Tag: Profiles

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From Science Fair to Science Lab: Q&A With Chelsey Spriggs

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A headshot of Dr. Spriggs.
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Chelsey Spriggs.

“It’s a thrill to make a discovery in science. In that moment, you’re the only one who knows about this new finding. Then you get to share that discovery with the world,” says Chelsey Spriggs, Ph.D. Dr. Spriggs is an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of Michigan (UMich) in Ann Arbor. We spoke with Dr. Spriggs about her early introduction to science through school science fairs, current research on viruses, and efforts to broaden participation in microbiology research across the world.

Get to Know Dr. Spriggs

  • Books or movies? Books
  • Coffee or tea? Coffee
  • Favorite music genre? R&B (’90s and ’00s)
  • Cats or dogs? Guinea pigs
  • Early bird or night owl? Early bird
  • Childhood dream job? Veterinarian
  • Favorite hobby? Painting
  • Favorite pipette size? 200uL
  • Favorite lab tool? Confocal microscope
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Haley Bridgewater: Taking the Sting Out of Vaccines

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Haley Bridgewater, a graduate student at Boise State University in Idaho, is sure she wants to continue studying infectious diseases after she graduates with her Ph.D., but she’s finding it difficult to choose a specific topic within that branch of biomedical science. “My problem is that I like them all. The more I look into specific research topics to narrow down my options, the longer my list of potential topics grows,” she says.

A portrait image of Haley Bridgewater standing on a bridge over a river.
Haley Bridgewater in front of the Boise River on Boise State University campus. Credit: Elise Overgaard, Ph.D., Boise State University.

Haley’s early introduction to science wasn’t related to the biological sciences at all. She grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where her dad studied nuclear chemistry. Discussions about chemistry, physics, and rockets surrounded her, and she would often stare up at the night sky to catch a glimpse of a meteor shower or the International Space Station passing by. But she was even more curious about what was below her feet: What makes an insect different from a rock? What does the microscopic world look like? She received a microscope one year for her birthday and carried it with her everywhere so she could try to answer these questions.

Global Experiences

Haley took an advanced biology class in high school, where she learned not only about the living world, but also the many exciting scientific careers available, such as becoming a researcher. She moved to Tacoma, Washington, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), where she majored in biology and global religion.

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Investigating the Inner Workings of Ion Channels With Sudha Chakrapani

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A headshot of Dr. Chakrapani.
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Sudha Chakrapani.

“Curiosity was a central theme in my learning process,” says Sudha Chakrapani, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the department of pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. As a high schooler in India, she especially enjoyed her science classes because they fostered her curiosity and allowed her to ask more questions than other subjects did. She was curious about how to use science to solve the challenges she and her community faced, like access to safe drinking water. Seawater surrounded them, so could they find a way to convert it into drinking water?

As part of India’s annual National Teachers’ Day celebration, high school seniors take on the role of educators and teach their younger peers for the day. Dr. Chakrapani loved the experience, and it solidified what she already knew: She wanted to go to college to be a science teacher. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she entered back-to-back master’s programs in biochemistry and biomedical engineering, where she had the opportunity to do hands-on research.

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Inventing New Ways to Build Bonds: Q&A With Elias Picazo

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A portrait image of Dr. Elias Picazo.
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Elias Picazo.

“Science has always impacted me, but I didn’t realize how much until I actually became a scientist,” says Elias Picazo, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. We talked to Dr. Picazo about his path to becoming a scientist, some of the challenges he faced along the way, and his research inventing new ways to make chemical bonds.

Get to Know Dr. Picazo

  • Books or movies? Movies
  • Beach or mountains? Mountains
  • Favorite music genre? Pop
  • Rainy or sunny? Sunny
  • Salty or sweet? Sweet
  • Music or podcast? Podcast
  • Washing glassware in the lab or dishes in your kitchen? Glassware
  • Favorite lab tool? Magnetic stirrer
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Building the Future of Research: Celebrating Postdocs and Training Programs

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To celebrate the 2024 National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we’re revisiting some scientists we’ve interviewed on the blog and how their postdoctoral experiences and NIGMS-funded training shaped their careers.

Headshots of the six researchers featured in the blog post.
Top row, left to right: Drs. Ahna Skop, Jeff Mudridge, and Nkrumah Grant. Bottom row, left to right: Drs. Mia Huang, Jesse Hall, and Caroline Palavicino-Maggio. Credit: NIGMS.
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Membranes, Malaria, and the Mosaic of Science: Q&A With John Jimah

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Dr. John Jimah standing in a lab.
Credit: Todd Reichert, Princeton University.

“I think it’s really an exciting time for science. Some people might think that everything out there to be discovered has already been discovered, but that’s far from the truth. There is still much, much more to discover,” says John Jimah, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. We talked with him about how he moved internationally to pursue his career, how his current research on cell membranes could help treat malaria, and how science holds space for everyone.

Get to Know Dr. Jimah

  • Books or movies? Movies
  • Coffee or tea? Mocha
  • Beach or mountains? Beach
  • Cats or dogs? Dogs
  • Music, podcasts, or quiet? Podcasts
  • Early bird or night owl? Early bird
  • Childhood dream job? Judge
  • Favorite hobby? Bicycling
  • Favorite piece of lab safety equipment? Gloves
  • A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Leonardo da Vinci
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From Fireflies to Physiology: Q&A With Yvon Woappi

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A headshot of Dr. Woappi.
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Yvon Woappi.

“In high school, one of my teachers encouraged me to take an advanced biology class, and I’m so glad I did,” says Yvon Woappi, Ph.D. “The class opened my eyes to the fact that there were other people who loved nature like I did—they’re called biologists!” Now, Dr. Woappi is an assistant professor of physiology and cellular biophysics at Columbia University in New York City. We talked with him about his early love of nature and the night sky, the support he received from NIGMS training programs, and his research on wound healing.

Get to Know Dr. Woappi

  • Coffee or tea? Tea
  • Favorite music genre? Makossa, which originated in Douala, Cameroon
  • Cats or dogs? Cats
  • Rainy or sunny? Rainy
  • Ocean or lake? Ocean
  • Childhood dream job? Painter
  • Favorite hobby? Chess
  • Favorite lab tool? Fluorescent microscope
  • Favorite pipette size? 100 microliters
  • A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Jonas Salk (who developed a safe and effective polio vaccine)

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Trainee Colton Pelletier Builds a Rotifer-Studying Robot

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Colton Pelletier posing in front of complex laboratory machinery and a computer screen.
Colton Pelletier with Roti-Bot. Credit: Grace Boland, RWU.

During his time at Roger Williams University (RWU) in Bristol, Rhode Island, Colton Pelletier built a robot that will help simplify data collection for research projects in the lab he worked in—and others—for years to come. Aiding in Colton’s success in the lab was NIGMS funding through the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program. INBRE funds statewide networks of higher education in IDeA states such as Rhode Island, which have historically received low levels of NIH funding. The program supports faculty research, mentoring, student participation in research, and research infrastructure by connecting primarily undergraduate institutions with research-intensive universities in the state.

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Where the Sugars and the Proteins Play: Q&A With Mia Huang

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A headshot of Dr. Huang.
Credit: Scripps Research Institute.

“I think there’s a very creative side to science, in figuring out how to approach a problem, which I find really engaging,” says Mia Huang, Ph.D., an associate professor of chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. In an interview, Dr. Huang discussed her shift in interest from medicine to science, her graduate school work on nature-inspired antifreeze molecules, and her lab’s exploration of the roles of sugar-coated proteins in our bodies.

Get to Know Dr. Huang

  • Coffee or tea? Coffee
  • Favorite music genre? EDM
  • Cats or dogs? Dogs—I’m a proud mom to a 15-pound Bernedoodle
  • Rainy or sunny? Sunny
  • What was your childhood dream job? Scientist—I’m living the dream!
  • Favorite hobby? Playing video games
  • Favorite piece of lab safety equipment? Safety goggles
  • A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Gilbert Ashwell and Anatol Morell (accidentally co-discovered the asialoglycoprotein receptor)

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Exploring Ribosome Assembly and RNA Modification: Q&A With Eda Koculi

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Dr. Eda Koculi standing in a lab with an old chemistry textbook lying open on the bench behind her.
Dr. Koculi standing in her lab next to her childhood chemistry book that changed her life. Credit: Luis Miranda, UTEP Media.

“Being a scientist is thrilling, and it’s also tremendously fun,” says Eda Koculi, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). “In my opinion, science is the only profession that allows a person to simultaneously express their creativity, quench their intellectual curiosity, and serve society.” We spoke with Dr. Koculi about how she became a researcher, what she’s uncovering about how ribosomes are built and modified, and how she encourages students to pursue scientific careers.

Get to Know Dr. Koculi

  • Coffee or tea? Coffee
  • Favorite music genre? Classical
  • Salty or sweet? Salty
  • Early bird or night owl? Night owl
  • Washing glassware in the lab or dishes in your kitchen? Glassware
  • What was your childhood dream job? A scientist or a teacher—and I have both my dream jobs.
  • Favorite hobby? Hiking
  • Favorite piece of lab safety equipment? Geiger counter
  • Favorite molecule? RNA
  • A scientist (past or present) you’d like to meet? Marie Curie

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