Lauren Intravaia, PhD candidate, Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program
“I wanted to go to grad school to learn how to combine computational skills and experimental methods to lead cutting-edge biomedical research. I have a community of mentors, supportive peers and friends.”
Lauren Intravaia, a PhD candidate in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program at UMass Chan Medical School, uses machine learning and biomolecular simulation to understand how drugs bind to their targets.
"As a research scientist at Sanofi Pasteur, I became really curious about the fact that you could use computers to guide and enhance and optimize experiments in the lab,” said Intravaia, a student in the lab of Celia Schiffer, PhD, the Arthur F. and Helen P. Koskinas Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology and chair and professor of biochemistry & molecular biotechnology. “I wanted to go to grad school to learn how to combine computational skills and experimental methods to lead cutting-edge biomedical research.”
Intravaia’s thesis project is to determine the molecular mechanisms by which mutations in a drug target confer drug resistance and use this knowledge to design novel inhibitors. Drug resistance occurs when therapeutic targets incorporate mutations that disrupt drug binding while maintaining biological function.
“Drug resistance is a major problem that impacts some of the most devastating human diseases. The problem is that once therapeutic efficacy is lost, new drugs must be developed to prevent disease progression, which requires a significant reinvestment of time and resources,” Intravaia said.
Intravaia grew up in North Reading, Massachusetts, and found her passion for science in a high school chemistry class. Her teacher, Michelle Giordano, was the first mentor that encouraged and inspired Intravaia to become a successful scientist. Intravaia feels that same support from the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan.
“My PI, Celia Schiffer, supports my scientific passions and always encourages me to do robust, impactful research,” said Intravaia, who includes Nese Kurt Yilmaz, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry & molecular biotechnology, as another mentor. “I love being a part of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology at UMass Chan. I have a community of mentors, supportive peers and friends,” Intravaia said.
Intravaia majored in cell and molecular biology and minored in chemistry at the University of Rhode Island before working as a research technician at Sanofi Pasteur for three years. After finishing her PhD at UMass Chan, Intravaia’s goal is to lead her own research group.
“I plan to focus on drug design, using computation to be more effective, faster and use fewer resources. My main passion is combining computational structural biology and machine learning with wet lab experiments,” Intravaia said.