In this episode, I converse with Prof. Stacy Malaker, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Yale University. Stacy completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and went on to receive her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Virginia under Prof. Donald Hunt where she focused on enrichment and mass spectrometric identification of glycopeptides presented by the MHC class I and II processing pathways. She further continued to investigate the role of aberrant glycosylation in cancer as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi’s lab at Stanford University and used mass spectrometry and glycobiology to investigate mucinase activity on glycoproteins.

Stacy seeks to develop methods that allow for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of mucin-domain glycoproteins, a class of densely O-glycosylated extracellular proteins. We talk about her incredible journey in science; blazing a trail through academia whilst being a first generation college student; outstanding mentors like Don Hunt, a legendary figure in mass spectrometry, and Carolyn Bertozzi, a pioneer of glycobiology; fascinating research on mucins and the keys they hold to tackling various diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis, glycoproteomics; sagacious advice to young and upcoming scientists; and many more things!!