Position: Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, United States
Research topic: Human transcriptional response to infectious diseases, comparative genomics, RNA-sequencing
What do you love about viruses?
Their ability to cause so much damage to a cell with relatively little genetic material
Who is your favourite scientist and why?
My favorite scientist was Robert Koch because his postulates gave rise to modern infectious disease research.
On what topic could you give a 30-minute presentation without any preparation?
Host transcriptional response to infectious pathogens.
What is your favourite way to spend a day off?
I love spending time with my family.
What is the coolest thing about your research?
We are now able to use RNA-seq data to predict existing drugs that can be repurposed as therapeutics against viral disease. Up to 80% of our predicted drugs are validated in the literature.
For which project idea are you still looking for a cooperation partner?
We would love to become more proficient at using CRISPRi/a systems to screen host genes in human cells.
What was your biggest achievement, and what was your biggest failure?
One of my biggest achievements was Interacting with many talented researchers throughout my training. My biggest failure was not learning how to code earlier in life.
If you had the option to give advice to a younger version of yourself, what would that be?
Keep moving forward (and buy Amazon stock)
Is there anything else you would like to share with other EVBC members?
We are DEFINITELY willing to work with potential collaborators!