Zak Strassberg

Product Engineer

Zak in a box

An experienced software engineer, my primary focus is on delivering high-quality, innovative products. I have a strong skillset in application and API development, cloud technologies, and modern software development practices. I am passionate about my work, whether it's designing system architecture for full stack or distributed apps, or diving deep into frameworks to solve complex problems. I have experience working in fast-paced startup environments and am also familiar with corporate culture

Experience

  • HovercastSenior Software Engineer 2021 - 2023
    • Feature development and support for live-streaming toolkit for events and brands
    • Created a massively multiplayer crossword experience for the 2022 Youtube: Game On event (the most active YouTube live chat ever)
    • Rearchitected landing pages feature and implemented bespoke requests for clients
    • Added Discord to supported platforms, sped up CI/CD pipeline by almost 50%, improved page quality metrics significantly
    • Reed Awards: Best Live Event Technology/Audio Visual & Best Virtual Fundraising Program
  • AbbVieSoftware Engineer II 2019 - 2021
    • Front-end team lead at enterprise pharmaceutical company
    • Supported R&D and drug discovery by developing in-house solution to view, store, and analyze data.
    • Standout work are specialized views for data-based decision making, unique navigation methods, as well as ownership of DevOps and CI/CD
    • Experience with enterprise-level Kubernetes clusters and managing app deployment
    • Involved in hiring decisions, onboarding vendors, and student outreach
    • Asked by Director of R&D to make COVID dashboard for deployment across sites.
  • VisorEngineer 2017-2019
    • First engineer hired at Visor, Fintech startup automating consumer taxes
    • Active in both engineering and product decisions and involved in every aspect of client webapp from day one
    • Responsible for creation and maintenance of React component library, landing pages feature, and TypeScript migration
    • Reduced loading times by 50% and first contentful paint by over 3 seconds
  • Stanford UniversityLab Manager 2014 - 2016
    • Lab manager and small animal surgeon: microsurgeon and technical writer
    • Specialized in injury models, intervention studies, and data analysis
    • Responsible for creation and submission of reports to regulatory bodies
    • Liaison between lab and the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs hospital, Stanford, and DoD

Skills

Languages & Tools
TypeScript, React, Vue, HTML5/CSS3, Python, Node, Express, git, Firebase, State Management, State Machines, css-in-js, Storybook, Framer Motion
DevOps
CI/CD workflow design, containerization and config as code, Terraform, Deployment automation and orchestration, Compliance and governance considerations in CI/CD pipelines
Web Technology
AWS & Google Cloud, GraphQL, Progressive enhancement, GRPC, Websockets and realtime data, API Design, chatbots and human-computer interactions, WebPack, security and authentication mechanisms
Databases
Relational & Non-relational DBs, real-time data, Redis & other caches, Linked Data & Triplestores, Data modeling and schema design, Data warehousing and data lake concepts and technologies
Misc. Interests
ASTs & Codegen, Semantic Web, ActivityPub & Fediverse, CSS Paged Media, Linux, digital security, Learning new technologies and keeping up-to-date with industry trends and best practices

Education

  • McGill UniversityBSc in Biology2010-2013
    Completed Bachelors in 3 years. Comprehensive study of molecular biology with a focus on genetics.

Publications

  1. 2018 Protein-engineered hydrogels enhance the survival of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells for treatment of peripheral arterial disease Biomaterials
  2. 2017 Delivery of Hepatocyte Growth Factor mRNA From Nanofibrillar Scaffolds for Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease Am Heart Assoc
  3. 2017 A Small Molecule Derived From Carboxyethylpyrrole Protein Adducts Promotes Angiogenesis in a Mouse Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease Am Heart Assoc
  4. 2016 Engineering Pre-Vascularized Skeletal Muscle for Treatment of Volumetric Muscle Loss Tissue Engineering
  5. 2016 Co-Injection of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells With Shear Thinning Hydrogel Enhances Survival and Angiogenesis in a Murine Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease Circulation
  6. 2016 Combinatorial extracellular matrix microenvironments promote survival and phenotype of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells in hypoxia Acta Biomaterialia
  7. 2016 Aligned nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds – Guiding lymphangiogenesis for treatment of acquired lymphedema Biomaterials
  8. 2015 Protein-Engineered Hydrogels for Improved Efficacy of Stem Cell-Based Injection Therapy in a Murine Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease Circulation