Michelle Watts

Michelle Watts has over seven years of work experience in the biotechnology industry. In 2022, they joined Vesalius Therapeutics as a Scientist I, Stem Cell Biology and Disease Modeling. Prior to that, they were a Scientist, Discovery Biology at Yumanity Therapeutics from 2021, where they designed and executed cell-based assays for ALS/FTLD target validation, drug discovery, and mechanism-of-action studies. Michelle also contributed target engagement and compound efficacy data for Yumanity's strategic collaboration with Merck, leading to a $5million research milestone payment. Additionally, they built Yumanity's in vivo translational research capabilities, serving as 1 of 2 core members initiating vivarium operations, writing IACUC-approved animal use protocols (AUPs), budgeting and sourcing equipment/reagents, and setting up chemical/biological waste streams. From 2015 to 2021, they were a Doctoral Student at Harvard University, where they evaluated ALS patient motor neuron vulnerabilities to proteostatic stress modulations and developed accelerated assays of ALS motor neuron proteotoxicity for neuroprotective drug discovery. Michelle also utilized phosphoproteomic analyses and a human motor neuron survival screen to identify protective cellular pathways and novel neuroprotective compounds, and leveraged CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to investigate the role of a molecular co-chaperone (HSPA4L) in ALS motor neuron degeneration.

Michelle Watts attended the University of California, Los Angeles from 2010 to 2014 and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. Michelle then attended Harvard University from 2014 to 2020 and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Biological and Biomedical Sciences.