Michael Mayers, Ph.D.
Doctoral Thesis: Leveraging Knowledge Networks to Prioritize Testable Hypotheses for Drug Repositioning
Undergraduate Institution: California Lutheran University
Noteworthy Publications: "Time-resolved evaluation of compound repositioning predictions on a text-mined knowledge network," BMC Bioinformatics (2019)
Honors & Awards: Scripps Research Dean's Fellowship (2015)
Favorite Aspects of Graduate Studies: "My favorite aspect of the doctoral program was the ability to explore all of the different areas of biomedical research. I eventually landed upon bioinformatics as the direction for...my Ph.D., but before that, I got a chance to experience a lot of other different areas of research, from chemical biology and running organic chemistry reactions, to multi-day biochemical preps, to proteomics - working on the mass spectrometer, to cell culture and running tissue culture, and even work with live animals through mouse work. Without the interdisciplinary work that's going on at Scripps and the high caliber of individuals there doing these types of work, I would not have been able to find my way into bioinformatics as the long-term career that I would like to pursue. For this, I really do appreciate the freedom that Scripps Research has offered me."
Next Steps: "Now that I finished my doctoral work at Scripps Research, my plan is to continue the work I've been doing with my advisor, Andrew Su. My work is in developing a computational repositioning pipeline, to find new uses for already approved drugs. Andrew's lab recently received an R-01 (NIH grant) to look at repositioning candidates for Alzheimer's disease, so this would be a chance for me to apply some of the tools that I helped develop in my doctoral program to a specific disease. Also, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are other opportunities for me to apply this toolset to see if there are any potential repositioning candidates out there as well. In the longer term, in the next five to ten years, I hope to make the transition into industry. I'd like to continue working in a bioinformatics role or a compound repositioning predictive role at either a pharmaceutical or biotech company."
Be sure to join us at 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 31 for our Virtual Commencement Ceremony! Mayers' advisor and mentor, Prof. Andrew I. Su, will deliver a few words (as will Mayers) 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.
