5 Questions
Andrew McDavid, PhD
Principle Research Scientist
When did you join Ozette?
I came to the company in June of 2022.
What motivated you to become a Research Scientist?
I’ve always had a passion for science and technology. It’s one of the few careers where there are always more questions than answers.
What prompted you to come to Ozette
For me, the team was really the deciding factor. Most biotech companies have plenty of talented scientists and engineers, and Ozette is no exception, but I have been impressed by how kind and interesting my co-workers are. I think it’s a testament to the company culture.
What does a typical day at Ozette look like?
Currently, a typical day is about extending Ozette’s capabilities to analyze new kinds of data sets, and then subsequently using the fruits of that effort to answer new scientific questions on data sets from us or our partners. Coming from academia as a statistician, I have always felt it’s important to build high-quality implementations of the methods I propose, and it’s been interesting to learn the processes that Ozette uses to build its software. I love being able to hang out with the engineers. It’s been a huge growth opportunity for me.
What does the future look like at Ozette to you?
In genomics, we are used to getting a free lunch. Once you have collected a sample from a patient, it has become progressively cheaper to generate a data set that often is richer and more expressive. But from the standpoint of actually getting the sample, from the right patient, who can help us understand complex diseases like cancer, it really hasn’t gotten any cheaper or easier. Ozette is in a great position to be able to utilize precious, historically gathered patient samples. This will let the scientific community move faster and more efficiently than having to wait for prospective enrollment of new patients. I’m excited to be a part of that.
