Principal Investigator

Research Assistant Professor

Riley received his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He joined the Kay lab as a graduate student and worked on developing new chemical tools and advancing the fields of chemical protein synthesis and synthetic biology. After graduating in 2021, he worked at Entrada Therapeutics (located in Boston, MA) in the discovery and process chemistry groups where he synthesized peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy I.

Riley rejoined the Kay lab as a research assistant professor and works on a variety of peptide and protein chemistry projects that include both basic research and the development of D-peptide therapeutics.

Outside of work, Riley enjoys being outside with his dog and family, reading, and exploring new parts of Utah.

Graudate Student

Paul received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Western Washington University, where he worked in the lab of Dr. O’Neil. He focused on developing silane derivatives capable of C-C bond formation for chemoselective allylations and precise modifications of molecules.

In 2020, Paul became a member of the Kay lab, dedicating his efforts to templated peptide ligations for the intricate chemical synthesis of challenging proteins. His project involves a spectrum of techniques, including solid-phase peptide synthesis, peptide and oligo conjugation, native chemical ligation, RP-HPLC, LC-MS, and more.

Outside the lab, Paul enjoys pickleball, mountain biking, and hiking with his dogs.

Graduate Student

Marcy received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Utah with a minor in Chemistry. Marcy then worked alongside Dr. Katherine Beebe in Dr. Carl Thummel’s lab as a research technician in the Human Genetics department at Utah. This research included investigating the estrogen-related receptor (ERR), an important transcription factor that regulates metabolism throughout development from larvae to adults in Drosophila.

Marcy joined the Kay Lab in May 2020 and works on the design of a fully synthetic, mirror-image protein for the purpose of mirror-image phage display drug discovery. Her target protein, FimH, is a critical component to urinary tract infection pathogenesis and a highly desirable drug target.

Graduate Student

Sam is interested in applying computational protein design tools to chemically synthesized proteins that serve as drug discovery targets. His current work involves the computationally-directed stabilization of proteins for use as targets in mirror-image phage display. More broadly, Sam is interested in applying new tools from the machine-learning space to protein optimization and design problems.

The University of Utah is a great home for Sam, as he frequently takes advantage of the incredible skiing, mountain biking, and road biking opportunities in the area.

Graduate Student

Lindsay received her B.S. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Vermont with minors in both microbiology and neuroscience. Her past research included investigating the genetics of neurodegenerative disorders in Dr. Nimrat Chatterjee’s lab and studying the mechanism of action of OyaGen Inc.’s novel HIV compound with Dr. Harold Smith, Dr. Ryan Bennet, and Dr. Jason Salter.

Lindsay joined the Kay Lab in May 2023 and works on the development of a heterochiral antibody-drug conjugate for HIV. This consists of a D-peptide drug previously established by the Kay Lab and a variety of broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies. She uses a variety of techniques, including LC-MS, RP-HPLC, solid-phase peptide synthesis, tissue culture, and BSL-3 pseudovirion assays.

Outside of lab, Lindsay enjoys hiking with her dog, exploring national parks, skiing, and photography.

Graduate Student

Matt attended Saint Louis University where he received his B.S. in Medical Laboratory Sciences. He began research under Dr. Uthayashanker Ezekiel studying phytochemicals and their effects on colon cancer. After graduating, he began working at Barnes Jewish Hospital in the immunohematology department performing blood bank testing and transfusion services. Alongside this, he worked with Dr. Christopher Farnsworth from Washington University to develop and test diagnostic assays for use in the clinical lab. This included a collaboration with Dr. Gaya Amarasinghe, where he developed immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2 and Ebola.

Matt joined the Kay Lab in May 2023. He uses several techniques including chemical protein synthesis, biophysical characterization, mirror-image phage display, and pseudovirion assays to discover and develop D-peptide inhibitors for henipavirus infection.

Outside of lab, Matt enjoys snowboarding, playing music, and hiking.

Graduate Student

Peter received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Minor in Business and Finance Analytics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021, where he conducted undergraduate research under Prof. Karoline Luger and Johannes Rudolph on docking simulation-based methods for oncology-focused drug screening. Post-graduation, he worked for Mosaic Biosciences conducting pre-clinical protein therapeutic development with a focus on antibody engineering and biophysical assay development. Additionally, he pursued his interest in the intersection of computation and biology via a collaboration with Prof. Jerry Tsai involving data mining the known antibody structural space to inform computational techniques for the rational design of antibody variable regions.

Peter entered the Kay lab, co-mentored by Prof. Shawn Owens, in May 2024. Moving forward, his goals revolve around becoming a more complete protein engineer via the Kay Lab’s use of synthetic strategies and conjugation chemistries to create novel protein therapeutic systems. In the Owen Lab, Peter’s work is centered around the design of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and the mechanisms for improving their pharmacology and minimizing off-target toxicity.

Outside of the lab, Peter enjoys skiing, fly fishing, and anything outside.

IM-PREP Student

Tyler earned his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Utah. After working as a software engineer for a few years, he developed an interest in biology and decided to make a career change. He is now part of the IM-PREP post-baccalaureate program, which is designed to help students prepare a competitive graduate school application.

During his time in the Kay Lab, he aspires to discover new research interests and apply his computational experience to the research objectives of the Kay Lab.

Tyler enjoys beach volleyball, skiing, hiking, and spending time with his wife and their dog.