Today marks 3 years since I successfully defended my thesis to receive my PhD in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. I celebrated by re-watching the appropriately Star Wars-themed video I put together to commemorate the occasion. Getting a PhD was both deeply challenging and rewarding. Although my blog focuses heavily on my creative and artistic passions, science is also a huge part of my thinking and perspective. I think being well grounded in both STEM and the arts has strongly contributed to my pursuit of learning about new and interesting topics, crafts, and experiences.
My thesis was focused on understanding and potentially solving the problem of protein aggregation, a phenomenon found in many diseases including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, prion diseases, and more. When proteins become aggregated, it is very difficult to disaggregate them. Like a knotted ball of multicolored yarn for knitting, it is much easier to keep the different colors of yarn separate before they become a tangled mess than it is to pull them apart from the knotted ball. A chaperone found in plants can not only prevent this tangled mass of proteins from happening but can also reverse the process without utilizing external energy from the cells in inhabits. This is a very exciting potential therapeutic strategy because understanding how this plant protein works can provide insight into potentially preventing or even reversing these degenerative diseases.
As a scientist in the biotech/pharma industry, I continue to work on the development of novel therapeutics for various diseases, particularly cancer therapeutics. I continue to be a lifelong learner and have enjoyed both using knowledge I gained through my PhD work and new insight from my industry experience. Cheers to a lifelong love of learning and May the 4th Be With You!
Millennial's Delight 