Tamar Bar Ziv's fascination with science and the laboratory began early and flourished during her undergraduate years, particularly when she delved into the realms of biochemistry and structural biology. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego in 2020, where her dedication to these fields earned her Provost Honors across multiple quarters. Post-graduation, Bar Ziv commenced her career at Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Clinical Diagnostics Division, as a clinical laboratory scientist. In 2022, she transitioned to Revolution Medicines, a leader in precision oncology, joining their structural biology team as a research associate. There she utilized crystallography, cryoEM, and other advanced techniques to contribute to the design of a small molecule inhibitor targeting oncogenic KRAS mutants in their GTP-bound state.
These experiences underscored Bar Ziv's passion for structural biology and research, reinforcing her decision to pursue graduate studies. Her goal is to pioneer more targeted therapies, particularly in cancer treatment, aiming to mitigate current treatment side effects by addressing the root causes of diseases rather than merely alleviating symptoms.
Publications:
Holderfield M, Lee BJ, Jiang J et al. Concurrent inhibition of oncogenic and wild-type RAS-GTP for cancer therapy. Nature 629, 919–926 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07205-6