Interview with Dr. A’Lester Wiggins-Allen

With roots in both California and Alabama, current UIC postdoc Dr. A’Lester Wiggins-Allen shares that growing up around his hard-working family shaped his great work ethic. He became interested in chemistry in middle school, after his favorite Social Studies teacher, Dr. Diana Marie Ferguson, introduced him to a chemistry professor at the University of Alabama.

“(The professor) used liquid nitrogen to turn a banana into a hammer. Then, he dipped a balloon in the liquid nitrogen and shattered it. After that I was like, ‘okay, I'm definitely gonna do chemistry’.”

He was the first in his family to attend college, studying chemistry at Stanford University before completing a master’s in materials engineering at San José State University. During his master’s, he interned at IBM. There, he used polymers, molecules built from small repeating parts similar to LEGOs, to make biodegradable breast implants. This experience sparked his interest in using chemistry to solve biomedical problems, and he chose to pursue his PhD in chemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. There, A’Lester was working to improve detection of small molecules, such as amyloid beta peptide which is found in people with Alzheimer’s disease. By using hollow gold particles and adding spikes, he enhanced the ability of these sensors to detect their targets.

A’Lester is now a postdoctoral fellow and alum of UIC’s IRACDA program, a 3-year, mentored fellowship that combines research funding with training in teaching and career development, producing well-rounded scholars prepared to launch independent faculty careers. In Dr. Terry Moore’s lab, he uses the polymers that he worked with in his master’s to build peptides and create therapies for different diseases. One area of importance is rising antibiotic resistance, which could turn a treatable bacterial infection into a life-threatening illness. A’Lester and coworkers have created a promising treatment. Harmful bacteria need to make proteins to survive in their host. By modifying the antimicrobial peptide, Apidaecin, it more tightly locks onto the bacteria’s protein-making machines and stops bacteria from finalizing those proteins, starving them of the molecules they need to survive.

“Apidaecin is an elegant peptide… it smoothly walks in and just shuts the whole thing down at the end.”

A’Lester is also developing a treatment for therapy-resistant breast cancer. Normally, estrogen binds to the estrogen receptor and recruits the parts of the cell that initiate tumor growth. People with therapy-resistant breast cancer have a mutation in the estrogen receptor, allowing these cancer cells to grow without estrogen. Since conventional cancer therapies reduce estrogen or stop it from binding to its receptor, they don’t work in people with this mutation. To help that group of people, A’Lester is using peptides to build a decoy that also binds to the estrogen receptor. Once bound, the decoy blocks the real cell parts needed for tumor growth from binding and doing their job. Learn more about this and other innovative ways to use peptides in A’Lester’s review.

 

Though A’Lester has consistently proven his ability, he has faced doubt and prejudice along the way. He was told to “choose an easier major” and even heard, “you’ll never be a professor simply because you’re Black.” Yet, in the face of these critics, his father always called him “the Professor”—a title that has become reality with his receipt of the prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface (CASI). This award provides $560,000 to be used over a 5-year postdoctoral to faculty transition period. A’Lester initially delayed applying for 1 year because he thought he wouldn’t be competitive enough. Now after being whittled down from an applicant pool of ~300 people, A’Lester is the very first person from UIC to win this prestigious award and is now standing tall with other winners from MIT and Harvard. Even after such a great accomplishment, he still has that annoying voice of doubt in his head that we all have, but repeating affirmations has helped quiet those intrusive thoughts.

“Every single day I have to tell myself: I deserve success and a phenomenal career. Demonstrated competence is much greater than self-doubt. Don’t self-eliminate. They would be lucky to have me.”

In addition to his lab work, A’Lester is also passionate about educating others. He is active in many national societies such as the American Chemical Society – medicinal chemistry subdivision and the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. In these leadership roles, he focuses on creating initiatives for mentoring, career transitions, and mental health. A’Lester also enjoys making science accessible to everyone from mentoring students through Target H.O.P.E. to chatting with custodians on his floor about his latest research.

“I want to use the position I have to benefit the community and educate people.”

If you’ve been energized by A’Lester’s journey and want to apply for the CASI, remember to say your affirmations and follow his advice:   

  1. Read the description and make sure your research qualifies: working in biology with backgrounds in the physical/mathematical/computational or engineering sciences.

  2. Ask previous award winners for feedback and advice.

  3. Reach out to the program officers; in his experience, they have been lovely and supportive.