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Hire William K.

United States

USD 20 /hr

Investor | Scientist | Author | Founder at Castro Crest

Profile Summary

I am a life sciences researcher and scientific consultant with over 10 years of experience leading translational research projects across microbiome science, oncology, and neuroscience. I’ve served as a laboratory manager and senior research associate at top institutions including UCLA and the University of Chicago, where I oversaw complex experimental design, data analysis, and publication of high-impact findings. My background spans wet lab research, clinical trial coordination, scientific writing, and grant support. I’ve contributed as an author to 17 peer-reviewed publications and have experience translating dense scientific data into clear, actionable insights—whether for investors, regulators, or general audiences. My work has supported successful NIH proposals, IRB protocols, and startup-facing value communication projects. I also have strong analytical and technical skills, including proficiency in HTML, R, Python, QIIME 2, and statistical modeling. I’m passionate about helping teams bridge the gap between scientific rigor and real-world application—whether through literature reviews, data-driven white papers, pitch decks, or market landscaping for innovation projects. Currently, I consult on early-stage healthtech and biotech projects, helping founders, clinicians, and investors understand the science behind the solution. I am open to one-off projects or longer-term collaborations.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Microbiology
• ☆ Microbiome Research
• ☆ Bacteriology
• ☆ Gram-Negative Bacteria
• ☆ Gram-Positive Bacteria
• ☆ Biostatistics
• ☆ Biochemistry
• ☆ Enzyme Activity Assays
• ☆ Binding Assays
• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Biomarkers
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ Omics
• ☆ Proteomics
• ☆ Metabolomics
• ☆ Genomics
• ☆ Epigenetics
• ☆ PCR
• ☆ Molecular Cloning
• ☆ Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
• ☆ DNA Sequencing
• ☆ Protein Sequencing
• ☆ Gene Expression Analysis
• ☆ Genome Sequencing
• ☆ RNA Synthesis
• ☆ RNA Sequencing
• ☆ DNA/Gene Synthesis
• ☆ DNA Damage & Repair
• ☆ Cell Biology
• ☆ Cell-Based Assays
• ☆ Cell Signaling Pathways
• ☆ Neuroscience
• ☆ Neurochemistry
• ☆ Neurophysiology
• ☆ Behavioral Neuroscience
• ☆ Cognitive Neuroscience
• ☆ Neuroanatomy
• ☆ Neuropsychology
• ☆ Developmental Neuroscience
• ☆ Molecular Neuroscience
• ☆ Biotechnology & Bioengineering
• ☆ Recombinant Protein Expression
• ☆ Microscopy
• ☆ Cryosectioning
• ☆ Light Microscopy
• ☆ Electron Microscopy
• ☆ Fluorescence Microscopy
• ☆ Data Analysis
• ☆ Image Processing
• ☆ Cluster Analysis
• ☆ Data Visualization
• ☆ Big Data Analytics
• ☆ Data Management
• ☆ Data Manipulation
• ☆ Data Mining
• ☆ Data Cleaning
• ☆ Statistics
• ☆ Statistical Theory
• ☆ Applied Statistics
• ☆ Comparative Analysis
• ☆ Social Statistics
• ☆ Meta-Analysis
• ☆ Regression Analysis
• ☆ Multivariate Analysis
• ☆ Nonlinear Regression
• ☆ Bayesian Statistics
• ☆ Correlation Analysis
• ☆ Survey Design
• ☆ Study Design
• ☆ Statistical Review
• ☆ Medical Statistics
• ☆ Health Data Analysis
• ☆ Trend Analysis
• ☆ Bioinformatics
• ☆ Gene & Protein Expression Analysis
• ☆ Clinical Microbiology
• ☆ Biomarker Discovery
• ☆ Cell Culture
• ☆ Primary Cells
• ☆ Cell Banking
• ☆ Knowledge Management
• ☆ Blotting
• ☆ Immunohistochemistry
• ☆ Data Storage
• ☆ Exercise & Fitness
• ☆ Physical Fitness
• ☆ Athletic Training & Coaching
• ☆ Men's Interest
• ☆ Skin Care & Cosmetology
• ☆ Human Behavior & Psychology
• ☆ Sports Psychology
• ☆ Cognitive Science
• ☆ Clinical Psychology
• ☆ Health Psychology
• ☆ Developmental Psychology
• ☆ Applied Psychology
• ☆ Learning & Memory
• ☆ Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• ☆ Pharmaceutical Process Development
• ☆ Bioprocess Development
• ☆ Clinical Trials
• ☆ IRB Applications
• ☆ Clinical Trial Design
• ☆ Patient Recruitment
• ☆ Clinical Data Management
• ☆ Clinical Trial Site Selection & Monitoring
• ☆ Clinical Trials Data Analysis
• ☆ Human Biology
• ☆ Neurology
• ☆ Parkinson's Disease
• ☆ Ophthalmology
• ☆ Neuro-Ophthalmology
• ☆ Gastroenterology & Hepatology
• ☆ Colorectal Cancer
• ☆ Pancreatic Cancer
• ☆ Stomach & Esophageal Cancer
• ☆ Crohn's Disease
• ☆ Hepatitis
• ☆ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• ☆ Liver Cancer
• ☆ Infectious Disease
• ☆ Antibiotic Resistance Research
• ☆ Bariatric Medicine
• ☆ Obesity
• ☆ Health Informatics
• ☆ Counseling & Mental Health Support
• ☆ Eating Disorders
• ☆ Bipolar Disorder
• ☆ PTSD
• ☆ Anxiety Disorders
• ☆ Depression
• ☆ Schizophrenia
• ☆ Psychiatry
• ☆ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• ☆ Neuropsychiatry
• ☆ Addiction Psychiatry
• ☆ Regulatory Affairs
• ☆ Medical Sciences

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting

Writing Clinical Trial Documentation, Medical Writing, Non-Medical Regulatory Writing, Technical Writing, Creative Writing

Research User Research, Feasibility Study, Technology Scouting, Fact Checking, Gray Literature Search, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review, Secondary Data Collection

Consulting Healthcare Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting

Work Experience

Founder and Portfolio Manager

Castro Crest

April 2023 - Present

Laboratory Manager

University of California, Los Angeles

September 2020 - August 2023

Core Technician and Research Associate

University of California, Los Angeles

February 2018 - August 2020

Laboratory Technician

University of Chicago

June 2014 - August 2017

Education

Certificate

University of California, Los Angeles

September 2019 - June 2021

Bachelors

University of Chicago

September 2010 - June 2015

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Yang JC, Lagishetty V, Aja E, Arias-Jayo N, Chang C, Hauer M, Katzka W, Zhou Y, Sedighian F, Koletic C, et al. (2025). Biogeographical distribution of gut microbiome composition and function is partially recapitulated by fecal transplantation into germ-free mice . The ISME journal.

Ontiveros-Ángel P, Vega-Torres JD, Simon TB, Williams V, Inostroza-Nives Y, Alvarado-Crespo N, Gonzalez YV, Pompolius M, Katzka W, Lou J, et al. (2024). Early-life obesogenic environment integrates immunometabolic and epigenetic signatures governing neuroinflammation . Brain, behavior, & immunity - health.

Shera S, Katzka W, Yang JC, Chang C, Arias-Jayo N, Lagishetty V, Balioukova A, Chen Y, Dutson E, Li Z, et al. (2024). Bariatric-induced microbiome changes alter MASLD development in association with changes in the innate immune system . Frontiers in microbiology.

Jacobs JP, Sauk JS, Aaron Ahdoot, Liang F, Katzka W, Ryu HJ, Khandadash A, Lagishetty V, Labus JS, Naliboff BD, et al. (2024). Microbial and Metabolite Signatures of Stress Reactivity in Ulcerative Colitis Patients in Clinical Remission Predict Clinical Flare Risk . Inflammatory bowel diseases.

Tien Dong, Katzka W, Julianne Yang, Chang C, Arias-Jayo N, Lagishetty V, Balioukova A, Chen Y, Dutson E, Li Z, et al. (2023). Microbial changes from bariatric surgery alters glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and prevents fatty liver disease . Gut microbes.

Sauk JS, Hyo Jin Ryu, Labus JS, Khandadash A, Aaron Ahdoot, Lagishetty V, Katzka W, Wang H, Naliboff B, Jonathan P Jacobs, et al. (2022). High Perceived Stress is Associated With Increased Risk of Ulcerative Colitis Clinical Flares . Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

Sangmee Bae, Dong TS, Wang J, Lagishetty V, Katzka W, Jonathan P Jacobs, Charles-Schoeman C (2022). Altered Gut Microbiome in Patients With Dermatomyositis . ACR open rheumatology.

Katzka W, Dong TS, Luu K, Lagishetty V, Sedighian F, Arias-Jayo N, Jonathan P Jacobs, Hsu HY (2021). The Ocular Microbiome Is Altered by Sampling Modality and Age . Translational vision science & technology.

Dong TS, Luu K, Lagishetty V, Sedighian F, Woo SL, Dreskin BW, Katzka W, Chang C, Zhou Y, Arias-Jayo N, et al. (2021). The Intestinal Microbiome Predicts Weight Loss on a Calorie-Restricted Diet and Is Associated With Improved Hepatic Steatosis . Frontiers in nutrition.

Dong TS, Luu K, Lagishetty V, Sedighian F, Woo SL, Dreskin BW, Katzka W, Chang C, Zhou Y, Arias-Jayo N, et al. (2021). The Intestinal Microbiome Predicts Weight Loss on a Calorie-Restricted Diet and Is Associated With Improved Hepatic Steatosis . Frontiers in nutrition.

Dong TS, Luu K, Lagishetty V, Sedighian F, Woo SL, Dreskin BW, Katzka W, Chang C, Zhou Y, Arias-Jayo N, et al. (2021). Gut microbiome profiles associated with steatosis severity in metabolic associated fatty liver disease . Hepatoma research.

Anna Joanna Jasinska, Dong TS, Lagishetty V, Katzka W, Jonathan P Jacobs, Christopher A. Schmitt, Cramer JD, Ma D, Willem G. Coetzer, Paul Grobler, et al. (2020). Shifts in microbial diversity, composition, and functionality in the gut and genital microbiome during a natural SIV infection in vervet monkeys . Microbiome.

Tien Dong, Luu K, Venu Lagishetty, Sedighian F, Woo SL, Benjamin Dreskin, Katzka W, Chang C, Zhou Y, Arias-Jayo N, et al. (2020). A High Protein Calorie Restriction Diet Alters the Gut Microbiome in Obesity . Nutrients.

Tien Dong, Emeran Mayer, Osadchiy V, Chang C, Katzka W, Venu Lagishetty, Gonzalez K, Kalani A, Stains J, Jonathan P Jacobs, et al. (2020). A Distinct Brain-Gut-Microbiome Profile Exists for Females with Obesity and Food Addiction . Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.).

Tien Dong, Katzka W, Venu Lagishetty, Luu K, Hauer M, Pisegna J, Jonathan P Jacobs (2020). A Microbial Signature Identifies Advanced Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease Mainly Due to NAFLD . Scientific reports.

Tien Dong, Chang HH, Hauer M, Lagishetty V, Katzka W, Rozengurt E, Jonathan P Jacobs, Eibl G (2019). Metformin alters the duodenal microbiome and decreases the incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma promoted by diet-induced obesity . American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology.

Amanda Welch, Katzka WR, Dulawa SC (2018). Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice . Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.

Ho EV, Summer L Thompson, Katzka WR, Sharifi MF, Knowles JA, Dulawa SC (2015). Clinically effective OCD treatment prevents 5-HT1B receptor-induced repetitive behavior and striatal activation . Psychopharmacology.

PREPRINT

William Katzka, Perla Ontiveros-Ángel, Julio David Vega-Torres, Timothy B. Simon, Vivianna Williams, Yaritza Inostroza-Nives, Nashareth Alvarado-Crespo, Yarimar Vega Gonzalez, Marjory Pompolius, John Lou, et al. (2023). Early-life obesogenic environment integrates immunometabolic and epigenetic signatures governing neuroinflammation .