Megan Rigby, a Research Associate II in the RAS Program graduated from Hood College with a master’s degree in biomedical science in 2023. She was also awarded The Carlo and Valerie Bagni Outstanding Biomedical Science Student Award, established by Hood and FNL alum Rachel Bagni, in recognition of her exceptional achievements.
In her role at FNL, Megan works in the RAS Initiative’s Drug Screening and Preclinical Research group where she is part of a drug discovery campaign focused on KRAS-targeted therapeutics. She performs cell-based screens testing covalent and non-covalent KRAS inhibitors developed by collaborators at TheRAS, with the goal of developing a new clinical candidate.
She also works on projects focused on research into fundamental RAS biology. “I really enjoy having the opportunity to be involved in both preclinical drug discovery and basic biology research at the same time,” Megan said. “I’m never bored.”
You can read our full interview with Megan below:
What was your experience like in working towards your masters?
I really enjoyed the courses that I took, and writing a thesis that was directly related to my work definitely accelerated my understanding of RAS biology. I’m someone who learns best within the structure of a school environment. I chose Hood College because I knew that online classes wouldn’t give me the experience I was looking for.
I went to another small liberal arts college for undergrad (St. Mary’s College of Maryland), and at Hood I found the same small class sizes where I was also able to develop great relationships with professors (Dr. Laufer and Dr. Boyd were wonderful mentors).
Funnily enough though, the pandemic hit while I was taking Medical Virology, and a few of my classes did end up being online, but I still had a good experience.
How are you applying what you learned at school to your role at the Frederick National Laboratory?
My molecular biology concentration gave me a more robust understanding of protein biochemistry and cellular biology, which is fundamental to the research that I’m a part of here. I feel like it enabled me to contribute at a higher level to the team.
What do you enjoy about working at the Frederick National Laboratory?
It might sound corny, but I honestly enjoy doing work that is engaging and aligned towards a higher purpose, and I’m lucky to work with great people. I’ve been well supported here at the RAS Initiative, and I've found two fantastic mentors: Thomas Turbyville and Anna Maciag. I’m happy to share that I've been able to move up from a Research Technician to Research Associate II in 5 years. I was also given tuition assistance towards my degree.
What accomplishment at the Frederick National Laboratory are you most proud of?
I do enjoy being a part of a drug discovery campaign that has real momentum. I like the thought that there’s a chance (however small) that my work could have an impact on someone's life one day.
What piece of advice has helped you in your career?
It can feel so overwhelming in your early career as you’re flooded with choices, comparisons, and pressure to choose the ‘perfect’ career path. I’ve honestly gotten so much advice over the years that has been conflicting. Every person has their own story, biases, and opinions.
While I think it’s helpful to absorb as many of these data points as possible so that you can make the most informed decisions, the most important thing I’ve learned is this: only you know what’s the best career move for you based on your wants and values. What is most important to you? What do you want out of your career? How do you want your life to look? Build your career plan around these questions and ask the people around you to help you implement it.
Out of all the places in the world, where is your favorite place to be?
Anywhere outside in nature with friends (somewhere without too many mosquitos).
What is a little-known fact about you or your best-kept secret?
One thing I don’t talk often about publicly is my passion for mental health support and education. I’m glad that there’s been such a revolutionary change in how we talk about mental health after going through the pandemic together, but there is still so much more work to be done to reduce stigma and better support one another.
