Each month the BMB Department features a department member's unique story.
This month, Haley sat down with Dr. Joshua Pajak, a Postdoc in the Kelch Lab. Read on to learn more about Joshua's life and the unique perspectives he brings to UMass Chan.
Where did you grow up?I grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey. If you've ever driven on the Garden State Parkway or NJ Turnpike (I95) you've seen signs for it - it's where the two interchange with each other.
What led you to a career in science?
I've kinda bumbled my way through my school/career choices. I was always interested in math/science as a kid, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do. At first I thought I wanted to study aerospace engineering in undergrad, but I chose to study chemical engineering instead because the line to sign up for classes was shorter. Then I got involved in undergrad research and did an internship at the Environmental Protection Agency. I went to grad school in a Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science program where I worked in a "biologically inspired" Mat Sci corridor. Turns out I liked the biology more than I liked the Mat Sci, so here I am!
Why did you choose to come to UMass Chan, and why did you choose to stay here?
I chose UMass Chan to work with professor Brian Kelch. During my Ph.D. I reached out to Brian to collaborate on a project and I learned a lot from him. My grad work was entirely computational, so I'm lucky that Brian is the kind of guy to take me on and train me from the ground up in wet-lab structural biology. I chose to stay because of the community around me. My labmates are the best you could ever ask for, and I love the sense of camaraderie within the BMB department as a whole.
How would you spend your time if you never had to work again in your life?
It's hard for me to say! I get bored of not working after taking two weeks off. I would definitely continue doing research, but at my own pace. Maybe I would try to study chess as much as I could to see if I could become a FIDE International Master.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Being close to the ocean is a must for me. I just got back from a trip up to Acadia and fell in love with the nature up that way, so I'm gonna go with coastal Maine.
What is your favorite kitchen utensil?
My coffee grinder. It's manual and has great conical burrs.
