Kevin Dong

Graduate Student at Gygi Lab at Harvard Medical School

Graduate Student
2021 - Current
Discovering and characterizing molecular glues with novel mechanisms of action for applications in targeted protein degradation and stabilization Leveraging chemoproteomic and genomic technologies to develop phenotypic screening platforms that enable high-throughput screening of drug-like molecules in a pooled manner

Co-Founder and Co-Managing Director of the Genesis Program
2021 - 2022
We built this initiative with the mission to educate the next-generation of entrepreneurs on the core principles of biotech venture creation. Equally as important, we aim to empower and equip trainees with the proper mindset, skillset, and network needed to pursue a career in building bioventures. We have divided the initiative into two parts. In the Fall, we will host the Venture Creation Spotlight Seminar Series where we invite speakers from some of the most prolific biotech venture capital firms to share how their firm specifically approaches the company building process in a case-study format. In the Spring, we will offer a hands-on and immersive "venture creation on training wheels" program where trainees will build out viable company concept proposals based on our in-house generated venture creation prompts.

Moonshot Venture Fellow
2020 - 2021
Create, launch, and build venture-backed life science companies based on outstanding science stemming from the molecular hallmarks of aging

Staff Research Associate at Yeo Lab
2017 - 2020
Created a project that explored the effect of proteasome activation in the context of aging and age-related disease Implemented high-throughput cloning strategies to create and test RCas-effector fusions in cellular and in vitro assays Spearheaded the efforts of a large-scale RNA-binding protein (RBP)-centered, RNase-coupled proteomics campaign to identify the functional protein complexes that are perturbed in disease Helped develop novel technologies to elucidate basic biological processes pertaining to RNA metabolism Utilized CRISPR-Cas9 technologies to generate patient-derived APEX-tagged iPSC lines to study genetic and sporadic forms of ALS

Staff Research Associate at Pajonk/Vlashi Lab
2016 - 2017
Investigated the role of metabolism in radiation-induced reprogramming of cancer cells to cancer stem cells (CSCs) by conducting reprogramming assays with compounds that inhibit distinct metabolic nodes Determined the role of 26S proteasome inheritance as a mechanism for the asymmetric division of CSCs