefaction Kinetic Needs Assessment," First Joint Power & Fuel System Contractors Conference, Pittsburgh, 1996.

J. Ferrance and R. Warzinski, "A Coal Liquefaction Kinetic Needs Assessment," American Chemical Society National Meeting, Orlando, 1996.

J. Ferrance and G. Holder, "Development of a General Model for Coal Liquefaction," American Chemical Society National Meeting, Orlando, 1996.

J. Ferrance and G. Holder, "Development of a General Model for Coal Liquefaction," Ninth Annual CFFLS Technical Meeting, Pipestem, WV, 1995.

J. Ferrance and M. Ataai, "A Detailed Study of Insect Cell Metabolism," AIChE Annual Meeting, Miami Beach, FL 1992.