Snapshot: Research Associate Sandro Matosevic

Position: Research Associate, Department of Chemistry laboratory of Assistant Professor Brian Paegel, Florida campus

Background: A native of Croatia, Matosevic moved to London at age 18. He pursued his academic interest—biochemical engineering—at University College London, and earned a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He returned to University College London, completing a PhD in 2009. He was drawn to the challenges of science early in high school. “Back then, science struck me as a tough, but rewarding career path with a strong sense of purpose and impact,” he recalls. “Having been in science for a number of years now, I realized all of those things were true, but I’ve also learned how dynamic, creative, and rewarding—even at a personal level—science can be.”

Arrived at Scripps Research: June 2009

Projects: In his research, Matosevic focuses on building synthetic cell membranes to expand the types of cell behavior that can be studied using synthetic models, ultimately to understand how different components of a cell work. “A large number of proteins—the gatekeepers of the cell—interact with cell membranes, and many drugs, for example, act on these membrane proteins or use them to get inside cells,” he explains.

Awards: While attending University College London, Matosevic won a Jacobs Engineering Design Prize and a Lonza research scholarship. (Lonza is a global supplier to the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life science industries.)

Impressions of Scripps Research: “Scripps is a fantastic interdisciplinary environment that provides unparalleled access to cutting-edge equipment, technologies, and sharp minds. It is a great motivating environment for any scientist and truly provides unique training opportunities for a postdoc. For me, in particular, working at Scripps has opened up tremendous opportunities and been a great learning process.”

Professional and Volunteer Activities: Matosevic is an adjunct professor of biotechnology at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach County. He is also involved in scientific and outreach activities with BioFlorida and the Banner Center for Life Sciences, a consortium of industry, workforce, and educational partners providing training and career advancement solutions for Florida’s life sciences industry.

Serving as 2011-2012 president of Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SRF), Matosevic believes strongly in the importance of the campus organization. “Postdocs are the workhorse of the Institute—more so here than at regular academic institutions,” he says, adding that SRF plays a critical role in providing a friendly, supportive environment for postdocs to strive professionally and socially, particularly for the smaller Florida campus. “It is important to provide a sense of community to the postdocs working here, which is why the Society of Research Fellows’ role is integral to the postdoc experience.”

Extracurricular activities: A resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, Matosevic is a movie buff, particularly enjoying foreign movies, and he plays tennis.

Send comments to: press@scripps.edu