Jon Arizti Sanz
Three high-impact, first-author research papers. A patent for this work. An implemented product. Jon is revolutionising the field of infectious disease diagnostics as a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. While many would rather forget COVID-19, he’s fighting to keep infectious disease outbreaks under control globally.
Growing up in Spain, Jon remembers always being excited by the sciences. When it came to picking what to study, material science was the perfect fit, bringing together his interests with its interdisciplinary outlook. He adds: “The engineering aspect also made things feel more concrete and real.”
The move to the UK to study at Imperial opened up new opportunities. Jon explains: “I completed most of my research with Professor Molly Stevens (now at the University of Oxford). My interest in biomaterials made me realise I wanted to do something translational.”
Jon recognises his time at Imperial helped him in a multitude of ways, from opening doors to opportunities to providing clarity on his future. He says: “I really enjoyed my time at Imperial. I figured out what I did and didn’t enjoy, which helped me decide my next steps.”
It was during his time at Imperial that he had the chance to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as an exchange student. This first experience of the US would play an important part in shaping his future.
Jon with his parents on his graduation day
Jon with his parents on his graduation day
Making the move to MIT
After completing his studies, Jon left behind his life in London to complete his PhD at MIT and Harvard Medical School. The programme built on his strengths developed at Imperial, including both medical and engineering classes. He adds: “I did a clinical rotation in a hospital too, which is unusual for a biomedical engineer.”
I started to work on infectious diseases which sparked my interest. I didn’t know much about it but very quickly I was hooked. My PhD advisor was super magnetic, and I decided I needed to join that lab for my work to get more into this space.
Since then, Jon has focused on developing, validating and deploying technologies for infectious diseases. Especially in the context of outbreak prevention and response. In his own words: “I build things like novel diagnostics and sequencing technology so we can know as much about a pathogen and as quickly as possible. This is very helpful for responding effectively to outbreaks.”
It’s really hard to avoid outbreaks altogether, but we can definitely try to stop them from becoming an epidemic in the first place. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Working as a postdoctoral fellow
Jon made exceptional contributions to diagnostic technology development while at MIT. He explains: “SHINE and CARMEN are two complementary technologies that essentially leverage something called CRISPR, which we often tend to associate with genome editing. However, in this case, we are using a different enzyme and use it for diagnostic purposes.”
So, what does this mean? Jon continues: “I explain my research like it’s as simple as an antigen test but gives you a lot of the benefits of PCR. A lot of people are more familiar with these terms since COVID-19.”
When Jon joined the lab, the problem was a lot of the technology was bound to the lab setting. However, his work is changing this completely. His technology can be used for testing sites like we saw during the height of COVID-19, but it can also be used in cases where groups of people start to present symptoms of different diseases. In the latter scenario, samples could be sent to a more resourced setting such as a community hospital for testing.
I know Jon to be a brilliant, innovative, highly accomplished, and thoughtful researcher whose innovative technologies are poised to transform our ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
Historically, there has always been a gap between the lab and real life. But Jon is one of the people changing that. He travelled to both Nigeria and Sierra Leone to help implement testing for diseases like Lassa fever which is rife in these areas. Although the testing is still on a relatively small scale, the impact has been big for the community.
Embrace every opportunity
Jon values the advice he receives from people around him. But, for him, the most important thing is being open to new opportunities. He says: “You never know what is going to come your way. Sometimes it might seem like something doesn’t fit with your current plans, but you should consider these chances.”
Moving to America was just one example where Jon did exactly this. “I was excited to come here, and I have been very happy here, but I am very far away from home. I’m close with my family, and we still have a call every Sunday to keep in touch. I try to go home when I can too.”
Don’t stress too much and have fun. One way or another, things often turned out well for me – even when I thought the wrong thing had happened. Growing up, you tend to stress over so much. I think it took me a long time to realise some things are beyond my control. And embracing this is the best way to move forward.
For people interested in following his footsteps, he’d say this:
We need better preparedness for pandemics. In recent years, there has been a newfound appreciation in the research world about how much work there is to be done. I would encourage people to get involved in this area.
He remarks: “We seem to have some collective amnesia about what happened in 2020. We all just want to forget. I understand and I do relate, but at the same time we need to prepare for future outbreaks.”
And what’s next for Jon? He says he defines himself as a “societally engaged scientist”. He sees his future in academia and is driven by a desire to change how we relate to infectious disease. Jon emphasises the need to move away from a reactive approach and consider protective measures. He’s also been involved with the area at a policy level to inform leaders about biosecurity.
From diagnostics to dancing
It would be easy to look at Jon’s accomplishments and assume he’s working 24/7. The reality is Jon really values exploring other parts of his identity. He says: “I’m an extroverted person – very much a people’s person. Community is very important to me, especially while I’m abroad.”
Jon shares: “I recently started to do salsa lessons. And I really love cooking. I’d say food is my love language and it keeps me connected with people back home like my grandma. The last six months of my PhD were very stressful but dancing, cooking and seeing people is what kept me sane throughout the process.”
So, he recommends finding a work-life balance? Not exactly. “I think stressing about finding this balance defeats the purpose of said balance in the first place. There are times when work will take over but equally, I will have periods where I have more time to focus on my hobbies.”
Fond memories of Imperial
Jon’s time at Imperial was pivotal in his life and has shaped the decisions he’s made. He shares: “Imperial opened many doors internationally for me. I think the move to the US was a lot easier, for example. Also living in London was cool. I went from living somewhere where everyone was very similar to me to a new country where people speak a different language.”
I met some of my best friends while I was at Imperial. Some of them are in Boston too actually!
Jon and his university friends at the wedding of an Imperial classmate
Jon and his university friends at the wedding of an Imperial classmate
He has plenty of fond memories of his time outside the classroom too, from dressing up for parties to going to an immersive cinema experience with his friends. Jon would tell other students: “Make sure you join clubs and societies too. I think it’s one of the best aspects of student life. It’s your chance to try things and see if you like it. I learnt some French and did some volunteering, for example.”
Jon with the Imperial swim team
Jon with the Imperial swim team
A connected community
Jon says he was “super excited” when he heard he was a recipient of this award. He adds: “I knew about these awards because of the alumni newsletter I receive. It’s exciting for different reasons. It’s given me the opportunity to reconnect with people within the faculty, as well as providing me with a great excuse to see my friends in London again.”
Jon celebrating with his Imperial friends during his student days
Jon celebrating with his Imperial friends during his student days
“Imperial is highly regarded so obviously I feel a sense of pride to be part of the alumni community. It’s special when you meet someone in a different country who also went to Imperial. You can instantly connect by talking about the Student Union or something as silly as how great the curly fries were on campus.”
Few embody the spirit of an emerging leader as completely as Jon, whose scientific achievements are matched by his commitment to continually improving himself and the community around him.
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