Edition 1

Sarah Kearns – Editor-in-Chief

Sarah is a Chemical Biology PhD student who studies molecular roads in cells using microscopes, both big/cold (cryo-EM) and small/warm (fluorescence microscopy) in the Cianfrocco and Verhey labs. These roads, called microtubules, can have chemical modifications akin to road signs that can get messed up in cancers. Outside the lab, Sarah loves to take photos, make playlists, drink coffee, and supports the use of the oxford comma. You can find her on Twitter: @annotated_sci talking about open access, science communication, and structural biology.

Jennifer M Baker

Jenn is a Ph.D. student in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan. Currently, her research in the Dickson and Huffnagle labs focuses on untangling how bacteria in the lung and gut contribute to the unwanted side effects of oxygen therapy (like oxygen-induced lung injury and ventilator-associated pneumonia) in patients with respiratory failure. Before coming to Michigan, Jenn completed a B.S. in Science Education at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she studied bacteria that thrive in extreme environments, including species from Antarctica and an Egyptian soda lake! When she is not in lab, you can find Jenn cooking, reading, hiking, or taking care of her many houseplants. Connect with Jenn on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Patsy DeLacey

Patsy is a Ph.D. candidate in the Psychology Department in the Biopsychology Area at the University of Michigan. She studies a sexually selected signal in wild male gelada monkeys in northern Ethiopia as part of the Simien Mountains Gelada Research Project. Outside of research, Patsy is a member of the RELATE Coordinators Team, an organization dedicated to training STEM University of Michigan graduate students and postdocs in effective lay-audience communication and engagement. She’s excited to spend next year in the Simien Mountains collecting her dissertation data. Patsy also enjoys running, yoga, and long bike rides. Connect with her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Attabey Rodríguez Benítez

Attabey is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan in the Chemical Biology program where she leverages nature’s power, enzymes, to pave new ways to make life-saving therapeutics. She is a proud first-generation student and received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. In addition to research, she is passionate about science communication and is currently a 2020 AAAS Mass Media, Yale Ciencia Fellow, and communicate all things science in Instagram and Twitter as @ScienceBey 

Picture credit: Photo credit: Leisa Thompson Photography, courtesy of the U-M Life Sciences Institute.

Tricia Garay

Tricia Garay is an Ann Arbor native, a graduate of Kalamazoo College with a degree in Chemistry, and a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. Her powers have been both enhanced and diminished from so much traditional education. Tricia’s interests include conversing with interesting people, reading books (biographies, evolutionary biology, and sci-fi: check out the Xenogenesis series), and exorcising her demons with art and time in nature. She is embarking on a career in synthetic biology research. Connect with her on LinkedIn for discussions about epigenomics, molecular biology, neuroscience, and transformative collective action in academia, business, and local communities.

Virginia Ju

Virginia Ju is a M.D candidate at Michigan Medicine. She is passionate about mentorship in education, global health, diversity in medicine, and interprofessional health education. In her spare time she enjoys baking, playing with her pet bunny (Cheeky), rock-climbing, and tubing down the Huron River.