At an early age, Katie Spivakovsky learned to study the world from different angles. Dinner conversations at his family's home in Menlo Park, California, often leaned toward topics like the Maillard reaction (the chemistry behind browning foods) or the fascinating mysteries of prime numbers. Spivakovsky's parents, one of whom studied physical chemistry and the other statistics, fostered a love of knowledge that crossed disciplines.
In high school, Spivakovsky explored everything from classical literature to computer science. She knew she wanted a college experience that fostered her broad interests, a place where all fields were within her reach.
Spivakovsky is now a junior double majoring in biological engineering and artificial intelligence and decision making, with a minor in mathematics. At a time when fields like biology and computer science are merging like never before, she describes herself as “interested in leveraging engineering and computational tools to discover new biomedical insights,” a central theme of NEET Living Machines Threadin which it is now registered.
“NEET is more than engineering,” says Amitava “Babi” Mitra, founder CEO of NEET. “It is about training young engineers who dream big, value collaboration and are prepared to face the world's most difficult challenges with heart and curiosity. Seeing students like Katie thrive is why this program is so important.”
Spivakovsky's achievements at MIT already have a global reach. In 2023, he led a team of students at the international genetically engineered machine (iGEM) competition in Paris, France, where they presented a proof of concept for a therapy to treat cancer cachexia. Cachexia is a condition that causes loss of fat and muscle without FDA-approved treatment. The condition affects 80 percent of patients with advanced-stage cancer and is responsible for 30 percent of cancer deaths. Spivakovsky's team won a silver medal for proposing engineering macrophages to eliminate excess interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory protein overproduced in patients with cachexia, and their research was later published in the MIT journal. Undergraduate Research Journalan honor that, according to her, was “unreal and humiliating.”
Spivakovsky works as a research student in the BioNanoLab of Mark Bathe, professor of biological engineering and former director of the NEET faculty. The lab uses DNA and RNA to engineer nanoscale materials for therapeutic and computational uses. Its objective is to validate nucleic acid nanoparticles for use in therapeutics.
According to Bathe, “Katie shows tremendous promise as a scientific leader: she brings unparalleled passion and creativity to her project of creating novel vaccines with a depth of knowledge in both biology and computing that is truly unmatched.”
Spivakovsky says class 20.054 (Living Machine Research Immersion), which he is taking in the NEET program, complements his work in Bathe's lab and provides a well-rounded experience through workshops that emphasize scientific communication, staying on top of scientific literature and research progress updates. “I'm interested in a variety of topics and find that switching between them helps keep things fresh,” she says.
Her interdisciplinary drive led her to Merck over the summer, where Spivakovsky interned on the Modeling and Informatics team. While contributing to the development of a drug to disable a cancer-causing protein, he says he learned to use computational chemistry tools and developed geometric analysis techniques to identify locations on the protein where drug molecules could bind.
“My team continues to actively use the software I developed and the knowledge I gained through my work,” says Spivakovsky. “The target protein has a huge patient population, so I am hopeful that within the next decade, drugs will enter the market and my small contribution can make a difference in many lives.”
As she looks toward her future, Spivakovsky imagines herself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biology, ideally in a role that combines the wet lab with computational research. “I don't see myself in a career totally devoid of one or the other,” he says. “This incredible synergy is where I feel most inspired.”
Wherever Spivakovsky's curiosity takes her, one thing is certain: “NEET has really helped my development as a scientist.”
