Thomas Kaiser
Avicenna Biosciences, Inc.
Charleston, SC USA
"There is art in failing elegantly."
Career Roadmap
Thomas's work combines: Science, Medicine, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I loved mathematics when I was a kid. A family friend, who worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist, prodded me towards medicine rather than mathematics. He took me to his clinic and advised me on the path to becoming a physician. I ultimately followed his advice but kept up with mathematics as a hobby. After training as a physician, I created my own company where I'm actually able to combine chemistry and mathematics through machine learning in order to develop better medicines.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biochemistry
University of Tulsa
Graduate Degree
Organic Chemistry
Texas A&M University
Doctorate
Medicine
University of Oxford
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I loved mathematics when I was a child but was encouraged by a family friend, who was a doctor, to study medicine instead.
2.
When I got to college, I decided to pursue mathematics as well as biochemistry so that I could become a physician.
3.
As I got further into chemistry I became very interested in the field of organic synthesis, which was a launching pad into becoming a physician—though I still kept up with mathematics as a hobby.
4.
After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, I earned a PhD in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University.
5.
I then went to Emory University, where I was a postdoctoral fellow, working with nucleoside chemistry, antiviral drug design, and machine learning.
6.
As I got more and more into medicinal chemistry, I decided I should go back to school and train as a physician so that I could better understand real clinical problems and patient needs.
7.
I earned my medical degree from the University of Oxford while working full-time on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to fund my education.
8.
I co-founded Avicenna Biosciences, where we use machine learning to augment medicinal chemistry in order to develop better medicines.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Friends:
You should put mathematics aside and become a doctor.
How I responded:
I loved mathematics when I was a kid. A family friend, who worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist, prodded me towards medicine rather than mathematics. He took me to his clinic and advised me on the path to becoming a physician. I ultimately followed his advice but kept up with mathematics as a hobby. After training as a physician, I created my own company where I'm actually able to combine chemistry and mathematics through machine learning in order to develop better medicines.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
You really have to put in a lot of time when training to become a chemist. The environment is also stressful and isolating. It took a huge toll on my marriage but we were fortunately able to survive it.
Imposter syndrome is very prevalent in science because you're surrounded by awesome people doing awesome things. I doubted if I'd ever have an original idea. Understand that you are good enough—your awesome accomplishments just haven't happened yet.