Andrew McNutt, a recent graduate of the Joint Carnegie Mellon-University of Pittsburgh PhD Program in Computational Biology (CPCB), is making his mark in drug discovery.
McNutt’s path to CPCB was driven by a desire to apply his undergraduate background in physics and math to medicine. While earning his bachelor’s degree at Purdue University, McNutt discovered his passion for drug discovery research. He worked with a professor at Purdue University who was interested in modifying Pitt Associate Professor David Koes’ software. Wishing to continue this research with Koes, McNutt applied to the CPCB program. McNutt moved from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh and found his research niche.
He began studying neural network representations of protein-drug interactions. One of the most exciting moments of McNutt’s research occurred during a collaboration with Christian Fernandez’s lab in the School of Pharmacy at Pitt. Together, they developed a drug to prevent biologic drug-induced immunogenicity, a condition in which the immune system reacts negatively to biologic drugs.
“Reading the paper afterward, I realized the drug they had used to induce immunogenicity was actually one my mom had taken for her own health conditions,” he said, reflecting on the emotional impact of the work.
McNutt’s growth as both a researcher and mentor has been a significant part of his journey at CPCB. “I’ve gone from being a student just learning the ropes to being able to mentor others in the lab,” he said.
His diverse skill set now includes coding in Python, developing neural network architectures with PyTorch, and applying data science techniques to structural biology. He has paid this knowledge forward by mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students.
“The PhD has really turned me into what I think of as an independent scientist and being able to critically evaluate science problems,” McNutt said. “Through this program, I’ve found that I really love doing research and trying new things to see if they will work.”
Now that McNutt has his PhD under his belt, he looks forward to pursuing a career in drug discovery. He wants to work in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries applying machine learning research to drug development.
Before diving into his next role, McNutt is taking a well-deserved break to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. He found balance in graduate school through hobbies like outdoor climbing and hiking, and he’s looking forward to exploring the Appalachian Trail.
Whether he’s in the lab or lacing up his hiking boots, McNutt is ready for life’s next adventure.
What was your favorite class in the CPCB program?
“My favorite course was machine learning. I enjoyed being able to take the ideas from class and apply them to problems I’d never seen before.”
What advice would you give to prospective students?
“Critically think about your rotations and what sort of research you want to be working on for the next four to six years. Don’t just think about the money at the end; think about what you actually enjoy.”
What was one of the things you enjoyed the most about CPCB?
“I liked being able to chat with researchers and other grad students about science or non-science related things. It helped to destress and get an outside perspective on things that I was working on.”