May 2022
B.S. with High Honors
Eckerd College · St. Petersburg, FL
Curriculum Vitae
Maxwell E. Miller
Marine scientist and biochemist preparing to apply to PhD programs in marine biodiscovery and seeking a pre-doctoral research position in the field. Molecular biology and microbiology training across gene-therapy and cnidarian physiology labs, with at-sea fieldwork and marine aquaculture experience. NOAA Hollings Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and co-author on a peer-reviewed gene-therapy publication.
Education
Selected honors
- 2022
- Graduated from Eckerd College with High Honors
- 2021
- Phi Beta Kappa (inducted as a junior)
- 2020
- NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholar
- 2019
- Eckerd College Marine Science Freshman Award
- 2018–2022
- Eckerd College Founders Scholarship
Research experience
Aug 2022 – Feb 2023
Research Assistant I
Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear / Harvard Medical School · Boston, MA
- Inaugural research assistant in a new lab; built and documented core protocols and contributed to a published AAV gene-therapy study.
- Developed split-intein AAV constructs for Usher syndrome; performed subretinal microinjection, BSL-2 cell culture, and molecular cloning.
- Managed a mouse colony across four retinal-disease models with in vivo phenotyping (SD-OCT, fundus, ERG), cryosectioning, and immunohistochemistry.
Jul 2019 – May 2022
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Krediet Cnidarian Physiology Lab & Goessling Herpetology Lab, Eckerd College · St. Petersburg, FL
- Maintained sea anemone (Exaiptasia) cultures and genotyped their dinoflagellate symbionts; genotyped pentastome parasites in the herpetology lab.
- Ran core molecular biology workflows including bacterial transformations, and trained new students.
May 2021 – Aug 2021
NOAA Hollings Scholar Research Intern
National Systematics Lab, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History · Remote
- Identified invertebrates from ARMS imagery and worked on eDNA bioinformatics for biodiversity monitoring.
- Trained a CoralNet image-classification model to help automate identification.
Aquaculture and husbandry
Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
Aquaculture Technician II
Reef Aquaria Design · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Maintained water chemistry across 30+ recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and cultured moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) through their full life cycle.
- Wrote SOPs, trained technicians, and built custom automation tools for water-chemistry management.
Jul 2024 – Jul 2025
Aquaculture Systems Technician
Self-employed · Indianapolis, IN
- Designed and built two freshwater fish rooms and a dedicated axolotl system; bred multiple species.
Apr 2023 – Jul 2023
Aquarium Technician
Seascape Aquarium & Pet Center · Sarasota, FL
- Maintained freshwater and marine display and livestock systems.
Nov 2021 – Jun 2022
Aquatic Sales Associate
Sea Life Fish & Aquariums · St. Petersburg, FL
- Advised customers on aquarium husbandry and livestock health.
Field, at-sea, and fisheries
Oct 2023 – Dec 2023
PADI Divemaster Training (Liveaboard)
Divers Den · Cairns, QLD, Australia
- Completed 200+ dives during a liveaboard divemaster training program on the Great Barrier Reef.
Jul 2023 – Aug 2023
Quality Control
Alaska General Seafoods · Naknek, AK
- Quality control during the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon season.
Jan 2020 – Apr 2022
Field Research
Eckerd College · Florida and Belize
- R/V Weatherbird II shark research expedition, Cockroach Bay mangrove work, and a Belize field course culturing coral mucus microbiomes.
Teaching
Feb 2022 – May 2022
Teaching Assistant, Comparative Animal Physiology
Eckerd College · St. Petersburg, FL
- Supported labs and lectures for an upper-level physiology course.
Aug 2020 – Dec 2021
Tutor (Marine Science, Japanese, Chemistry)
Eckerd College & LOVE Learning · St. Petersburg, FL
- Tutored undergraduates and community learners across three subjects.
Publications and presentations
Madison L. Sangster, Martha M. Bishop, Yizheng Yao, Jessica F. Feitor, Sanjid Shahriar, Maxwell E. Miller, Anil K. Chekuri, Bogdan Budnik, Fengfeng Bei, Yulia Grishchuk. (2024). A blood-brain barrier-penetrant AAV gene therapy improves neurological function in symptomatic mucolipidosis IV mice. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev, 32(2), 101269. doi:10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101269
- 2024
- Marine Bioprospecting: Untapped Potential
- 2021
- Elucidating Pentastome Population Dynamics in Aruba
Skills
- Molecular biology
- PCR, molecular cloning, bacterial transformation, gel electrophoresis, DNA/RNA extraction, genotyping
- Microbiology & cell culture
- Aseptic technique, BSL-2 mammalian cell culture, bacterial culture
- Natural product & analytical chemistry
- Extraction and chromatography fundamentals (coursework)
- Computational & data analysis
- eDNA bioinformatics, image-classification model training, data analysis
- Water chemistry & operations
- Water-quality testing and management for marine and freshwater systems
- Animal models & histology
- Mouse colony management, subretinal microinjection, SD-OCT, fundus imaging, ERG, cryosectioning, IHC
- Marine culture & husbandry
- Cnidarian and jellyfish culture, live-feed cultures, invertebrate husbandry
- Aquaculture systems
- Recirculating system (RAS) design and build, automation, life-support
- Field, at-sea & diving
- PADI Divemaster, small-boat and at-sea research operations
Certifications and memberships
- American Society of Pharmacognosy, member (2026)
- PADI Divemaster (2023)
- AALAS Learning Library (2022)