Aaron Nile is a principal investigator at Calico Life Sciences where his group identifies exploitable oncology targets and develops novel therapeutics. Prior to Calico, Aaron completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech. As part of his efforts to stay connected with the Bay Area research community, Aaron Nile will host discussions and a career talk on May 13, as part of QB3’s Professional in Residence program. Graduate students and postdocs can register here for Aaron’s visit and learn more about research careers in biotech.
Meaghan Marohn: What led you to pursue a career in science?
Aaron Nile: Growing up in eastern Ohio, I was surrounded by science. My father was both an engineer and a third-generation potter, and working in his lab and attending conferences initially sparked my interest in materials science. However, early experiences exploring local pond water under a microscope, finding tardigrades in sunflower pollen, using telescopes, and going on fossil hunts ultimately drew me toward the biological sciences. I went on to study molecular genetics at The Ohio State University.
As I continued my undergraduate studies at OSU, I joined the lab of Steve and Aysha Osmani, where I studied cell-cycle regulation in A. nidulans. That experience got me hooked on microscopy and fungal biology. After graduation, I worked for a year as a lab technician, helping Jian-Qiu Wu set up his first lab at OSU, where I worked on understanding cell-cycle regulation in S. pombe. I then moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for my dissertation work in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology in the lab of Vytas Bankaitis focusing on lipid signaling and membrane trafficking.
During graduate school, a collaboration with Stanford examining the relationship between gene knockouts and small-molecule sensitivity in S. cerevisiae opened the door to drug discovery for me. It was a compelling blend of biology and chemistry with the potential for direct and impactful discoveries towards human health. I then completed a postdoc at Genentech in the Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry in the lab of Rami Hannoush, focused on phage display, structural biology, and identifying antagonistic inhibitors of Wnt signaling. That experience helped me transition from small-molecule antifungals into oncology. I later joined the Oncology department at Calico and have been there for the last eight years, first as an independent contributor and now leading my own team.
MM: Why did you decide to go into industry?
AN: After completing graduate school, I had a few great postdoc opportunities, but I was also ready for a change. Genentech offered a program where my interests aligned with the opportunity to do excellent science, and where the success and development of postdocs clearly mattered. The resources were also exceptional.
I wanted to focus on doing science in a highly collaborative, well-supported environment rather than spending much of my time chasing funding. At the same time, the position kept my options open if I ultimately decided to return to academia, so I jumped at the opportunity.
MM: How do you think being a PI in industry may be different than being a PI in academia?
AN: Calico is organized around smaller, PI-led labs that focus on the core expertise of each lab. In my group, I pitch ideas, my scientists bring forward ideas, and together we lead drug discovery efforts while also advancing the basic science we believe will be most impactful, either for internal programs or for publication.
I try to connect everything we do to a translational goal: Could this reveal a new target? Could this technology solve a drug discovery challenge? Could this ultimately help patients?
Although I have never been a PI in academia, my impression is that industry science is often more continuously shaped by resourcing, timelines, program strategy, and patient impact. We think carefully about the problem we are trying to solve, the resources required, and the patients we hope to help. That focus helps me prioritize, delegate resources appropriately, and build informed alignment with leadership over time.
In contrast, academic funding can involve longer review cycles and less frequent feedback. In industry, there is more iterative discussion and consensus-building, which can sharpen the science and keep programs aligned with clear goals.
MM: What are the main research areas of your lab?
AN: E3 ligase biology is both fascinating and still underexplored, despite years of effort. My lab focuses on our pipeline targets, but we are also passionate about developing technologies. For public-facing work, I often use HPV as a proof-of-concept system to understand how E3 ligases function.
I am particularly proud of one of our recent papers, where we used cryoEM and biochemistry to better understand how HPV co-opts host machinery to drive cancer. In that work, we helped define the structural and mechanistic basis of HPV E6 and full-length E6AP function, including cryoEM studies of the complex. Although HPV-associated cancers represent a significant global cancer burden, many fundamental questions remain about how these and other viral proteins rewire host biology.
MM: How collaborative is the work at Calico?
AN: I strive to be as collaborative as possible and I hire people who are clever, intellectually fearless, and enjoy working with each other. Calico is structured into small teams across research, development, and drug discovery, which necessitates cross-group collaboration. I genuinely enjoy working with others, and I believe this shared focus on reaching a common goal and exchanging ideas is one of the biggest differences between industry and academia — we’re all on the same team.
MM: Any advice for someone interested in pivoting from academia to industry?
AN: I did not have much guidance when I was first trying to understand the differences between academia and industry, including the advantages and trade-offs of each path. That is one reason I try to participate in panels and mentoring events whenever I can.
My approach has always been to keep options open and position myself for success. Building and maintaining networks through a genuine interest in people often leads to the best opportunities. Work hard, love what you do, stay focused on your goals, and pay attention to what is happening around you. You never know when an idea, conversation, or observation will influence how you see a problem and hopefully solve it.
My advice is to look into postdoctoral programs in the industry. Our postdoctoral program at Calico provides a great opportunity to work at the leading edge of aging research. The program offers structured mentorship and allows our postdoctoral fellows to pursue their own projects with resources for innovative and ambitious research. I encourage early career scientists to check out the openings and apply.
I also believe in continuous education to avoid becoming too complacent. For example, I am currently completing a master’s in management to better understand the business side of science. Ultimately, it is about figuring out what is actionable for you. Always have a goal, and remember that curiosity is a goal, too.
Aaron Nile earned his PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He pivoted to industry pursuing a Postdoc in Early Discovery Chemistry at Genentech. Aaron is now a Principal Investigator at Calico Life Sciences where his group explores different approaches to identify exploitable oncology targets to develop therapeutics.
Meaghan Marohn recently completed her PhD from UC Berkeley in molecular and cell biology with a designated emphasis in computational and genomic biology, studying human evolution and population genetics in Priya Moorjani’s lab.