Douglas Rees – RUA PI, Caltech
Douglas Rees, Roscoe Gilkey Dickinson Professor of Chemistry; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Caltech
RUA Affiliation: Principal Investigator (PI) of the Caltech RUA National Science Foundation (NSF) AGEP grant
What is your field of study and why did you choose it?
My field is structural biology and biochemistry. Although I started graduate school with zero interest in structural biology, thanks to a course I took in my first semester and a subsequent rotation in Steve Harrison’s structural biology group, I realized this field combined many things I enjoyed doing.
Why did you choose to participate in RUA activities?
As Dean of Graduate Studies at Caltech, I inherited the AGEP program from my predecessor, Joe Shepherd, who started Caltech’s involvement in the California Alliance with Berkeley, Stanford and UCLA.
What is a highlight of your RUA participation?
Working with our wonderful RUA graduate student, postdoctoral scholars, and partners!
What advice do you have for graduate students or postdocs?
Find a research mentor with a style and group environment that fits your expectations, and who is working in a research area that you find interesting. Develop a mentoring network to help provide advice and feedback on research, career questions, and life in general – this group will change over time, but in my experience, one always needs mentors.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experiences with RUA?
We’re here to help you succeed – let us know how we can help!
