SpeakEasy Science Blog

Christian Bonatto Paese developed a passion for biology as a youth and is now in the midst of a fellowship in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. His goal is to aid in the development of pharmacological interventions for birth defects in exchange for the more invasive and repetitive surgical solutions that are available today.

Colin Nixon, manager of the Histology core lab at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow Scotland, failed biology at school and was described by most of his teachers as “academically challenged.” They likely would be surprised to see how Colin serendipitously “fell into” the sciences through a government youth training scheme that indicated he had an aptitude for the science, and he has since made a career of it.

When it comes to linking two biomolecules together, the SoluLINK® technology offers a user-friendly solution with reliable and reproducible bioconjugation, which is a great option for what may initially seem to be a daunting task. Jim Williams serves as the Associate Director of Bioconjugation Technology, where he oversees bioconjugation product manufacturing and is highly involved in the design and manufacturing of custom and OEM conjugates.

Jose Ortiz is well on his way to completing a PhD, but his was not an easy journey. This and many other factors have influenced his academic journey as a non-traditional student and person of color.

Earlier this year, Brittany Cederstrom, a research scientist at the Proteogenomic Research Institute for Systems Medicine (PRISM) in San Diego, California sampled VectaMount® Express Mounting Medium in her slide preparation workflow and compared it to her standard process with a competitor mounting medium.

Eric Peterson has long held an interest in the underpinnings of life, found enjoyment in science fiction, and taken a practical approach to career choices rooted in economics. He is not the guy who plotted his career path from start-to-finish; instead, he chose a career in the growing field of technology and was confident that there was a stable market for scientific professionals.

When Courtney Young was a senior in high school, her 15 year old cousin was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This diagnosis provided her with a strong motivation to pursue a future in science, which ultimately led to her interest in muscle biology and associated diseases. Since then, her interest has never faltered and she is now the CEO of gene therapy startup company MyoGene Bio, which focuses on the development of cutting edge genetic therapies for muscle diseases. For Courtney, this initiative continues to be personal, with the hope of someday being able to help her cousin who suffers from DMD, the most common form of muscular dystrophy.

Scientists facing a research problem often look for innovative ways to challenge the status quo to drive change. For Shuying (Linda) Xu, a third-year PhD candidate at Tufts University in Boston, that involves a focus on neutrophil cell therapy as an option for treating pneumonia, which can have severe complications after an active infection.

The spark of creativity that inspires a lifelong passion for research can originate from many places.

Carolyn Jones embarked on her academic science career as a mature student in 1967, continues to work in the field of electron microscopy and lectin histochemistry, and describes herself as a microscopist and glycobiologist.