For this Faculty Feature, we spoke with Alexey Surgushichev, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pathology & Immunology in the Immunobiology Division.
Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up, and when did you first become interested in science and medicine?
I grew up in Vologda, a small city in Russia. Thanks to my parents, I attended a STEM-focused high school with great teachers in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. Beyond the excellent education, it also introduced me to science through toy research projects and school Olympiads. That’s where I developed a passion for computers. This path led me to ITMO University in St. Petersburg, to the top Computer Science undergraduate program in Russia, where I also began to get involved in real research.
What is your career path?
My scientific career started at ITMO, where I spent a lot of time. I began working in a lab there at the end of my bachelor’s degree and continued through my master’s and PhD. At the beginning of my PhD, in 2013, I visited Dr. Maxim Artyomov’s lab here at Wash U, which sparked a long-standing collaboration and my association with the university. Soon after completing my PhD, I started to lead a bioinformatics research group at ITMO while collaborating with experimental labs at other institutions. Recently, I joined the Department of Pathology & Immunology as a faculty member, and I’m excited about the opportunity to synergize my computational work with the department’s cutting-edge experimental science.
What are your favorite parts of your current role?
One of my favorite parts of the job is seeing people, especially in the Department, use the tools my group has developed. Seeing your work benefiting other people is very rewarding.
What is a memorable moment you’ve had while working in the department?
Technically, it happened when I wasn’t working: a couple of colleagues and I decided to skip work to drive out and watch the total solar eclipse in April 2024. It was a really cool and eerie sight—totally worth the trip.
What special skills or talents do you have that people may not know about?
I can mix cocktails, and people who’ve tried them say they’re good.
What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities?
The top three are: hiking—there are plenty of trails around St. Louis that I’ve enjoyed; reading sci-fi, which likely influenced my decision to pursue a research career; and rock music—listening, going to concerts, and trying to play instruments.
What is your advice to aspiring people in your field?
Try to find a balance between working on well-defined problems that you have a good idea how to solve, and on problems that spark your curiosity, even if there’s no clear path to a solution. Positive results from the first type will support you during tough times, while the second type gives you the chance to create something uniquely your own.
