As a liberal arts school on the Block Plan, CC is uniquely positioned to prepare students in the sciences to work as researchers, scientists, environmentalists, and more. The multiple science programs — paired with CC’s interdisciplinary, project-based education focused on teaching critical thinking — gives students a huge advantage when going into STEM fields. Ana Musto ’22 knows this firsthand, as she is using what she learned as a Molecular Biology major and Biochemistry minor in her role as a senior research associate at Nilo Therapeutics, a biotech company working to create therapies for autoimmune diseases.
“There were countless times at CC when I had to step out of my comfort zone and experience the learning process through failure,” says Musto. “This lesson has been key in my career, where I’m often faced with new, complex problems that require me to think creatively, adjust, and keep moving forward. With my current position being at the intersection of immunology and neuroscience, CC’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning is paying off.”
Musto is grateful for the small class sizes at CC, which gave her opportunities that her peers at larger, research-focused universities may not have had. Musto recalls having in-depth discussions on different science papers during her first-year Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology class. “Having small class sizes allowed me to critically engage with the material in a way that’s rare for most college freshmen, especially compared to peers at larger, research-focused universities,” Musto says. “This experience gave me a unique opportunity to develop my scientific thinking early on.”
Musto says that she thinks the main concern potential students might have with CC and STEM fields is how they will be able to manage the condensing of very large topics, such as immunology and organic chemistry, into three-and-a-half weeks.
“It is certainly intense,” Musto admits. “But my experience was that because of the small class sizes and the close relationships with professors and peers, STEM at CC was a very supportive environment where I felt encouraged to ask questions, engage in discussions, and challenge myself. In terms of preparation for my career as a researcher, CC’s science courses provided a solid foundation in both theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory techniques. The hands-on experience gained in labs was invaluable, as it helped me build confidence in experimental design and data analysis. I also learned how to approach scientific problems creatively, think critically, and adapt to new findings—skills that are crucial in research settings. While the condensed format of the Block Plan can feel intense, it pushed me to approach scientific topics with a level of focus and dedication that has served me well in my career.”
As a first-year student, Musto didn’t know what she wanted to study, other than knowing she was passionate about science and helping others. She ended up declaring Molecular Biology because the major offered a variety of classes she was really interested in, such as Stem Cell Biology and Human Physiology. She was also excited that the major would give her flexibility to pursue different careers after graduating, as a Molecular Biology degree can set students up for success in healthcare, research, academia, and other fields. During her junior year, she worked as a COVID vaccine clinic administrator, where she worked alongside medical professionals at Centura Health.
Musto spent the summer before her senior year in the Killian Lab, conducting research on developmental neurobiology and neuroscience using the model organism C. elegans with Dr. Darrell Killian, Associate Professor and Chair of the Molecular Biology Department. This was game-changing for Musto, as it showed her that she wanted to focus more on neurobiology. For her thesis, she looked at the neuronal migration defects that arose in C. elegans after a specific genetic mutation was introduced. She was awarded CC’s Laboratory Award in Molecular Biology for this research.
“I think most importantly the research project taught me how to conduct research independently and take ownership of a project,” Musto says. “It also taught me how to collaborate with professors outside of the Molecular Biology Department because at one point I needed a statistician to help me decide which tests and models were most appropriate for the data I was generating.”
“Ana was meticulous in the lab and was laser focused on her experiments,” says Killian, who was Musto’s senior thesis advisor. “Looking back on Ana’s thesis, it is a great example of excellent science writing—precise and concise. It is no surprise that Ana is enjoying success in her post-CC years and making an impact in the field.”
After graduating, Musto spent two years in New York working as a research associate at Kallyope, a clinical-stage biotech company, where she focused on a series of drug discovery programs. Her research helped probe the engagement of novel drug targets. She also designed and executed experiments to understand the mechanism of action, which is understanding the biochemical and molecular processes through which a drug exerts its effect, of a new migraine drug they were developing. Musto worked on establishing evidence that this migraine drug may be effective in humans based on biomarkers. “This is crucial because much of preclinical drug discovery is conducted in animal models or cell cultures, which leaves a significant question as to whether the results will be the same in humans,” she says. “My role was to help bridge that gap.”
Last year, Musto started her new position at Nilo Therapeutics, a New York-based biotech company built on research from the Zuker Lab at Columbia University. “This research uncovered the potential to regulate the human immune response through the activation of a specific neural circuit,” Musto says. “The company’s goal is to leverage this discovery to develop a pipeline of therapeutics targeting autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including toxic shock, cytokine storms, and rheumatoid arthritis.”
Musto says that because it is such an early-stage company, everyone wears multiple hats, so some days, in addition to running experiments in the lab, she helps write the company career development policy or works on program budgets.
“Every day is different, it is an extremely fast-paced, high-energy environment,” Musto says. “I work on multiple projects and programs, including efforts to assess the human translation of the Zuker research, helping understand the downstream effector neurons of the circuit and identify the neuronal subpopulation within the circuit that would be the best to activate with a drug to drive down inflammatory cytokines while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines at the same time.”
Ultimately, Musto appreciates how well her education at CC prepared her for her current role.
“CC’s intensity helped me develop the ability to focus, manage time effectively, and engage deeply with complex material,” Musto says. “Since I entered a career path that requires problem-solving and quick adaptability, these skills are crucial. CC also taught me how to take initiative by providing a lot of opportunities for independent study and collaborative work, which is helpful in my job since I frequently collaborate with teams across my company for projects.”