Dillon

Dillon is a Senior Scientist in biophysics for a drug discovery biotech company based in Cambridge. Originally from the US, he completed his PhD as a Gates Scholar at the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge. Under the supervision of the late Prof. Sir Christopher M. Dobson and Prof. Michele Vendruscolo, his research focused on misfolding protein diseases and disorders. Most notably, he designed a high-throughput, physiologically relevant drug screening assay for tau protein in Alzheimer's disease. He routinely used state-of-the-art biophysical methods in his research to measure the strength at which lead candidates bound to target proteins.
Previously, Dillon obtained his B.S. Biochemistry, Summa Cum Laude at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA. There, he was supervised by Dr. David A. Moffet where he investigated the aggregation propensity of mammalian variants of type II diabetes-associated peptide, amylin. His main contributions to these works involved the use of atomic force microscopy for the structural characterisation of protein aggregates. His favourite courses, to name a few, included: mechanistic toxicology, biochemistry, cellular function, and ceramics.

Tutoring Experience

Dillon has been teaching for over 8 years. He has worked with age groups ranging from year 7 to graduate level. In the US he worked with over half a dozen high school students preparing for Advanced Placement tests, of which everyone passed (received a 3 or higher). Since 2016, he has routinely assisted academic faculty in lab practical demonstrations and lecture-based courses. Finally, he more recently has taken up an instructor in Biophysics through Horizon Academic, a competitive, merit-based programme for high school students interested in university-level content and research.

Tutoring Approach

Dillon recognises that not everyone learns the same way. He prefers to set tangible goals with students and regularly assess progress to work with students to find learning and studying strategies that work best for the individual. This includes, creating mnemonic devices, fIash cards, practice questions, lecture slides, diagrams, analogies, and more. In this way, he creates a hybrid-style balance between student- and teacher-centered that helps students achieve more.