Author Archives: Editor

April 2010 Scientist of the Month: Guillermo Antonio Ameer, ScD

by Eunji Chung

Dr. Guillermo Antonio Ameer is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery at Northwestern University. His research focuses on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and current research topics range from developing biodegradable materials for bone and anterior cruciate ligament replacements to understanding mechanisms of nitric oxide delivery for cardiovascular applications. He has contributed over 100 peer-reviewed journal publications and conference abstracts, book chapters, and has several patents issued and pending. In addition, he is also an entrepreneur and founder of two biotech companies. Originally from Panama, Guillermo moved to the United States in 1988, where he attended a community college before transferring to the University of Texas, Austin. He then moved on to MIT where he developed an interest in regenerative medicine in the department of Chemical Engineering. Guillermo received his doctoral degree through the laboratory of Dr. Robert Langer.

Today the Langer laboratory is a first-class juggernaut with over 100 members at any given time. It wasn’t as big during Guillermo’s studies, closer to 35 members. When asked how he chose his lab, he explained that having an open mind was crucial to his fortuitous meeting with Dr. Langer. This open-mindedness became a theme in pivotal decision-making moments and a quality that gave him strength to steer his career.

In graduate school Guillermo worked closely with a subgroup within the lab, which became a source of great support for his future research success. After graduating, he took a joint postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University in the laboratories of Hidde Ploegh and William Harmon. Guillermo was also open to other scientific careers, such as patent law or consulting, but wasn’t ready to part with research entirely. Developing novel ideas in science and technology within an academic career was a great way to reaffirm his research direction and interests, and he found this challenge exciting.

Guillermo’s passion for science as a young faculty member is evident. Always full of novel and potentially impactful ideas, he worked with experts in a variety of fields to hone in on the right scientific focus for developing early grant applications. He was successful, and advises young scientists today to: “pursue high impact projects with team members with the right expertise. Find where the deficit in the field is and address it.” Looking back, he realized that those original collaborations helped establish his name in the field while his conviction to his research allowed him to actualize his scientific vision. Although today Guillermo has already established himself in his field, he continues to pursue the next set of goals. “In the next ten years, we hope to have the EPC (endothelial progenitor cell) project in clinical trials -to see if it is useful for patients. We also want to know if polymer-based technology will be impactful in patients.”

In addition, Guillermo has been involved in entrepreneurial pursuits since 2007. He acts as President and Chief Scientific Officer for ProSorp BioTech, Inc. and as manager and Chief Scientific Officer for VesselTech BioMedical, LLC. When asked how he knew it was the right time to start a company, Guillermo replied, “You never know.” Development of products through the academic pipeline can be time consuming, so Guillermo started his own business ventures. Being an entrepreneur, he says he learned not only what his peers thought of his work, but also how the world viewed his work. Although it might seem like academia and starting a company are different worlds, he adds, “It’s like interdisciplinary research. Just another collaboration.”

Although quite busy with his scientific endeavors, Guillermo plays basketball, watches films, and enjoys eating various cuisines in his down time. He tries to minimize stress levels because of the negative impact it can have on one’s health. He understands that although his attention must be given to specific demands, stressing over it will not benefit the situation. Guillermo attends to demands such as financial deadlines for his business ventures, or preparation as an instructor for an upcoming class, or personal plans within his relationship as they emerge.

Guillermo’s ambitions and open-mindedness to ideas and discussions both in and out of science has been one of the best experiences I have had as a graduate student in his lab. He trusts the expertise his people demonstrate in the lab regardless of their seniority, and through this type of respect, fosters taking ownership of their knowledge and project. I’ve learned a lot myself by witnessing his collaborative nature which attracts good people and ideas. His trust in his own decisions and direction instills confidence in his work as a scientist as well as an individual. He has guided my career by introducing me to the right people to help me gain a better understanding of various scientific and medical principles that push my project forward and keep it on track. Through directing me when needed but giving me the freedom to formulate and assert my own ideas, I have grown as a woman in science both through my ability to think independently as well as work collaboratively, and for that, I will always be thankful.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Eunji Chung. Ms. Chung is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University in Dr. Ameer’s laboratory. Her current research involves the use of biodegradable materials and mesenchymal stem cells for orthopaedic applications. Although her plans after graduation are not solidified, she is interested in careers in academia, patent law, and entrepreneurship.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Send nominations to Jessica Reimer. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Want to keep yourself up-to-date on AWIS Chicago activities? Follow AWIS Chicago on Twitter! You can request to be added to our listserve by clicking here, and join the AWIS Chicago group on LinkedIn and Facebook by clicking the icons on the bottom right of this page.

March 2010 Scientist of the Month: Nicole Neubarth

by Heather King

Nicole Neubarth, a third year undergraduate at the University of Chicago, has a lot on her plate. She works part time in Dr. Melina Hale’s lab as an undergraduate research assistant. She also takes a full load of biology and core curriculum courses, volunteers for the university’s film society, and is a fellow in the Computational NeuroscienceResearch Training Program, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse at NIH. Despite the time she spends on these activities, she maintains her enthusiasm for biology and research.

“My interest in biology came from my fascination with animals,” Nicole says. “There wasn’t a particular moment that I became interested in biology, it was just what came naturally to me.” Nicole, like many future biologists, spent her childhood catching insects and fish in containers to see what they would eat and where they would hide. As a high school student, she became interested in neuroscience by reading popular science articles and, in particular, an article about the evolution of morality in primates caught her eye. She saw neuroscience as the study of the ‘black boxes’ between the brain and a behavior, and wanted to understand their components. “To study these inner components would be like going back in time,” explains Nicole, “or even understanding what it’s like to be another organism, or having a better understanding of my fellow humans.”

Primate researched piqued her interest, but Nicole chose to work with Dr. Melina Hale studying locomotion in fish. While moral behavior was very interesting to Nicole, she realized that such complex behaviors were challenging to quantify. Locomotion in fish is a much simpler system, and provides the opportunity to make direct connections between a particular behavior and its corresponding neuron or neurological pathway. Her current project, with Dr. Hale and collaborators George Lauder at Harvard University and James Tangorra at Drexel University, is aimed at understanding the mechanism fish use to sense changes in the surrounding environment. The group hopes to gain insight into the neurological pathways in the pectoral fins used to send information to the brain about the turbulence of the water, and the pathways the brain uses to respond and give instructions to the fins on how to respond to the turbulence. Using this information, they hope to build an autonomous swimming robot with the ability to correct for irregularities in the surrounding fluid.

Working in Dr. Hale’s lab also inspires Nicole as a female scientist. “Not only is Melina a respected scientist, she also has a family. I admire her ability to perform two very difficult jobs at once.” Nicole plans to earn a faculty position at a university, where she can continue to contribute to the field of neuroscience. We wish Nicole the best of luck in the pursuit of her goals!

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Heather King. Ms. King is a PhD candidate at University of Chicago. Photograph courtesy of Yen-Chyi Liu.

February 2010 Scientist of the Month: Katherine L. Knight, Ph.D.

by Michelle Merrigan

Dr. Katherine Knight is an immunologist and recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as chair of the department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. To celebrate this anniversary, alumni and colleagues returned to Loyola for a symposium to share their recollections of Dr. Knight and her role in their development as scientists. The theme was “20 Years of Doing It Together”, which is appropriate because Dr. Knight has always emphasized that science is about relationships. “Everyone is a mentor to somebody,” she says.

The mentoring relationship between faculty members and students is at the core of the department’s educational focus. As chair, Dr. Knight has put in place programs that help students recognize and develop positive mentoring relationships. For example, at the annual department retreat, new students participate in discussions about choosing a graduate advisor. Dr. Knight advises students to choose someone that they are going to enjoy interacting with personally. She points out that everyone has different needs. “Some PI’s are more directive, and some students need more direction than others.” Ideally, a mentor should be able to respond to whatever the student requires. She suggests students choose based on the environment of the laboratory, not necessarily on the project.

Dr. Knight holds regular informal meetings to discuss any issues students choose, which can range from how to find a post-doctoral fellowship to tips on making effective PowerPoint slides for lectures. Indeed, the department has a strong focus on communication skills, which Dr. Knight feels are the most important skills to acquire outside of designing a sound experiment. All first year students participate in a special course dedicated to learning speaking and presentation skills. This gives all students a core competency on which they and their graduate advisors can build. She emphasizes always adapting your talk to your audience, and maintaining a “teaching frame of mind.”

Dr. Knight demonstrates good mentoring practices.

Dr Knight has shared her philosophy of mentoring with the department on multiple occasions. She particularly emphasizes that a good mentor sees what the student/mentee needs, rather than his or her own needs as an advisor. She admits that in the current academic climate, mentors have their own pressures to publish and be productive, and yet at the same time must allow the student time to develop his or her own scientific mind. She advises new faculty on balancing the personal motives of productivity and the care-giving motives involved in mentoring students. She insists that these motives need not be mutually exclusive. “There’s a study that shows that for people who have been well-mentored, their institutions are much better off because those people stay.” Dr. Knight also prepares senior students for the transition to being mentors themselves, saying, “If you’ve been treated well, you will subsequently treat other people well.”

On January 22, 2010, Dr. Knight gave a presentation on mentoring at the annual meeting of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs. Not only did this event occur during National Mentoring Month, but also the day on which she gave the talk was “Thank Your Mentor Day”. At the symposium in May 2009, a group of colleagues, alumni and students established the Katherine L. Knight Fund for Mentoring in honor of her guidance and mentorship. In keeping with her philosophy of adapting to whatever the mentee needs, this fund will be used to enhance the mentoring experience for students, whatever form that might require, such as student travel or professional development programs.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Michelle Merrigan. Ms. Merrigan is a PhD candidate in the Microbiology and Immunology Department at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the pathogenesis of the bacterium Clostridium difficile. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in scientific writing or communications.

January 2010 Scientist of the Month: Sandy Pearce, Ph.D.

by Jessica Reimer, Ph.D.

Dr. Sandy Pearce is a Senior Scientist at Abbott Laboratories and the current President of the AWIS Chicago Chapter. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in Biology, followed by a stint as a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of Professor Craig Jordan, studying the role of the estrogen receptor and signal transduction in breast cancer, at Northwestern University. She joined Abbott Laboratories Diagnostics Division as a Senior Technical Support Scientist in 2003.

Sandy got an early start planning her future as a scientist when at her 6th grade graduation, she responded to the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with “medical researcher.” She enjoyed studying astronomy and geology as a youngster, but when it came time to choose a career path she pursued a degree in Biology. Her coursework and research as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was primarily in molecular biology. She had special interest in infectious diseases and wrote a senior thesis entitled “Cytokines and Immune Responses of Rhesus Monkey’s Infected with SIV.” Her graduate thesis work studying the interaction of the calcium-binding protein p22 with microtubules brought her back to basic cell biology. When it came time to choose a post-doctoral position, Sandy said: “I wanted to do something that was more medically relevant. The Jordan lab received funding from Avon and participated in the annual Breast Cancer Walk. There was more of a connection between the research itself and why you’re really doing it.” She eventually left the Jordan lab to take a position at Abbott Laboratories.

Sandy had been interested in working at Abbott for some time and fortuitously found a position there in 2003. “A friend was asked to interview and ended up turning it down; she referred me for it instead,” Sandy said. She currently works as a Senior Scientist in research and development in the infectious diseases area. As she concisely puts it: “I work on improving current on-market diagnostic tests for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen that detect virus in blood using automated immunoassays.” Dr. Pearce has achieved work-life balance, a struggle for many women in science, by prioritizing. She recommends, contrary to what most academic advisors suggest, planning an 8-9 hour workday even in graduate school. In her experience: “you need organization and a plan to have a normal workday and be successful and accomplished.” Sandy and her husband recently had their first child, and prioritizing has become even more essential. Family is important, “but I wouldn’t want to give up the intellectual stimulation and fun that science still is for me. Getting out and being able to work makes me a better mom.” She advises women interested in balancing a career in industry with parenthood to “look for something with flexibility and have a good support system.” She recenlty shifted to working 4 days a week to spend more time with her son and found that the Abbott culture is supportive of this change.

Dr. Pearce became the President of AWIS Chicago in 2008. She first got involved in AWIS as a graduate student in Charlottesville, VA. While there was no official chapter, Sandy learned of the organization from a career panel. “The President of AWIS at the time was attending as a panelist. My first contact with the group was picking up her up from the airport,” she said. When she moved to Chicago, Sandy became involved in the local AWIS Chapter as a way to meet people and look for a job. She served on the Chapter board as Treasurer prior to becoming President. As President, one thing she takes pride in is “seeing how the organization has grown over the last couple years, having a full board, and the increased member attendance at events. It’s nice to see the progression.” When she joined AWIS Chicago, the board was composed mostly of post-docs and lacked continuity as positions were vacated. As AWIS Chicago President, Sandy strives to “keep the momentum going.”

Sandy’s reserved demeanor provides a grounding force for AWIS Chicago and lends itself to a more behind-the-scenes approach. At events, Sandy is quiet and tends to stick to the background. But draw her out into conversation and you’ll find a warm, engaging person eager to share experiences and insight into being a successful woman in science!

Nomination and article contributed by Jessica Reimer, Ph.D. Dr. Reimer is the former AWIS Chicago VP of Communications and received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Northwestern University in 2009. She is currently a Senior Account Executive-Healthcare with Weber Shandwick.

*AWIS Chicago hopes you enjoyed meeting our Chapter President. Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Send nominations to Jessica Reimer. Your nominee does not need to be an AWIS member or a woman, but should promote the advancement of women in science, technology, mathematics and engineering.

Updated Resources Page

AWIS Chicago has been working hard to update the Resources page with timely and useful information.

AWIS Chicago’s Resources page now contains:

Link to National AWIS website, which provides valuable resources for members including quarterly magazines, career development webinars and job postings. Be sure to check out the Career Library section under the Careers tab.
Links to other Chicago area science organizations for women (including campus post-doctoral organizations and professional societies)
Information about funding sources and program opportunities
Tools for job searching and career advice resources (NEW! Links to science career podcasts)
Links to Chicago area science institutes and programming
Links to Chicago area science companies
NEW! Links to science podcasts
Recommended reading on careers in science

Did we miss something? Have you listened to a good podcast, found a helpful career website, know of an organization for women in the area, or read a good book recently that you want to share? If so, please email awiscommunications@gmail.com with your suggestions. Also, let us know if you come across any broken links on our Resources page.

New AWIS Chicago Website

AWIS Chicago (formerly AWIS-CAC) has a new website and a new logo! We hope you find the website more user-friendly and utilize it to keep up-to-date on exciting AWIS Chicago news, events and career development opportunities.

2009 Past Events

AWIS Chicago Hosted a ‘People Management Workshop’ Presented by Dale Carnegie Training.
Sandra Larkin, a respected Dale Carnegie workshop leader, advised graduate students, post-docs and industry researchers about effectively managing others in a life sciences environment. This 90-minute workshop was formulated specifically for our members by Dale Carnegie Training. Men and women participated in the interactive presentation. Topics covered included: people management (in industry and academia), how to get noticed for promotions and advance into management positions. The group gave individualized examples of management style in their workplace and Sandra provided constructive criticism about how to better approach conflict situations in the laboratory.

For more information about Dale Carnegie Training, please visit their website.

AWIS National Winter Webinar Series: For New Job-Seekers.
AWIS members were invited to particpate in a free webinar series for new job seekers. Topic covered:

Interview Skills

AWIS Chicago presented “Negotiation in the Workplace” as part of the 2009 “Effective Negotiation” Career Development Series
Dr. Alice Stuhlmacher, associate professor in Organizational Psychology at DePaul University, presented a seminar entitled “Negotiation in the Workplace”. Dr. Stuhlmacher’s interactive and informative presentation highlighted the gender differences seen with negotiation in work situations.

A synopsis of evening’s topic: Negotiation influences tangible work outcomes (such as pay) but is also critical in daily activities of distributing tasks, building networks, and claiming resources. Research suggests that men are more likely than women to negotiate at work, which directly impacts a woman’s success. Dr. Stuhlmacher discussed findings on gender differences in negotiation with particular attention to negotiation situations where women are most successful and explanations for gender differences.

AWIS National Fall Webinar Series: For New Job-Seekers.
AWIS members were invited to particpate in a free webinar series for new job seekers. Topics covered included:

Tips on writing an effective resume
How to perform a meaningful job search

Enjoying the Wine

Fall 2009 Kickoff Event at Windy City Wine Festival.
We socialized with other Chicago area scientists at the Windy City Wine Festival on September 12th. We met at 4pm and enjoyed sampling over 250 wines, WINES bingo and Christine McCary, graduate student at Northwestern University, was the lucky winner of a $25 Binny’s gift card

Argonne Laboratories Open House
August 29th, 2009. AWIS-CAC stopped by Argonne to let other women in science know about our organization.

3rd Annual AWIS-CAC Innovator Award Dinner May 19th 2009: Capturing Life at the Interface.
Dr. Tijana Rajh was honored as the 2009 AWIS Innovator Award winner.
Dr. Rajh is a chemist at Argonne National Laboraties. She gave a brief talk at the dinner about her career and experiences as a female scientist. *Support for Northwestern University students generously provided by the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Integrated Graduate Program.

2009 Innovator Award Winner Dr. Tijana Rajh (right) and AWIS Chicago Chapter President Sandra Pearce (left)

AWIS National Spring Career Coaching Tele-seminar Series. Looking for a new job or a career change in this tough economy? AWIS Career Coaching can help. This tele-seminar series covered the following topics:

Networking Now – When Everyone is Looking: How To Be More Effective in the Current “Crowded” Marketplace
Effective Communication in a Four Generation Workplace
Impression Management for Interviews
How to Keep Your Job in a Tough Economic Climate

Motherhood and Success in Science Panel
Date: May 18, 2009
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm at Northwestern University-Evanston campus, 4-6:30pm at the University of Chicago campus (Biological Science Learning Center, 924 E. 57th St, Rm 109)
Registration: Free
Motherhood and Success in Science featured a set of panel discussions about balancing a career in science and motherhood. Panelists included contributors from the book Motherhood: The Elephant in the Laboratory.

Spring Social Networking Event. On April 16, 2009 AWIS-CAC hosted a wine tasting event at Drinks Over Dearborn. The event was attended by approximately 20 female scientists, including the Chicago Chapter board members. Six wines and one liquor were sampled. It was a great opportunity to meet women from various scientific disciplines, several of whom had never been to an AWIS-CAC event before. Please join us for our next social event in summer 2009.

2009 AWIS judges

AWIS special award presented at the Chicago Public Schools Science Fair
Date: March 27, 8am-noon at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
This science fair features the best projects from all over Chicago and is the last stage before students advance to the international INTEL Science and Engineering Fair to be held in Reno, Nevada in May 2009. We were a part of this momentous occasion and volunteers served as a judge at this years Science Fair! AWIS-CAC presented a Special Award to 4 young girls who showed the most promise in their science specialty.

iBIO CareerLinks and iBIO IndEX Conference
Date: March 18th, 2009 from 7am-7pm at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601
iBIO CareerLinks provides graduate students in various fields insight into careers and opportunities in the life sciences industries in the Chicago area. Two panels (science and business) will be held to provide an individual perspective on these industries from recent graduates as well as experienced professionals. Our own AWIS-CAC past president, Heather Behanna, will be moderating the science panel. The science panel will be held from 1:30-2:45pm, the business panel from 3:15-4:30pm. These panels overlap with iBIO IndEX programs and registrants for CareerLinks will have all-day access to the conference as well.

iBIO IndEX is “the premier life sciences event in the Midwest”. Local companies will be present and panels will discuss various life sciences topics. Included will be an Agricultural Panel, Nanotech Panel and Regenerative Panel. The keynote address will be given by Miles D. White, Chairman and CEO of Abbott Laboratories. This conference provides a great opportunity to meet and network with area professionals, researchers, executives and leaders in the life sciences industry.

Women on Boards
Date: March 9th, 2009 from 3-6pm at Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601
Join AWIS-CAC and Women on Boards for a panel discussion by experienced board members. Topics of discussion include:

Being an effective board member
What boards are looking for in board candidates
How to position yourself to get on a board
How to transition from serving on non-profit boards to for-profit boards

Negotiation Skills Workshop Part II: Negotiation for Women in Industry.
Date: February 27, 2009 from 12-1pm at Abbott Laboratories
Join AWIS-CAC and Diagnostics Women in Action (DWA) in learning how to negotiate in an industry job. A presentation will be given by Jamie Stacey, Director of Talent Acquisition and a 12yr Abbott employee. Ms. Stacey has 7yrs of experience in Talent Acquisition as well as a background in chemistry and cancer research. This will be a brown bag lunch event. *Advance pre-registration will be required for Non-Abbott employees for security purposes*
Transportation will not be provided, if you need or can offer a ride please include this information in your registration email.

AWIS-CAC VP for Communications, Jessica Reimer, welcomes National AWIS to the AAAS meeting

AAAS and AWIS

AWIS National and the local chapter have a history of hosting a few events at the AAAS conference every year. This year the National Fellows were honored, as was the service of other members.

Feb 15: AWIS Fellows reception. The 2009 AWIS fellows were announced and honored. For a list of the 2009 AWIS Fellows, please visit the National AWIS website (www.awis.org).

Feb 16: AWIS Breakfast, Networking and Program event.
Topic: “Learn to Juggle without Joining the Circus: Strategies to Deal with Your Career and Work-Life Balance Challenges”
This interactive workshop provided practical strategies to help you:

Assess your personal and professional responsibilities
Prioritize the demands on your time
Identify your sources of joy and happiness
Increase your satisfaction with your life and work

Dr. Marlanda English, an executive coach and member of the professional AWIS Coaching Team, gave a lively session on juggling the demands of career, family, and hobbies and left attendees with a plan for recapturing that elusive work-life balance. If you were unable to attend the event, Dr. English’s slides are available online here.

The Science of the Small Team with their project

Science of the Small, Jan 17 2009, Northwestern, Science Saturday program
This event was run with the support of the Institute for Nanotechnology, Phi Lambda Upsilon and Northwestern University. The day was split in half – the morning was an intimate session (max of 50 students – we are targeting girls age 9-13) on demos and tours of Nanotechnology, and the afternoon featured a larger scale chemistry show. We are grateful for the AWIS-CAC members who volunteered to help out and keep this event running smoothly.

AWIS Recieves NSF Funding

AWIS Receives NSF ADVANCE PAID Grant to Partner with Discipline Societies to Improve Recognition for Women and Minorities in STEM. This grant will fund a new project: “Advancing Ways of Awarding Recognition in Disciplinary Societies (AWARDS),”designed to create a sustainable framework for assuring progress towards more equitable rewards and recognition for women and members of underrepresented groups in a wide range of scientific communities. For information about this and other recent funding received by National AWIS, please visit www.awis.org.

Women in Science Day in Chicago

Mayor Daley declares February 15th, 2009 “Women in Science Day in Chicago”. Mayor Daley’s surprising endorsement is a symbol of support and encouragement to female scientist in the Chicago Area. We are honored by the recognition of our achievements and contributions to all fields of science. Sandy Pearce, our chapter president, read the proclamation at the AWIS Fellows Reception on February 15th. View the proclamation.

Volunteer and Outreach Opportunities

Information about volunteering for specific AWIS events and other area science events can now be found in the Chicago section of the Events tab. If you know of a science-related event that needs volunteers or would like to partner with AWIS Chicago, please send an email to info@awis-chicago.org.