Matthew Costales, Ph.D.
Doctoral Thesis: Strategies to Optimize the Selectivity of Small Molecules Targeting RNA
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland
Noteworthy Publications: "Small-molecule targeted recruitment of a nuclease to cleave an oncogenic RNA in a mouse model of metastatic cancer," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020); "Small molecule inhibition of microRNA-210 reprograms an oncogenic hypoxic circuit," Journal of the American Chemical Society (2017)
Honors & Awards: ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship, 2018: Awarded to nationally-competitive predoctoral students engaged in medicinal chemistry-related research.
Favorite Aspects of Graduate Studies: "Although rigorous, my graduate training at Scripps has become invaluable, as I can confidently produce robust datasets and concisely present my data. Even though it sounds cheesy: The real benefit of graduate school is the friends you make along the way. I cannot begin to thank all of my colleagues at Scripps, especially members of the Disney lab, my cohort, and my girlfriend."
Next Steps: "I am currently employed as a Scientist at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, located in the Boston Metropolitan Area. My team works on siRNAs towards extra-hepatic targets, focusing on the CNS (Central Nervous System). I plan on pursuing a research career in industry to discover and study therapeutics related to RNA."
Be sure to join us at 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 31 for our Virtual Commencement Ceremony! Costales' advisor and mentor, Prof. Matthew D. Disney, will deliver a few words (as will Costales) about his graduate experience, and viewers can learn about our 43 other 2020 graduates, who are now setting out to build careers that will impact the future of biomedical research.
