Max Wilkinson

Max Wilkinson, PhD

Principal Investigator

I'm a molecular biologist fascinated by the interplay of RNA, DNA, and proteins. In my free time I enjoy classical music, playing the trombone and piano, and playing boardgames.

Originally from New Zealand, I studied biochemistry at the University of Otago and studied CRISPR-Cas systems with Prof. Peter Fineran and Prof. Kurt Krause. I moved to the UK for a PhD at the University of Cambridge. I studied spliceosome structures by cryoEM at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology under the guidance of the immensely kind Kiyoshi Nagai. In 2021 I moved to the US for a postdoc with Prof. Feng Zhang at MIT and the Broad Institute, where I started studying reverse transcriptases, retrotransposons, and learned how to discover amazing biology by gazing at DNA sequences. In 2025 I moved to NYC to start this lab.

CV
Masha

Marie Curie aka "Masha"

Honorary lab member

Masha helps write grants and supports the day-to-day operations of the PI. She is blissfully unaware of the greatness of reverse transcription.

Has burgeoning influence on Instagram

Join us!

Are you interested in discovering funky RNA biology? Do you wonder what biology is out there?

Postdocs

We have at least 3 years of funding for a postdoc. The ideal candidate would have prior experience in either structural biology or RNA biochemistry. If you are interested, please email Max and include a brief description for why you are interested in the lab. Please include a CV.