Scott André Oakes, MD, is an associate professor of pathology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He completed medical school at the University of Connecticut and residency in anatomic pathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

A board-certified pathologist who supervises the autopsy service at UCSF, Dr. Oakes oversees a research laboratory that studies how mammalian cells sense an accumulation of toxic, misfolded proteins (as often occurs in neurodegenerative diseases) and decide to either repair the damage or self-destruct. Their ultimate goal is to design small molecules to protect against cell loss in human degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, and conversely promote cell death in cancer.

His work has been recognized with prestigious awards from organizations such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, American Cancer Society, Harrington Discovery Institute, and American Society of Clinical Investigator (ASCI).