Class Year: 2002
Alumni Recognition Award Winner 2014
Dr. Wade Hicks ’02 is pursuing a research career in molecular biology at one of the world’s most prestigious research organizations: the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University in Boston. He was named a senior research fellow in Systems Biology after completing a four-year postdoctoral research fellowship, also at the Wyss Institute.
Wade raised the bar in North Central’s science department for student research. He was among the first to publish and present his results at the national level and he was the first student to partner with Jonathan Visick, professor of biology, investigating damaged protein in bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli). Wade discovered a passion for research that ignited his academic career and earned a Richter Independent Study Fellowship for conducting research at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Upon graduation, Wade began his science career as a research assistant at Loyola University Medical Center. In 2004, he was accepted into the doctoral program at Brandeis University, where he pursued his passion for molecular biology and authored research articles for prestigious publications like Molecular and Cellular Biology and Science.
In 2010, he began his work at Wyss, where he has focused on metabolic engineering to develop novel bacteria that address sustainability issues related to industrial chemicals.
Wade is a loyal and generous alumnus who enjoys sharing his love of science with students interested in the microbiology field. He resides in Framingham, MA and has a young son.
