The Scripps Research Institute

Where are They Now?

Rick Bruick

Janet Gunzner

Jay Chiang

TSRI Alumnus: Rick Bruick

Graduating Class: '98
Labs at TSRI: The Mayfield lab in the Cell Biology Department and the Joyce lab in the Molecular Biology Department.

Dissertation Title: "Controlling Protein Synthesis."

Experience at TSRI: Bruick says, "My experience at TSRI was great. When I was looking at graduate schools, I was impressed by TSRI's research, faculty, and students, even though at the time the program was only a few years old. I liked the emphasis on bringing together the disciplines of chemistry and biology, and I enjoyed the opportunity to do things in a nontraditional way. [In my case,] I had the freedom to work in two different labs. As long as the P.I.s [principal investigators] were happy and I was making progress, it was fine...

"I left TSRI with a good overall foundation and training, and a skill set that allowed me to pursue a project of interest from a lot of different angles and perspectives—a broad-based training that was important to me. That is a credit to TSRI and the P.I.s I worked with. I had a lot of good role models there, [who demonstrated] a strong work ethic and true approach to science."

His Advisors Recall...: Associate Professor Steve Mayfield says: "Rick was... one of these kids who had an undergraduate degree in biochemistry but knew he wanted to study biological systems. He was an interesting guy to have in my lab. Because he was a chemist, he brought with him technology that we didn't have. It was productive for both of us. Rick was hard-working, focused, and critical. I liked that. He offered a different perspective. He would come into our lab meetings and question the assumptions made in our field. It was good for the science."

Professor Gerald Joyce adds: "Rick did a double Ph.D., working in two labs. That was typical Rick. He manages to keep all the balls up in the air. He is the kind of person you want in a lab... strong-minded and determined. He is a star, no doubt about it."

Undergraduate Institution: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Family Life: Married.

Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow in the McKnight lab at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Research Focus: Bruick's current research focus is related to an interest he developed at TSRI in biological responses to environmental cues. He is currently investigating the manner in which cells sense changes in oxygen concentration in their environment and respond, a process called the mammalian hypoxic response pathway. Specifically, Bruick is studying the regulation of a transcription factor in this pathway called HIF (hypoxia inducable factor).

"The mammalian hypoxic response pathway is critical during development and in tumor progression," Bruick explains. "As tumors begin to grow and expand, their oxygen supply becomes restricted. Tumors ensure their own survival by growing new blood vessels or switching to glycolytic metabolism."

Plans for the Future: "Now I've been a postdoc for three years, I'm looking for another position. My intention is to stay in my current field of hypoxia."

TSRI Alumna Janet Gunzner

Graduating Class: '99

Lab at TSRI: Ph.D. work in the Nicolaou lab, Department of Chemistry. Also, work as an undergraduate in the Ghadiri and Boger labs, also in the Department of Chemistry.

Dissertation Title: "Total Synthesis of Brevetoxin A and Synthetic Progress Towards Maitotoxin."

Experience at TSRI: "Working on the brevetoxin synthesis, an 11 or 12 year endeavor for the Nicolaou lab, was a great experience. I had the opportunity to work on all steps of the synthesis from beginning to end and was part of the team that finished the project."

"The facilities were great at TSRI. Also, the opportunity to frequently interact with professors at TSRI and visiting professors was a definite bonus of the relatively small sized graduate department. From this exposure, I learned not only how science is done but to understand the whole process—the grants, recruiting, publishing, lecturing..."

Her Advisor Recalls: Department of Chemistry Chair K.C. Nicolaou, Gunzner's thesis advisor, recalls, "Janet was tenacious and fearless in the lab. She tackled some of the most complex molecular structures known to man and came out a winner. She was also quite active socially, so that when she left we all missed her. She was exemplary in many ways."

Undergraduate Institution: Reed College.

Postdoctoral Work: Research with Stanford University with Professor Barry Trost on "Total Synthesis of Deschlorocallipeltoside A."

Current Position: Started as Senior Research Chemist at Merck Research Laboratories in La Jolla six months ago. "At Merck, I have ample resources and intelligent colleagues. Merck also has one of the best records for developing safe drugs. I feel I am learning from the best."

Research Focus: Developing new drugs for neuroscience targets to treat such conditions as Alzheimer's disease and anxiety.

Plans for the Future: A career in industry.

Extracurriculars: Rock climbing, yoga, downhill skiing, traveling, swimming, theater.

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Alumnus Jay Chiang

Graduating Class: '00

Lab at TSRI: Professor K. Barry Sharpless's lab.

Dissertation Title: "Applications of Automation to Reaction Optimization and Library Synthesis"

Experience at TSRI: "I was a non-traditional student [in that I never considered an academic career]. My interests were always in industry. I actually hadn't planned on getting my Ph.D. until Barry Sharpless recruited me. I set up an automated system in his lab and researched applications for automated catalyst screening and library synthesis. Now I've graduated, the Ph.D. is helpful and I'm glad I was exposed to the academic side. I also learned some biology."

Undergraduate Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Industry Experience: Positions with start-up companies Arqule (1994-96) and Coelacanth (2000-01).

Current Position: Associate director of automated chemistry for Senomyx, a taste and smell company. "What I'm doing now is an extension of what I was doing at Scripps. We're targeting taste and smell receptors with high-throughput screening for potentially novel taste and odorant compounds."

Reaction to Sharpless's 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: "I had hoped it would happen when I was there! But I did have the chance to celebrate with him after it happened..."

Plans for the Future: Entering the field of venture capital, in which start-up companies are evaluated for funding and given direction on how to succeed.

Extracurriculars: Recently became "golf-crazy." Also working on his surfing. "I've been told it's a travesty to live in Cardiff and not surf."

In the Family: Chiang's brother (and housemate), Kyle, is a first-year graduate student in TSRI investigator Ben Cravatt's lab.

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