Austin Morrissey

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT AUSTIN MORRISSEY

My interests revolve around mRNA, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. At the heart of my work is a practice of keeping the patient at the forefront of my mind. Historically, this approach has driven major innovations in medicine. I take inspiration from those who\'ve been explicit in this approach, such as Paul Janssen, who coined the phrase \'the patients are waiting\' and would go on to lead the most successful drug discovery team in history. The value of actively cultivating this mindset is overlooked, and I suspect easily dismissed in industry where the phrase may serve as a social signal rather than explicit, helpful advice. When experiments don\'t yield expected results, remembering who we serve restores focus and purpose. Thus, setting oneself to research while keeping our end goal in mind serves to spur mental engagement. In turn, the attitude towards research becomes imbued with a greater sense of meaning, allowing us to work harder while enjoying the process more. I learn best in diverse teams, and find that they make for better workplaces. These collaborations reveal blind spots and generate possibilities beyond individual effort. In this regard, I believe diversity itself is a pragmatic necessity for the advancement of scientific research. An essay regarding this can be found at austinpatrick.substack.com, where I reflect on the process of learning science. If you are interested in collaborating or discussing science, please do reach out.