HEATHER COATSWORTH

EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Candidate (Biological Sciences) January 2014 - Present
Simon Fraser University
Bachelor of Science (Honours in Zoology) September 2008 April 2012
University of Guelph
SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING
Biology Meets Programming: Bioinformatics for Beginners, Coursera May August 2016
University of California, San Diego
Tropical Parasitology: Protozoans, Worms, Vectors and Human Diseases, Coursera January April 2016
Duke University and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University
Regular Expressions & Python February 2015
Data Intensive Biology Training, Simon Fraser University
Bioinformatic Methods II, Coursera December 2015
University of Toronto
How to Survive Your PhD, Edx November 2015
The Australian National University
The Dynamics of Infectious Disease, Coursera May August 2015
Pennsylvania State University
Bioinformatic Methods I, Coursera May - August 2015
University of Toronto
The Data Scientists Toolbox, Coursera November December 2014
Johns Hopkins University
Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health, Coursera November 2014
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bioinformatics: Life Sciences on Your Computer, Coursera June July 2014
Johns Hopkins University
Programming for Everyone (Python), Coursera June August 2014
University of Michigan
PUBLICATIONS
Schonhofer, C., Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2016). Aedes aegypti immune
responses to Dengue virus. Chapter 14 in Lessons in Immunity: From Single-cell Organisms to Mammals, 1st
Edition. Dr. Loriano Ballarin and Dr. Matteo Cammarata, Editors. Academic Press, London, UK.
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
Caicedo, P., Serrato, I., Sim, S., Dimopoulos, G., Coatsworth, H., Lowenberger, C., and Ocampo, C. Immune
response-related genes associated to blocking midgut dengue virus infection in Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti
(Linnaeus 1762) strains that differ in susceptibility. Submitted in Insect Science, INS-2017-09-419.
Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Winsor, G., Brinkman, F., Ocampo, C. and Lowenberger, C. RNA sequencing on
field derived dengue refractory and susceptible strains of Aedes aegypti show differential gene expression.
Submitted to Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IB-D-17-00155.
Baharmand, I., Coatsworth, H., Hart, M., Belton, P., and Lowenberger, C. Molecular relationships of
introduced Aedes japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in British Columbia, Ontario, and Washington
State. Submitted to the Canadian Entomologist, TCE-ART-2017-058.

PRESENTATIONS
Coatsworth, H., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2017). Using a genome wide association study to highlight
putative resistance specific variants to dengue virus in Aedes aegypti. Oral Presentation given at the SFUs
Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.

Coatsworth, H., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2017). Using a genome wide association study to highlight
putative resistance specific variants to dengue virus in Aedes aegypti. Oral Presentation given at the Canadian
Society of Zoologists Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, MB.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Winsor, G., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2016). From Phenotype to
Genotype: Creating resistant Aedes aegypti to prevent Dengue transmission. Oral Presentation given at the
International Congress of Entomology, Florida, USA.
Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Winsor, G., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2016). From Phenotype to
Genotype: Creating resistant Aedes aegypti to prevent Dengue transmission. Oral Presentation given at the
American Society of Parasitology Meeting, Edmonton, AB.
Coatsworth, H., and Lowenberger, C. (2016). Going Viral: Can We Stop Dengue Transmission? Oral
Presentation given at the Three Minute Thesis Finals, Simon Fraser University, BC.

Coatsworth, H. (2016). Arboviruses, Vectors and Ebola. Two Guest Lectures given in Parasitology (BISC318)
at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Creating refractory Aedes aegypti to
prevent dengue transmission. Oral Presentation given at the joint (UBC, SFU, UVic) Ecology/Evolution student
retreat, Squamish, BC.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Flipping Phenotype:
Creating refractory Aedes aegypti to prevent dengue transmission. Oral Presentation given at Annual
Entomological Society of British Columbia Meeting (ESBC), Kamloops, BC.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Refractory Reasoning: Teasing Apart
and Characterizing Refractory Mechanisms to Dengue in Aedes aegypti. Oral Presentation given at May
Genome BC staff meeting at Genome BC, Vancouver, BC.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., Combe, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Resistance Reasoning:
The case of resistance by Aedes aegypti to Dengue viruses. Oral Presentation given at the Canadian Society of
Zoologists (CSZ) Annual Meeting at the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.

Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Flipping Phenotype: Using RNAi to
knock-down pro-viral genes in Aedes aegypti to prevent dengue transmission. Oral Presentation given at the
Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ) Annual Meeting at the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.
Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Refractory Reasoning: Teasing Apart
and Characterizing Refractory Mechanisms to Dengue in Aedes aegypti. Poster Presentation given at Vancouver
Biotechnology meeting, Vancouver, BC.

Coatsworth, H. (2015). Resistance Mechanisms to Dengue in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Guest Lecture given
in General Biology (BISC102) at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Refractory Reasoning: Teasing Apart
and Characterizing Refractory Mechanisms to Dengue in Aedes aegypti. Poster Presentation, Gordon Research
Conference for Tropical Infectious Diseases in Galveston, Texas, USA.

Coatsworth, H., and Lowenberger, C. (2015). Resistance Reasoning: Teasing Apart and Characterizing
Refractory Mechanisms to Dengue in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Oral Presentation given at the Professional
Pest Management Association of British Columbia (PPMABC) Annual Symposium at Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, Canada.

Coatsworth, H. (2014). Bioinformatics Workshop: Downstream Analysis of RNAseq Data. Instructive Seminar
given at Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Mdicas (CIDEIM) in Cali, Colombia.

Coatsworth, H. (2014). Bioinformatics Workshop: Analyzing RNAseq Data. Instructive Seminar given at
Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Mdicas (CIDEIM) in Cali, Colombia.

Coatsworth, H. (2014). Resistance Reasoning: RNA-seq analysis of changes in gene expression in strains of
Aedes aegypti that are susceptible or refractory to Dengue-2 virus. Oral Presentation given to the Vector
Biology and Control Group at Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Mdicas (CIDEIM) in
Cali, Colombia.
Coatsworth, H., Caicedo, P., Ocampo, C., and Lowenberger, C. (2014). The molecular interactions between
Dengue viruses and strains of feral Aedes aegypti in Cali, Colombia, that determine if mosquitoes will transmit
or kill Dengue viruses. Oral Presentation given at the International Conference on Diseases in Nature
Communicable to Man (INCDNCM), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Coatsworth, H. and Smith, M. A. (2012). A molecular investigation using rRNA markers and COI sequences
to examine a Costa Rican Hymenoptera: Hymenoptera (Eucharitidae: Formicidae) host parasitoid relationship.
Oral Presentation given in University of Guelph Biological Sciences Honors Thesis Course, Guelph, Canada.

Coatsworth, H. and Van Patter, L. (2012). Ants of Costa Rica. Poster presented at the Proceedings of the Area
de Conservacin Guanacaste Open House, Santa Rosa National Park, Liberia, Costa Rica
Coatsworth, H., Espinola, S., and McPhee, M.J. (2012). Ant and spider diversity along a Costa Rican
elevational gradient. Poster presented at the College of Biological Sciences Poster Presentation Day at the
University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
Coatsworth, H., Eagalle, T., Espinola, S., McPhee, M.J., Roblin, M., and Schmitt, T. (2012). Algonquin Park
Arthropod Diversity in Logged and Un-logged Sites. Poster presented at the College of Biological Sciences
Poster Presentation Day at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

Coatsworth, H. (2011). Differences in ant (Formicidae) abundance and diversity across no burn, controlled
burn and uncontrolled burn plots. Oral presentation given in OUPFB Desert Entomology Field Course at the
Southwestern Research Station, Arizona, USA.
Coatsworth, H., Smith, M.A., Van Patter, L., and Warne, C. (2011). Ant (Formicidae) Diversity in a Costa
Rican Cloud Forest: 1990s & Today. Poster presented at the College of Biological Sciences Poster Presentation
Day at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

RESEARCH POSITIONS
PhD Candidate, Simon Fraser University January 2014 Present

Research Internship, CIDEIM, Cali, Colombia September December 2015

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario May 2011 September 2012
Psychology Media Coder, University of Guelph November 2010 April 2011

AWARDS
Presidents PhD Scholarship May August, 2018
Graduate Travel and Minor Research Award, SFU January April, 2018
Faculty of Science Graduate Teaching Award, SFU January December, 2017
ESA 2017 Annual Meeting Presidents Prize for Best Virtual Poster November 2017
ESBC 2017 Annual Meeting Best PhD Student Presentation October 2017
Phyllis Carter Burr Graduate Scholarship, SFU September December, 2017
Graduate Fellowship, SFU September December, 2017
Steel Memorial Graduate Scholarship, SFU September 2016 August 2017
Phyllis Carter Burr Graduate Scholarship, SFU September December, 2016
IODE Seaman Morley Scott Memorial Graduate Scholarship, SFU September December, 2016
Graduate Fellowship, SFU September December, 2016
Three Minute Thesis Finalist 3rd Place, SFU March 2016
Dr. H.R. MacCarthy Graduate Bursary, SFU September December 2015
Graduate Fellowship, SFU September December 2015
ESBC 2015 Annual Meeting Best PhD Student Presentation October 2015
Genome BC 2015 Poster Competition 2nd Place May 2015
CSZ Annual Meeting Honorable Mention for Murray Fallis Award May 2015
PPMABC 2015 Symposium - Best Student Presentation February 2015
Graduate Travel and Minor Research Award, SFU January April 2015
Graduate International Research Travel Award (GIRTA), SFU September December 2014
Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), NSERC May 2012 September 2012
Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), NSERC May 2011 September 2011
Entrance Scholarship, University of Guelph September 2008

FIELD WORK
Highbush Blueberry Pollination Survey, Greater Vancouver Area, BC June 2016, 2017
Live Adult Nectar Feeding Mosquito Collection, SFU, Burnaby, BC August 2015
Terrestrial Arthropod Collecting Expedition, ACG, Costa Rica May 2012
Desert Entomology Field Course, Southwestern Research Station, Arizona, USA August 2011

SCIENCE OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT

Centre for Students with Disabilities, Exam Invigilator and Tutor September 2017 - Present
Simon Fraser University Biology Graduate Caucus, Member at Large May 2017 - Present
Native Education College Biology Tutor June 2017 Present
Professional Pest Management of British Columbia, Secretary April 2016 Present
Simon Fraser University Faculty of Science, Volunteer September 2015 - Present
Parasitology (SFU, BISC318) Teaching Assistant January 2017 April 2017
Science Expo Mentorship Program January 2017 April 2017
Simon Fraser University Biology Graduate Caucus, Co-Chair May 2016 April 2017
Parasitology (SFU, BISC318) Teaching Assistant January April 2016
Simon Fraser University Biology Graduate Caucus, Associate Chair May 2015 April 2016
Introductory Biology (SFU, BISC102) Teaching Assistant January April 2015
Simon Fraser University Biology Graduate Caucus, TSSU Steward May 2014 April 2015
Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair, Judge April 2014
Introductory Biology (SFU, BISC102) Teaching Assistant January April 2014
Big Brothers Big Sisters In-School Science Mentor 2008 - 2012

STUDENT SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE

Lea Sanchez Milde, Altering Gene Function to Generate a Dengue-Refractory May 2017 - Present
Phenotype in Mosquitoes Using CRISPR-Cas9
Sujani Gomes, Simon Fraser University BISC498 Student Project: Reducing September December 2016
Aedes Aegypti Susceptibility to Dengue: Knock-Out of Cathepsin B Using
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Tool and Identifying Genotypic difference
Iman Baharmand, Simon Fraser University BISC298 Student January April 2016
Project: Putting the theory of bacterial gut sterilization to the test in Aedes
aegypti
Luke Nicholls, Simon Fraser University BISC498 Student September December 2015
Project: Creation of genomic targets for RNAi Aedes aegypti knockdowns
Rachel Cooper, Simon Fraser University Laboratory Volunteer May December 2015
Project: Performing digital PCR procedures to validate expression changes to
dengue in Aedes aegypti
Rachel Halipchuk, NSERC USRA Student (2014), Research Associate (2015) May September 2015
Project: Differential Expression of Immunity Related Genes in the Carcass of May September 2014
Selected Strains of Ae. aegypti (2014), Optimizing digital PCR procedures to
validate expression changes to dengue in Aedes aegypti (2015)
Jeffery Yung, Simon Fraser University BISC498 Student January April 2015
Project: Aedes aegypti Immune Response to Infection with Dengue Virus
Peter Christopher Combe, Simon Fraser University BISC498 Student September December 2014
Project: Aedes aegypti Immune Response to Infection with Dengue Virus
Liliana Lopez, Mitacs International Scholarship Student May September 2014
Project: Differential Expression of Immunity Related Genes in the Carcass of
Selected Strains of Ae. aegypti

MEMBERSHIPS
Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ) 2016 - 2017
American Society of Parasitology (ASP) 2016 - 2017
Entomological Society of America (ESA) 2016 - 2017
Professional Pest Management Association of BC (PPMABC) 2016 - 2017
Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) 2015 - 2016
Entomological Society of Canada (ESC) 2015 - 2016
Entomological Society of British Columbia (ESBC) 2015 - 2016