Northwestern is a great institution with cutting-edge research, instruments, and a wonderful scientific community.”
Julia Oktawiec
Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemistry
Dr. Julia Oktawiec is a postdoctoral scholar in Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, where she investigates ways synthetic polymers can replicate protein functions for medical treatments. She recently became the internal communications coordinator for the Northwestern University Postdoctoral Association (NUPA) and is a published author in Chemical Science.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience?
In Prof. Nathan Gianneschi's lab in the Department of Chemistry, I work on developing structural design rules for polymers that mimic proteins—or, in other words, how can we make something synthetic behave like parts of your body to help treat diseases?
What have been some of the most memorable twists and turns of your career?
When people look at my background, they are sometimes surprised by the fact that I did my PhD on the coordination chemistry of metal-organic frameworks and their applications in gas separations—pretty hardcore physical inorganic chemistry for clean energy—and then in my postdoc, switched to research on bioinspired organic materials for therapeutics. Even in my PhD work, though, I was frustrated by how proteins like hemoglobin effortlessly and reversibly bound oxygen! Working for Nathan has allowed me to delve more deeply in proteomimetics, which I've really enjoyed.
Tell us what inspired your research and/or work.
The Gianneschi Lab, which I am in currently, focuses on a really interesting class of polymers made of peptides (essentially small parts of proteins). We have found that they fold up and behave like proteins, but unlike proteins, we still don't understand much about how to control their folding, structure, and behavior. In my work, I'm really inspired by the work of David Baker as well as the AlphaFold team, which involves predictively modelling protein structure. (They received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024 for these achievements!) The goal is to generate data so that someday down the line, we can do this to efficiently design drugs and materials that mimic proteins but are easier to make.
Why Northwestern?
Northwestern is a great institution with cutting-edge research, instruments, and a wonderful scientific community. I have really enjoyed interacting with the people in my group in the Department of Chemistry, and with the greater Northwestern community, through organizations like NUPA.
What books are on your bedside table?
I am currently reading Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson and The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver. The book about insects is particularly eye-opening. As a chemist I didn't think much about the complex adaptations insects have, but after learning about different highly useful proteins from insects like spider silk and resilin in my postdoc, I am much more appreciative of them!
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
When I was in elementary and middle school, I wanted to be a writer because I loved reading. Then in high school I took a chemistry class by a now-retired teacher, Ms. Salzman, which was really eye-opening. I remember being blown away learning about entropy for the first time. My mom signed me up for a chemistry course over the following summer, and now, 17 years later, here I am!
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
When life throws you roadblocks, it's very easy to get disheartened and desperate. The key is to keep calm, keep chugging along and pushing, and to especially keep looking out for additional opportunities. For example, if a project isn't working, are there results you can spin out further even if they're not as impactful as the project you were initially hoping for? Do you have skills you can develop? What are the things you can control even in the face of these situations?
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
Last summer I published a first-author paper in Chemical Science! I'm very proud of that work, as in the process I gained invaluable experience on how to characterize and make peptide-brush polymers. In addition to my research projects, I also recently joined the executive board of the Northwestern University Postdoctoral Association (NUPA) as the internal communications coordinator, and I've really enjoyed being able to contribute by improving and updating the website. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Publish Date: February 18, 2024
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