Nicholas M. Riley

Our research group is studying fundamental roles of glycosylation in cell surface biology through creative technology development. Glycoproteins and glycoconjugates are highly heterogeneous biomolecules, yet we continue to see that specific glycoforms direct and drive concerted biological phenomena. This balance of biological diversity coupled with intricately coded specificity fascinates me. One challenge in studying the glycocode is that our tools need to be refined to allow us to interrogate both how biology broadly governs glycosylation and how individual glycoproteoforms affect cell surface interactions. Mass spectrometry (MS) is particularly well-suited to address many of these questions, but there are also gaps in how that technology can be used to quantitatively measure glycocode regulation. Mass spectrometers captivated me early in my research career (they are truly amazing instruments!), which led to my graduate training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with Prof. Josh Coon. There I developed MS technology for proteomic applications, with an emphasis on a tandem MS method called electron transfer dissociation (ETD). Application of that technology to glycopeptide analysis introduced me to the world of extracellular biology and glycoscience, and I followed this newfound interest in my postdoctoral research with Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi at Stanford University. There I focused on MS and chemical biology approaches to characterize mucin-domain glycoproteins and the secretome. These experiences further ignited my curiosity about how to tailor chemical instrumentation and chemical tools to understand the rich biology governed by cell surface glycosylation, and this motivates our research here at the University of Washington.

Selected Honors and Awards

2025 Arthur F. Findeis Award for Achievements by a Young Analytical Scientist, American Chemical Society

2024 ASMS Research Award

2024 Scialog Fellow, Automating Chemical Laboratories, Research Corporation for Science Advancement

2023 HUPO Rising Star Award

2022 – 2027 NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)

2021 Rising Star in Proteomics and Metabolomics (40 under 40), Journal of Proteome Research

2020 Selected as ASMS Emerging Talent in Academia, American Society for Mass Spectrometry

2019 ASMS Postdoctoral Career Development Award, American Society for Mass Spectrometry

2018 Richard and Joan Hartl Award for Research Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, UW-Madison

2016 – 2022 NIH National Cancer Institute Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00)

2017 FACSS Student Award, Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies

2017 Roger J. Carlson Memorial Award for Research Excellence, Dept. of Chemistry, UW-Madison

2015 ASMS Graduate Student Award, American Society for Mass Spectrometry

2014 – 2016 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow

2012 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award (top undergraduate student), Univ. of South Carolina

2011 Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Gold Level (250+ hours), Office of President Barack Obama

2011 Wilson-Kibler Bicentennial Leadership Award, Univ. of South Carolina

2010 Phi Beta Kappa

Full list available on CV, linked here and at the top of the page

Leadership, Mentorship, and Service Activities

Mentor, FeMS Small Group Mentorship Program, 2020-present

Serve as a mentor for 12-15 mentees from around the country as part of a discussion group and support network. As a mentor, I support group members on their diverse paths in science and share my STEM experiences to provide perspectives and resources for their career development.

Human Glycoproteomics Initiative (HGI), HUPO, 2021-present

Co-Chair of 2nd community-wide glycoproteomics software study. This second study focuses on teams of software developers only, with the goal to identify strengths and weaknesses of the very latest glycoproteomics software for glycopeptide identification and quantitation. As co-chair, I design experiments, coordinate with participants, analyze data, and work with the advisory committee to carry out this community wide study with 20 developer teams.


ECR Mentor, US HUPO Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee, 2023-present

Support the US HUPO ECR and its Executive Committee in all aspects of education, training, networking and activities being carried out by the ECR; attend monthly ECR executive committee meetings and other ECR-based meetings activities; represent the ECR’s interests at executive committee meetings and board meetings.


Member, HUPO Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee, 2023-present

Support the HUPO ECR and its Executive Committee in all aspects of education, training, networking and activities being carried out by the ECR; attend monthly ECR executive committee meetings and other ECR-based meetings activities; represent the ECR’s interests at executive committee meetings and board meetings.


ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Education Committee, 2022-present

Administer Graduate Research Fellowships, Undergraduate Awards in Analytical Chemistry, and travel funding; plan regular opportunities for networking and teaching/learning through ACS national meetings and stand-alone virtual events; undertake special short-term and long-term projects related to analytical chemistry education. Activities: Chair I. M. Kolthoff Undergraduate Award Selection Committee (2023-present), Speakers Bureau Initiative (2023); Co-Organizer of ChatGPT in Chemistry Discussion Panel (2023)


Society for Glycobiology Education Committee, 2024-present

Appointed for a three-year term by the SFG Board of Directors. Responsible for identifying and selecting educational materials for posting on SFG website, managing a monthly/quarterly SFG seminar series, coordinating various seminar/webinar series in the field, and ensuring content of these series do not overlap with SFG annual meeting. 


Assistant Program Chair, Pacific Northwest Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group (PacMass), 2023-present

Administer Graduate Research Fellowships, Undergraduate Awards in Analytical Chemistry, and travel funding; plan regular opportunities for networking and teaching/learning through ACS national meetings and stand-alone virtual events; undertake special short-term and long-term projects related to analytical chemistry education.


Interviewer for ASMS Mock Interviews for Students and Postdocs, 2022-present

Serve as an interviewer for graduate students to conduct mock interviews for what it is like to look for an academic postdoctoral scholar position. This includes reviewing each student’s curriculum vitae to offer suggestions and conducting a ~30 minute virtual interview to help coach them through how to prepare. 


Grant Review Activities


Conference Organization and Leadership


Other Professional Service


Professional Societies and Affiliations


Postdoctoral Leadership and Service Experience

Stanford Science Penpals; Stanford ADVANCE Summer Institute Mentor; Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP) - Amgen Scholars Program; Stanford Omics Mass Spectrometry Group


Graduate Leadership and Service Experience

Graduate Student Faculty Liaison Committee; John L. Schrag Fund Committee (Co-Founder, Co-President); Junior Science Café; Wisconsin Science Festival; Wisconsin Saturday Science; Chemistry Opportunities (CHOPs) at UW-Madison 


Undergraduate Leadership and Service Experience

University Ambassador (President, Captain of Mentor Program, Presidential Ambassador); Pillars for Carolina (Co-Founder, Director of Programs); Honors Council (President, Vice President); Orientation Leader (President, Vice President); Resident Mentor; Men’s Club Rugby (Team Captain) 

UW Teaching and Service Activities

CHEM 321A: Quantitative Analysis, Dept. of Chemistry

CHEM 428A: Biomolecular Analysis, Dept. of Chemistry

CHEM 196: Chemistry Frontiers

CHEM 600: Independent Research

Extramural and Prior Teaching Experience and Activities

Instructor, North American Mass Spectrometry Summer School, 2023, 2024

Presented a lecture, participated in training events, and served on a panel for a three-day in-person course that provides training from world-leading experts in mass spectrometry and scientific and professional development.


Instructor, Skyline Online Course Introduction to Targeted Proteomics: SRM/MRM and PRM, 2021-present

Presented a lecture and led a tutorial session of 50+ attendees on indexed retention time and how to process data within the Skyline ecosystem. Also contributed to live question and answer sessions. Sessions taught: April 2021, April 2022, October 2022, October 2023.


Guest Lecturer, BIOS 227, Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics: Opening the Black Box, Stanford Univ., 2021, 2023

Developed and presented a lecture on the combination of glycobiology and mass spectrometry at the invitation of course leader Prof. Sharon Pitteri.


Guest Lecturer, Stanford University Mass Spectrometry Seminar Series, Fall 2020

Designed and presented two lectures on fundamentals and cutting-edge research in glycoproteomics. Recordings available here.

Seminar 1: Fundamentals: An introduction to MS-based glycoproteomics, Sept 3, 2020

Seminar 2: Reasons to be excited about current efforts in glycoproteomics, Oct 1, 2020


Graduate Lecturer, Biochemistry 660, Biochemical Techniques, UW-Madison, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017

Designed and taught three lectures on bioanalytical mass spectrometry to graduate students. Developed and graded two problem sets

to correspond with lectures. Integrated written and oral feedback from Prof. Marv Wickens, other graduate lecturers, and students for

constant improvement in lecture delivery, style, and content.


Guest Lecturer, The Data Revolution in Science and Medicine, UW-Madison, Fall 2017

Designed and taught one lecture on bioanalytical mass spectrometry and how proteomics fits into the landscape of the big data

revolution to second year MD-PhD students (School of Medicine and Public Health, SMPH).


Graduate Facilitator, Food, Fasting, and Fitness, UW-Madison, Spring 2018

Facilitated a “Metabolic Adaptation” active learning module for a first-year medical student course (SMPH). Worked with a faculty 

leader, lead discussion about introductory material, and guided student learning through an online module that the students completed 

in a medium group setting with approx. 6 students per group.


Teaching Assistant, Chemistry Department, UW-Madison

CHEM 329, Analytical Chemistry for Majors, approx. 20 hours per week, Spring 2014

CHEM 104, General Chemistry II, approx. 25 hours per week, Fall 2012

Chemistry Tutor, CHEM 104, approx. 2 hours per week, Spring 2014


University 101 Program, Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support, USC, 2009-2011

Peer Leader, UNIV 101, The Student in University, Fall 2009, Fall 2010

Designed and implemented lesson plans, managed student issues, graded papers and projects, and provided feedback on 

student presentations; worked as a team with co-instructor, serving as a mentor to 25 freshmen and fostering leadership 

development in first-year students.

Peer Leader Captain, EDLP 520 (School of Education Course), The Teacher as Manager, Fall 2011

Co-instructed a 3-hour credit education school course that taught classroom leadership; designed and implemented lesson plans, facilitated discussion about how to grow in their mentor and leadership skills.


Community Tutor and Mentor, Waverly After School Program, Columbia, SC, 2007-2012

Tutored middle school and high school students in math and science subjects, approx. 3 hours per week.

Nick's Peer Review Activity

Peer review has been provided for journals including:

Nature Methods

Nature Biotechnology

Nature Communications

Nature Chemical Biology

Analytical Chemistry

Journal of Proteome Research

JASMS

ACS Central Science

JACS Au

ACS Omega

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (PNAS)

Molecular Omics

Rapid Comms. in Mass Spec

International J. of Mass Spectrometry

Analytical Science Advances

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Journal of Cell Biology

Cell Reports Methods

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology

Proteomics

Euro. J. of Med. Chem.

STAR Protocols

Personal Background

I am always happy to talk about science, but at any given point you might also hear about a few other topics: my pride in being from Louisville/Kentucky, my love of all things South Carolina Gamecocks, my avid sports fandom across several teams and multiple sports, my passion for exploring new places, and my appreciation for a great street taco. The next time we cross paths, be sure to ask me about recent sports highlights that have me excited, where my last hike took me, what my favorite meal of the past month has been, what TV show has me distracted from writing this week, and whose concert most recently left me humming to myself at my lab bench. Regardless of where our conversation takes us, you will likely hear about my wonderful wife and my adorable chocolate lab, both who keep this great adventure fun.