Alumni Profiles

What was your role in the Duchaine lab?

Graduate student

What was your scientific interest and/or project?

Understanding molecular mechanisms of miRNA-mediated gene silencing

Published work:

APAs, miRNA stoichiometry, miRNA biogenesis, translation repression through GYF-1/IFE-4.

Vinay Mayya

Words of wisdom and
advice for young researchers

Stay humble — it's okay

to admit when you don't know something,

even if it's something you feel you should know.

Flashback to the days in the Duchaine lab...

Name one fond memory you have of the lab.

Looking back, I cherish every memory of my time in Thomas's lab. I especially loved Thomas's curiosity and how motivating it was to see him drop by the lab every two hours to check on the results.

What were some challenges you encountered along the way? (during PhD, or steps afterwards)

There were times when none of the experiments worked or yielded positive results, but those moments were a valuable learning experience that humbled me.

Life after the Duchaine lab

What is your current role?

Senior Scientist at Cytiva in the Nucleic Acid therapeutics team developing methods to produce, purify and characterize mRNAs

Did you always know what you wanted to do?

I've considered many paths—becoming an academic by taking the postdoc route and becoming a professor, switching careers to study medicine after my PhD, or working in industry. Ultimately, I chose industry because it made the most sense for me. I think it's okay not to feel strongly attached to a single career path.

What skills did you develop in the Duchaine lab that helped you with the next steps of your career?

Molecular biology and RNA biochemistry, but most importantly, curiosity and the ability to communicate ideas.