Christopher Lim
He/Him
I am gay and I am a protein engineer.//
I’m fascinated by the natural world and the molecules in our cells that drive inert matter into a thing we call “life.”
When I was studying biochemistry at Amherst College, I was lucky enough to have incredible professors and mentors (hi, Dr. J!) who helped me see it was possible to survive in scientific research as a queer person. They supported me as a fledgling scientist and drove me to pursue my PhD.
In grad school I hoped to pay it forward by co-founding the graduate chapter of Out in STEM (oSTEM) at Yale. I told myself that even if one LGBTQ+ student came to visitation weekend and felt an iota more comfortable by seeing our rainbow flag, it would have been worth groveling for funding and trudging through the cold each year.
I’m currently a protein engineer at a startup developing CRISPR-based therapeutics to permanently cure genetic diseases. As these technologies develop, they have to potential to treat not only rare genetic disorders, but to modify the very genes that make us each unique individuals. I hope I can play my small part in creating these drugs safely and responsibly.
I’m always open to new connections, so don’t hesitate to reach out!