Professor Aaron A. HoskinsBy: Professor Carla C. Oliveira  Dr. Aaron Hoskins is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and was named the Wasson Professor in Biochemistry of Higher Animals in 2021. His group aims to elucidate biochemical mechanisms in eukaryotic RNA metabolism using chemistry, biology, and single molecule analysis. He finds “working on new systems or using new technologies to be very exciting” and one highlight of his group’s current research involves using single molecule fluorescence methods to identify intermediates created during formation of the spliceosome active site. He said “ I’m hoping that single molecule methods can work hand-in-hand with cryo-EM to define bona fide on-pathway splicing intermediates.” Dr. Hoskins completed his PhD under Professor JoAnne Stubbe’s mentorship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. While there, Dr. Hoskins became fascinated by RNA splicing after seeing his eventual postdoctoral advisor, RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award winner Prof. Melissa Moore, speak at MIT at a birthday symposium for her graduate advisor, Prof. Chris Walsh. After that symposium, he then read Prof. Tim Nilsen’s paper "The spliceosome: the most complex macromolecular machine in the cell?" and was hooked. He recalled, “I knew then that I wanted to study splicing.”
Considering the advice from his mentors that helped him succeed as an RNA researcher, he remembered that his graduate advisor, Professor JoAnne Stubbe, had a lot of memorable sayings including "if it was easy, then someone probably already did it", " a good idea and a nickel doesn't get you anywhere ", and " don't limit your science by what you can buy from a catalog." Dr. Hoskins stressed that these are “All things to keep in mind!” When he was asked about how to overcome the challenges people might encounter in their career, he said “I think that our careers are just one challenge after another. I would say that writing my thesis was very challenging, but I had a lot of support from friends and mentors.” In other words, he suggested seeking support from others during particularly challenging times.
As a member of the RNA society and a frequent attendee of the Annual Meetings of the RNA Society, Dr. Hoskins views being a member of the RNA Society as an honor because of “the supportive, pro-science, pro-person atmosphere of the society. I think RNA as a field moves at light speed in part due to the standards set by our founders such as Marvin Wickens, Christine Guthrie, Jean Beggs, Joan Steitz, and others”. His favorite story about the annual RNA Society meetings demonstrates the society’s friendliness and collegial atmosphere. He recalled that he was surprised “at the first RNA Society meeting I attended in Berlin, I sent a message to one of my former labmates just saying "Everyone is hugging?!??!?" He pointed out that “I'm also Best Friends on Pokemon Go with a surprising number of esteemed RNA scientists.” He highlighted that he “managed to publish two pieces of software named after my pets (and they were good papers too!). AGATHA (named after his 7 year-old black cockapoo, who will do anything for freezer chicken) is used to fit single molecule data using maximum likelihood models, and LOUISE-NET (named after his 17 year-old tabby cat, who likes to sit on your shoulders as you walk around the house—he calls that being her "mobile oppression palace") is used to generate the nodes and edges of structure-defined networks containing both RNAs and proteins.” Despite being “social media shy” and not having a presence on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, Dr. Hoskins does run the @UWMadisonRNA twitter account. He also adds that “people should just feel free to email me or add me as a friend on Pokemon Go (4004 9898 842 and so I don't get spammed, the last number is that of the U snRNP not involved in splicing but involved in ribosome small subunit biogenesis).” Dr. Hoskins’ favorite RNAs are “the snRNAs!” |