Alumni Feature
Dr. Amir Tamiz
• One of our most recent investigators at Mas-
sachusetts General Hospital has entered into
a partnership agreement with biotechnology
company to develop a treatment for rare ge-
netic disorders resulting from pre-mRNA splic-
ing defects such as familial dysautonomia.
• A current participant of our program an-
nounced that it has entered a worldwide
license and partnership agreement with Astra-
Zeneca to develop a therapeutic for smoking
cessation.
• One of our investigators has received FDA ap-
proval of their Investigational New Drug (IND)
application to begin clinical trials for a drug to
treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
• Another small company we fund is moving
an experimental new drug that may improve
memory, into the first human clinical trial.
• We have a small, Ohio-based start-up Great
Lakes NeuroTechnologies, develop a sensor
worn on the index finger and an app to con-
tinuously measure Parkinson’s symptoms such
as tremor, bradykinesia (slowed movements)
and dyskinesia (involuntary movements).
• Another current participant has recently re-
ceived FDA approval for a supplemental new
drug application for the antiepileptic drug
lacosamide as a monotherapy for treating
partial-onset seizures in epilepsy patients
aged 17 years or older.
• And another current investigator recently
announced development of a promising oral
medication intended to slow or halt the pro-
gression of "dry" Age-Related Macular Degen-
eration (AMD).”
Walk through your career, from the time you
left Siena Heights until present? In other
words, what were some of the stops along
the way to your current position?
“I graduated from Siena Heights College
with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. I then
went to University of Oregon to work with Pro-
fessor John Keana. John took me on as a sum-
mer student, and after working with him for a
few months, I realized that I had discovered my
love for research and medicine. I then went to
Georgetown University as a postdoctoral fellow
and worked with Prof. Alan Kozikowski, working
on understanding how neurons in the brain are
excited and how they are effected in depression
and addiction. I decided to join biotech as a
research scientist and worked through the ranks
into management. After about 10 years working
at three biotech companies, I joined Firststage
Bioventure and helped start companies focused
on very early stages of therapeutic and device
development. I joined NIH in the fall of 2012.” What are some of the most rewarding parts
of your job? What are some of the more
challenging ones?
How did your time at Siena Heights
shape you? What were some of your more
memorable experiences (and people)? “My recent promotion has been a big honor,
and I’m really focused on how to be help my
division be most effective. Reducing the burden
of neurological disease by helping to progress
treatments for those who suffer from it is an
important mission.”
“Above all, I value the friendships that I
made at Siena Heights. I enjoyed the culture of
small school having time to spend time getting
to know people in depth—I enjoyed meeting so
many people with backgrounds so different from
my own and have enjoyed staying close to many
of my friends since then. Siena Heights taught
me that having strong personal relationships is
what makes life rich and success possible.”
What advice would you give a current Siena
Heights science major?
“If you love science, hit the books. Take
classes to diversify your understanding of differ-
ent fields in science and challenge yourself to do
projects in the lab. Take advantage of the unique
opportunity that Siena provides by being small
and having direct access to all faculty to get to
know them in person. Ask tough questions, and
ask them to mentor you throughout your tenure.
Understanding the concept of experimental
design and hypothesis-generating research is at
the heart of a good scientific foundation. Having
the opportunity to work with instructors at Siena
on a one-on-one basis is a truly a gift.
And to my fellow student-athletes, it is truly
unique to have an opportunity to have science
and sports to be practically across the street
from each other. The discipline you accept to
balance athletics and books will serve you well
long-term. You will be well-versed to learn team-
work and leadership skills on the athletic field,
as science is never done in a silo, and teamwork
is essential for success in your careers.”
“There are so many things I like about my
job. I am always energized to be working with so
many amazingly talented and dedicated people.
It's also important to me that we are working on
problems that affect all of us and our families
and can make the world a better place. We have
a front row seat for amazing science and discov-
ery. It is really a privilege to be allowed to play
this role.”
What else do you hope to accomplish in
your career?
What do you like to do outside of work?
Family? Hobbies?
“My wife and I are raising our two daugh-
ters, who are 4 and 8—and I’m very involved
with the household and with them, including
coaching my older daughter’s soccer team. I am
still playing soccer a few times a week myself.
With any other free tim