Meet Whitehead Institute Alumni

Whitehead Institute is committed to training the next generation of scientists to be innovative, curious, courageous thinkers who will pursue work that has the potential to make a meaningful impact on science and society. Every year, Whitehead Institute labs welcome new postdoctoral researchers, and say goodbye to postdocs who have completed their work here and are moving on to the next stage in their careers. Six Whitehead Institute alumni who were originally featured in our “Meet a Whitehead postdoc series” have returned for a new Q&A to reflect on how their time at Whitehead Institute informed their careers and share updates on where they are now.

Ann Boija

Ann Boija was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young’s lab. Now she is the Senior Vice President, Head of Research at Dewpoint Therapeutics.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

I lead Dewpoint’s research efforts with a focus on discovering and advancing first-in-class therapeutics that target biomolecular condensates, a type of compartment inside of cells. Condensates have emerged as key drivers of disease and offer novel opportunities to go after disease targets that have historically been difficult to drug. We work across multiple disease areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, and metabolic disease. 

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

My time at Whitehead Institute was instrumental in shaping how I think about both science and leadership. It was an environment grounded in intellectual rigor, where asking bold, fundamental questions wasn’t just encouraged, it was part of the culture. There was a shared sense of urgency to uncover new biology and push the field forward. I learned to think critically, deeply, and creatively to tackle complex problems. Just as importantly, I was immersed in a highly collaborative culture that valued interdisciplinary dialogue. That experience instilled in me a deep appreciation for the power of scientific exchange, and continues to shape how I lead and inspire scientific teams today. 

What do you hope are the outcomes of your work?

Our overarching goal is to leverage the biology of condensates to develop breakthrough medicines for patients with serious diseases, especially those that currently lack effective treatment options. I hope our work not only results in transformative therapies for patients but also reshapes the way the scientific community approaches drug discovery. I want this research to inspire future scientists to explore cell biology with fresh perspectives and bold ideas.

Whitney Henry

Whitney Henry was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Founding Member Robert Weinberg’s lab. She is now an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

My lab studies ferroptosis, a newly described form of iron-catalyzed cell death. We investigate what makes cells susceptible to ferroptosis, how is ferroptosis executed, and what are the consequences of ferroptotic cell death. We are particularly interested in how this knowledge can be used to eliminate some of the most difficult-to-treat cancer cells and reduce the severity of certain metabolic disorders. 

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

My time in Bob Weinberg’s lab was formative in so many ways. I was given the freedom and resources to ask ambitious questions, follow my scientific curiosity, and think deeply about the types of outstanding research questions that mattered most to me. That experience helped lay the foundation for my lab’s current research. The environment was intellectually stimulating, and I was constantly inspired by my interactions with other scientists. In addition, I deeply appreciated the sense of community that Whitehead Institute provided. It was a place where I felt at home—a supportive environment that made coming to work every day something I genuinely looked forward to. That feeling matters more than people often realize. Whitehead Institute fostered a culture where curiosity, connection, and collaboration could truly thrive. 

You were heavily involved in mentorship at Whitehead Institute. What did you learn here and how do you apply it when mentoring trainees in your own lab?

Mentorship is one of the most meaningful parts of being a PI for me. I see it as a responsibility and a privilege. My time at Whitehead Institute was instrumental in shaping how I approach mentorship. Starting only a few months after joining Bob’s lab, I received a steady stream of students at different stages in their training. These experiences helped me appreciate how important it is to meet trainees where they are and support their individual growth. Watching others around me like Bob lead with generosity, high standards, and humility also set the tone for the kind of lab culture I try to build. I want my trainees to feel both challenged and supported, and to know that their ideas and perspectives are valued.

Diego Huet

Diego Huet was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido’s lab. He is now an assistant professor at the University of Georgia.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

I work with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, as I did with Sebastian. One of my projects carried over from my postdoc, which is to understand why the ATP synthase, an enzyme involved in energy production, has additional and divergent components compared to those of yeast and mammals. I am also working on understanding how organelles, or compartments within the cell, of the parasite communicate with each other. Disrupting this communication could be a good approach for drugs against these parasites, which infect a huge portion of the world’s population.

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

Whitehead Institute was a great place to establish collaborations and get to know people in the field. Everyone there is very curious, research-driven, and eager to learn a little bit about your research. Having pre-existing collaborations helped a lot when I started my own lab, because when you’re starting out, you have to establish your name in the field, but I already had people I knew who could help me out with projects and so on. Another thing I really appreciate about Whitehead Institute is that there was a real sense of community, and that you were safe and welcome there. That’s something I try to provide in my own lab. 

What have you learned so far about running a lab? What surprised you? 

To me, the biggest shift is that you go from running experiments to being more of an administrator. As a postdoc, you train yourself to be the top scientist in a specific niche, but as a PI you need other skills too. You need to manage people, manage your budget, and set the tone of the lab. If I could give advice to current postdocs thinking of starting a lab, it would be to make sure that you have some management, teaching, and mentoring experience. After five years as a PI, I would say it’s been a rollercoaster but I think I’ve found my rhythm. It’s been really rewarding to see people in the lab progress, and come up with their own ideas and experiments. I recently graduated my first PhD student, and that was so exciting. 

Isaac Klein

Isaac Klein was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Richard (Rick) Young’s lab while also  a clinical oncology fellow at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Now he is the Chief Scientific Officer at Dewpoint Therapeutics.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

At Dewpoint, we’re developing therapies based on the science of biomolecular condensates. As CSO, I oversee research and development at the company. On the research side, we’re identifying new potential therapies, often in collaboration with major pharmaceutical partners. In development, we’re preparing to bring our first condensate-modulating drug candidate, a therapy for gastric cancer, into the clinic this year. It’s incredibly gratifying to see foundational science mature into real treatments that could help patients.

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

Whitehead Institute was transformative for me. I was a postdoc in Rick’s lab when we published some of the earliest work linking condensates to disease and drug activity, which laid the groundwork for much of what Dewpoint is doing today. I intended to remain in academic medicine, but the opportunity to lead R&D at Dewpoint was too compelling to pass up. Two lessons from my time at Whitehead have stayed with me. First, Rick always encouraged us not to answer the next incremental question, but to imagine the future and then build it; the best science redefines what’s possible. Second, great science depends on great teams. The most significant breakthroughs come from people working together with a shared purpose; there should be no silos and no heroes in our business, only great people working together toward a shared vision. 

As a physician-scientist heavily invested in improving patient outcomes, what made you decide to go into industry?

In academia, I loved driving early-stage discovery and treating individual patients, but as a physician-scientist, I aspired to live in the vast middle ground between the lab and the clinic. Translation often stalls in that space, and that’s where biotech really shines. Dewpoint gave me a rare chance to help translate a new scientific concept. It didn’t feel so much like a detour from academic science, but more like the logical next step in making a science that was very close to my heart matter for patients.

Shawn Liu

Shawn Liu was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch’s lab. He is now an assistant professor at Columbia University.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

The research in my lab focuses on developing gene editing tools that can precisely activate or deactivate expression of a gene, and then applying those tools to study brain function and brain disorders. For instance, we developed such a reactivation strategy to treat the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett Syndrome, and have spun off a startup company, Epitor Therapeutics, that’s going to try to advance it to clinical trials to hopefully help Rett patients.

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

When I joined Rudolf’s lab, CRISPR technology was beginning to reveal its power to do very precise genome editing, and we used our knowledge to develop CRISPR-based gene editing tools to activate or deactivate gene expression. The idea began at Whitehead Institute, and led me to develop the tools that I use now, so it really laid the foundation for my career. I think Whitehead Institute is a unique place to do research because it has many pioneers and leaders in different research fields within the same building, and more nearby. Being in that sort of environment, you have new ideas every day. I believe innovation happens when people with different expertises come together. It really feels like you’re working at the frontier of biomedical research. 

What is your advice to current postdocs?

Do the most creative experiments you can think of. Follow your interests, but also talk to people with different interests, both in your lab and outside of your research field. The feedback you get can make your work better. I would say aim high and work hard, and know that there are lots of possible career paths. Let what you discover guide you to the next stage of your career.

Boryana Petrova

Boryana Petrova was a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido’s lab. She is now the director of a research-focused metabolomics core facility that she is establishing at the Medical University of Vienna.

Could you tell us a bit about your current work?

Metabolomics is the study of molecules that are involved in or produced by metabolic processes, and measuring the levels of these molecules in cells can help answer a variety of questions. I support metabolomics projects across the MedUni community in a collaborative framework. I believe that a core facility must be driven by exciting and meaningful biological questions and actively push the science forward. I’m working to bring this model to Vienna.

How did your time at Whitehead Institute prepare you for your current work?

I learned countless things at Whitehead Institute from the metabolomics facility, postdocs and group leaders, and friends. Many of the core methods I’m running today were first established at Whitehead Institute’s Metabolite Profiling Core. The way I approach daily operations and how I interact with collaborators is also deeply shaped by the training I received during that time. In particular, seeing the interactions between the core facility and its major users made clear how much speed and quality were needed to support high-impact research, as well as how providing speed and quality pushed the boundaries of what the science could achieve.

A few other things I got from Whitehead Institute: I met remarkable people, some of whom gave me advice and guidance that changed my life, and others who inspired me to grow as a person and as a scientist. Most of all, Whitehead set a high bar for excellence that I still carry with me and hope to continue striving toward.

What do you hope is the impact of your work?

In many ways, I chose to work in the field of metabolomics because it is inherently collaborative. My efforts aren’t just about pursuing my own scientific interests; they also contribute to enabling and supporting science more broadly. Here in Vienna, for example, I see how advancing metabolomics can fill a critical gap and support a wide range of studies and research projects across disciplines. I also hope that by bringing my unique perspective to the field, I can help address some of the challenges we still face. On a broader level, I believe that inspiring the next generation about science is our collective responsibility.