Love your work and the research comes naturally, new grad says

November 15, 2021 by Michael McKinnon - A&S News

Under the supervision of Professor Patrick Gunning, Aaron Cabral earned his PhD in chemistry at the Faculty of Arts & Science with a focus on developing new diagnostic methods for drug discovery research in oncology and neurodegenerative diseases. He also worked on a platform for chemically “tuning” drugs to improve their stability and selectivity, research that helped Cabral rescue a previously failed clinical drug candidate for treatment-resistant cancers and patent technology that led to the creation of Dunad Therapeutics.

In April 2020, Cabral took third place in U of T’s annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, in which graduate students present their research to non-specialist judges in just three minutes. Though he says he was at first apprehensive about the online format, it felt interactive and allowed more people to watch the event. “I even had family members watch and cheer me on from their homes during the finals,” he says.

Why was U of T the right place for you to earn your PhD?

After completing my undergraduate degree at U of T and exploring research through an honours thesis project, I knew I wanted to stay for my PhD. A lot of fascinating research was happening at the Department of Chemistry, and I especially wanted to stay at the lab I was in, the Gunning Group. The lab and department had all the resources and infrastructure in place for me to be able to get real, meaningful results by the end of my PhD tenure. I also recognized how well respected U of T is globally and I knew the degree would hold high value.

How do you explain your work to people outside your field?

Aaron Cabral.
Aaron Cabral.

I developed new tools that enable researchers to better study and discover drugs for diseases such as cancer. Within drug discovery, the molecules we synthesize in the lab are tested against a biological target, most often a protein, that is associated with a disease. The tools I created assess whether the target protein is healthy or diseased, which we can use to see if our drugs are working as intended.

Big picture — how is your work going to improve the lives of the average person?

My PhD research has provided new tools for the discovery of new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. These tools should accelerate the drug discovery process and allow more drugs to get to clinical trials, potentially leading to more treatment options for debilitating diseases that affect many families. Our research in tools and techniques for making better drugs will help give every patient a better chance when faced with these life-threatening diseases.

You’ve started your career as the business development manager at Dalriada Drug Discovery. How will your U of T education help you in that role?

My U of T education has provided me with extensive interdisciplinary knowledge of the drug discovery process, which has been extremely helpful in my new role. During my PhD, I was part of the entire drug discovery process, from the conception of a new drug and chemical synthesis in the lab to biological testing and pre-clinical animal studies. Contributing to these processes has solidified my understanding of the field and has enabled me to discuss the needs, challenges and overall big picture of drug discovery programs with our clients. Also, being part of the patenting process during my PhD has been very valuable for me in understanding the legal aspects of scientific discovery in my new career.

You mentioned patented technology you invented. Please tell us more.

One of the elements I most appreciated about our lab and U of T was the incentive to patent our discoveries so they could be further developed into meaningful medicines. We patented the useful technologies developed in the lab, which from my work included new diagnostic tools for diseases and a platform to create improved drugs. Some of these inventions are being further developed by newly emerging companies and may lead to real products that will help society in the fight against diseases.

What advice do you have for people considering their PhD — in your field or beyond?

I am incredibly proud of having completed my PhD. I would recommend to everyone thinking about pursuing a PhD to get involved in research before committing to the large time investment. I would self-reflect and evaluate if your field is exciting to you, which I believe is where the motivation will come from. When you really enjoy your subject, the creativity and solutions to your research questions will come more naturally. However, research can still be tough, and failure does happen, so you need to come in with a good attitude and persistent mindset.  


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