Christopher Hickey, Phd Email & Phone Number

Biology group leader in targeted protein degradation.

Established, recruited, and led a new biology group at Arvinas.

New Haven, CT

Led a team that developed and executed cell-based assays, genetic screens, and biochemical assays for ligand discovery/evaluation and protein degrader development.

Developed and executed several cell-based and biochemical assays for PROTAC screening and mechanism of action studies while building a team of talented bench scientists.

New Haven, CT

Led multiple projects to investigate the ubiquitin-proteasome system and trained several scientists in genetics, cell-based assays, and biochemistry. Managed several operations of the lab and group.3 Publications from this era, with co-authors I helped train and mentor.

Elucidated cellular pathways and molecular mechanisms of protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system and cellular roles for the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein in the Laboratory of Mark Hochstrasser. Individual funding via a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NIH.5 Publications from this era, including a highly-cited review on SUMO.

Taught “Advanced Biochemistry”, a graduate-level course for students pursuing a MS degree. Evening class, in addition to my day job. Developed an active learning module covering key web-based tools (BLAST, Uniprot, Pymol, etc.) that connects biochemistry to genetic diseases. I continue to use this module with interns in pharma.

Part of a team that created multi-assay-enabled fully synthetic vesicles (proteoliposomes) that recapitulate the biology of membrane fusion within the endo-lysosomal system. I purified and characterized a heterohexameric protein complex (called HOPS) and several other proteins, enabling > 25 papers by the Wickner lab since 2008. Published 6 articles.

In my first position after college, I performed quality research and assumed numerous lab management responsibilities, including mouse colony supervision.Published 2 articles and supported several other successful projects, all related to host-pathogen interactions during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

In addition to my full-time technician position at Cornell Medical College, I taught an introductory anatomy and physiology course at Westchester Community College for 3 consecutive semesters.

B.S., Nutritional Sciences

Completed a thesis and published a paper on cysteine metabolism.

Ph.D., Biochemistry

"Mechanisms of Rab- and Rab effector-dependent membrane tethering, docking, and fusion."