James Pratt

Biography

I’m happy to be living in the Bay Area again after completing a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder. Earning a PhD is hard work, and I never would have made it without my teachers, professors, mentors and tutors. I’m excited to continue paying it forward working with the next generation of scientists!

My teaching experience started as an undergraduate at Loyola Marymount University. I was a teaching assistant for several lab courses, from general chemistry to upper division biochemistry. However, the class I enjoyed the most was a course which I helped design, focused on making a successful transition to college for first-year life sciences students. I loved working one-on-one with students, identifying the study skills that worked for them and then applying those skills to their chemistry and biology classes. 

I’ve always enjoyed science, but it was my dad who first got me excited about chemistry. While he was working toward his chemistry degree, he took me along to study sessions and had me run through flashcards with him every night. Those experiences inspired me to get my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, where I fell in love with research and decided to go to graduate school. My goal is to make chemistry and biology more approachable and exciting, while helping the next generation of scientists grow in academic skills and confidence.

Outside of tutoring, I love exploring the Bay Area food scene, tackling my growing “to-read” pile of books and research articles, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends across the country.