November 2010 Scientist of the Month: Sacha Patera

By Eunji Chung

Sacha Patera is the Associate Director at the Office of Corporate Relations at Northwestern University. Dr. Patera connects corporate funding with scientific needs, focusing primarily on linking faculty members in the areas of physical and life sciences, technology, engineering and math to companies involved in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, technology and engineering efforts.

Born in Prague but a native of Canada, Sacha graduated from McGill University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and later received her Ph.D. in the Chemistry department at Brandeis University. It wasn’t a surprise that Sacha decided to pursue a doctoral degree; both her mother and father, grandmother and grandfather all received Ph.D.’s in various disciplines including physics, Russian literature, and math. In fact, the academic track was all she knew: her mother is a retired professor at McGill University and her father is a professor at the University of Montreal.

With her scholastic and educational pedigree, Sacha was aware that monetary and capital gains were not her motivational roots. Her current position at Northwestern speaks of her passion for linking the right connections and her understanding of the importance of intentional collaboration. Sacha understands that in many cases, the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. And so, between undergraduate and graduate schools, Sacha jumped at the chance to work with Payloads Systems (Cambridge, MA) on a protein crystallization experiment in space. At the time, NASA was still recovering from the Challenger accident and shuttle flight schedules were uncertain. Using the Russian space station MIR seemed the most viable option for this experiment. With Sacha’s biochemistry background and her fluency in Russian, she was the right link to come onboard. The project entailed collaboration with Greg Petsko’s crystallography group to grow crystals in space in an attempt to assess the effects of gravity on crystal growth. While the first mission in December 1989 was a success on many levels, subsequent missions had to be curtailed due to the fall of the USSR in 1991.

In 1989, Greg Petsko’s move to Brandeis University motivated Sacha to pursue a graduate degree there. Once at Brandeis, Sacha became unexpectedly intrigued with protein structure determination using NMR spectroscopy. Specifically, her thesis determined the structure of the active site loop of serpins (serine protease inhibitors) in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Pochapsky. However, near the end of her graduate career, after attending a conference to find another investigator cracking the code to the same project, Sacha found herself somewhat deflated. As she was finishing her studies, Sacha met her husband and relocated to Chicago where she began post-doctoral work in crystallography with Dr. Alfonso Mondragon. When she started having children, Sacha was then faced with the issue of time management. Flexibility to be with her children became an imminent need, and after two years as a post-doc and four as a research associate in two different labs, Sacha realized that she was no longer happy doing bench work. It did not allow her to thrive the way she wanted to.

Though the decision to leave was very difficult, Sacha felt relief as well. On one hand, she felt she was disappointing her PI, her colleagues, parents, friends, and all professional women, and on another hand, she felt this was the beginning of the right path. Sacha stayed involved in science by teaching biochemistry and immunology courses at Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies before becoming the Assistant Director of the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Graduate Program (IBiS).

Before her decision to leave the lab, she says she hadn’t formulated what she wanted to do. It took soul searching and self-assessment for Sacha to honestly admit that her scientific talents were best served outside of the lab. That’s when she understood that she was an excellent go-between liaison between the “lay public and scientific community.” In many ways, her role in the IBiS program was just that. She reflects back on her time with IBiS as an incredibly rewarding experience as she facilitated discussion among students, faculty, and administration, participated in graduate education programming development and witnessed students coming into their own as they rose to their next step.

The time with IBiS was a period of tremendous growth for Sacha both personally and professionally. Her move to the Office of Corporate Relations was also motivated by the potential for growth and learning in a new area of University administration. While she can’t predict what her next move will be, she is excited about the professional opportunities that lie ahead.

Sacha considers herself lucky to have had mentors from all areas of the University who helped her appreciate her values, bring back self-confidence, and reaffirm her talents. She emphasizes that “all paths are valuable, not just academic paths,” and encourages everyone to seek out mentors who may or may not be your PI, and make the most of University career resources. Not all mentors have to come from the world of science.  For example, Yvette Davis, Business Administrator of the Life Sciences Financial Services at Northwestern, has also been very significant in Sacha’s professional development.

To the AWIS audience, Sacha advises to “be honest with yourself about what it is you want for yourself out of life, personally and professionally. Don’t do something because that’s what someone else thinks you should do. Ask yourself what do you want to do? When you have a terminal degree, you have to trust that there are many options out there for you, with the academic path being the only one that is well charted. It’s like what Dr. Alicia Löffler said at the AWIS dinner last year. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and jump from the comfort of this lily pad to the next one. And if the place that you land is not all that you thought it would be, learn what you can jump again. You will learn something with each jump and will be changed with each experience. But all of this happens only after you are honest with yourself – and optimistic.”

As a student in the IBIS program, I had the opportunity and privilege to be recruited by Sacha and form a friendship with her throughout my graduate studies. Sacha was always cheerful, willing, and persevering—rewards that come from someone, like her words above, who is honest with herself and the world around her.

Eunji is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Guillermo Ameer’s lab at Northwestern Unviersity. Her thesis consists of fabricating various biodegradable grafts for orthopaedic applications.  After graduation, she will move on to her post doctoral fellowship with Dr. Ramille Shah at Northwestern University and hopes to be a professor committed to both research and teaching.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Submit your nomination here. 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.

October 2010 Scientist of the Month: Jacklyn Naughton – An Advocate for Research

by Marina Viktoria Pazin

I recall the challenging curriculum and passionate teachers in my science courses at Niles North High School. The introduction to experimentation, the captivating demonstrations, and the triumph I felt with each successful examination all lead me to choose science as a career. I came to admire my honors biology teacher, Jacklyn Naughton, most of all. Though we had not always kept in touch following my graduation from Niles North, we reconnected when I serendipitously took advantage of an opportunity to judge a science fair she was overseeing. I have been judging science fairs and mentoring her pupils in her laboratory ever since. Now, it is an honor for me to feature Jacklyn as a “Scientist of the Month.”

Jacklyn began to teach as a “happy accident.” She began to tutor as a premed student in the 1960s. The gratification she received from teaching and a desire to spend time with her child led her to defer acceptance into medical school and to go into teaching instead. Because she strongly believed in promoting science education among women, who at the time were not expected to be “more than a nurse,” Jacklyn first taught women only, emphasizing research over lectures. When she learned of a biology teaching position available at a co-ed and culturally-diverse Niles North High School in Skokie, she applied. In 1989, her belief in introducing independent research to students landed her the job over 200 candidates.

Jacklyn’s passion for research is reflected in the curriculum she has developed at Niles North over the past twenty years. As soon as she was hired she began to mandate independent research, for the first time in the district’s history, as a component of honors biology courses. Her first mission was accomplished within a year of teaching at Niles North. The following year she developed RIOT (Research and Investigators of Tomorrow) club, to promote STEM-related career development for students. As part of RIOT, students selected research questions and, using the scientific method, conducted experiments that answered these questions to competition. Leading by example, Jacklyn spent many summers conducting research herself, most recently in 2007 at ECCLES Institute for Human Genetics where she met Noble-Prize winning Mario Capecchi. The success of RIOT prompted Jacklyn’s desire to develop a course exclusively for teaching research skills. Jacklyn’s proposals to the board of education for this were initially rebuffed. “For twenty years I was pushing…research class was not a mainstream component of high school education.”

Recently, luck fell on Jacklyn’s side. With the public realizing the need for improved education in the STEM fields, school district 219 received a governmental grant to build STEM labs forming a space for the course Jacklyn had been envisioning. “I remember STEM labs opening at our school in September of 2009, with architects only starting to renovate our space in April of that year.” Finally, in the 2009-2010 school year, Mrs. Naughton unveiled her SIRs (‘STEM Inquiry and Research’) course. Through it, by completing a series of modules, students learn the proper way to develop and test hypotheses in a variety of disciplines, depending on their individual interests. Seeing the opportunity to work in professional labs as an asset, she encouraged students to do so, forming collaborations with prestigious universities Northwestern University, Loyola, and University of Chicago and pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott and Searle in the process.

In just one year the SIRs course has become a success. Its students competed at an International Science and Engineering Fair, with one winning five awards, including an all-paid research internship at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Many more won ‘best in category’ merits at the Illinois Junior Science Academy competition. The number of students interested in SIRs has more than doubled within a year.

Thanks to Jacklyn Naughton, the science experience at Niles North will never be the same.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Marina Pazin.

*Know a scientist you think should be featured in an upcoming “Scientist of the Month” article? Submit your nomination here. 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.

September 2010 Scientist of the Month: Jameela Jafri

by Heather King

Jameela Jafri has just spotted a red-tailed hawk, calls out to the group, and raises her arms in triumph over her head.  “There it is!”  she shouts, and we all look into the sky to see the majestic bird of prey ride the thermals above us.  The ‘we’ is myself, Jameela, two other educators, and nine high school girls from Chicago’s inner city.  We are in Yellowstone National Park for the week, participating in the All Girls’ Expedition, a yearly program run by Project Exploration (PE), a non-profit organization dedicated to science education and outreach in the Chicago area.

Jameela has coordinated girls’ programs at PE since 2007, but her interest in science and science education began much earlier.   Her father, a medical technologist, and her mother, a math teacher, came to New York from Karachi, Pakistan in the 1970s and brought with them their passion for the natural world.  They passed this knowledge and passion on to Jameela and her sisters by taking them on camping and fishing trips while the girls were growing up.

Jameela felt as a child that she was meant to be a part of science, but didn’t do well on tests and was weeded out of science honors classes in middle school.  She also struggled with her identity as a first-generation American and a woman of color.  “I really needed encouragement, and someone to believe in me,” Jameela said of her middle school days.  She got that encouragement while enrolled in high school at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY.  The most influential experiences Jameela had were outside of the classroom, and included school camping trips and birding expeditions.  These experiences with her high school teachers reinforced her passion and curiosity for the natural world and inspired her to share that passion through education.

In 1997, Jameela graduated with a Batchelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Anthropology from Barnard College (Columbia University), and in 1999 with a Master’s degree in secondary science education from Teachers College (Columbia University).  She taught science at several high schools, including the Masters School, where she created curriculum that is still being used today.  “It was such a privilege to give back to a place that had given so much to me,” said Jameela of her time teaching at the Masters School.

After teaching science in the United States for several years, Jameela lived in Damascus, Syria for sixteen months to accomplish a life-long dream of learning Arabic.  While there, she met educators and informally spoke with them about how science is taught in Syria.

In 2007, she returned to the United States and moved to Chicago, where she began working for Project Exploration.  Project Exploration was founded in 2000 by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno and his wife, educator Gabrielle Lyon.  The mission statement of the organization is “to ensure that communities traditionally overlooked by science, such as minority youth and girls, have access to personalized experiences with scientists.”  PE acts as a bridge between local scientists and Chicago youth through after-school programs.  Scientists volunteer to design and execute lesson plans with the guidance of program coordinators like Jameela.  Since many PE programs are held weekly, the students involved become part of something larger, building lasting relationships with the program coordinators and scientists.

Perhaps because of her own experiences as a student, Jameela was very interested in how students’ after-school time complimented their time in the classroom, and understood the potential of afterschool programs like PE:  “The power of this format, with the scientists coming to give personalized lessons to the students after school, is that the lessons can be more hands-on and in-depth.  In addition, the lessons are informal, and once a scientist starts sharing about her personal challenges and triumphs, the students can see that this scientist is a real person, and that they could someday follow that same path.  The scientists can also learn about the students, and this turns the tables as if to say to the students ‘you’re just as interesting as I am.’”

Jameela began as the Girls’ Programs Coordinator and was promoted to Manager of Girls’ Programs after two years.  She and PE co-founder Gabrielle Lyon recently published an article about their work in the June 2010 issue of Afterschool Matters.

After three and a half years with PE, Jameela will be doing some scientific research of her own.  The seeds planted during her time in Syria have grown into a Fulbright fellowship to perform a case study on the teaching practices of a female science teacher in urban Damascus.  The study will address why science is important to Syrians culturally and socially, and what factors affect teaching practices in science.  “I’m interested in a cross-cultural understanding of how science is taught to youth, but I don’t think ultimately that we’re all that different.   I predict that many of the same factors that influence teaching and learning in the United States, such as race, gender, and economic status, will also influence teaching and learning in Syria,” says Jameela of her study.

I nominated Jameela for AWIS Scientist of the Month because she has been such a role model to me, and has inspired and encouraged me to become involved in my community and reach out to young women in the Chicago area.  Some of my first teaching experiences were through the PE programs, and she helped me expand my definition of a ‘scientist’ to see that there isn’t much separating me from a seventh-grade girl from the Chicago urban area; we both have a curiosity for the world around us, and we want to learn more about it.  We wish Jameela the best of luck during her time in Syria and beyond.

Learn more about Project Exploration.

To read the Jameela’s June 2010 article published in Afterschool Matters click here.

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Heather King.  Ms. King is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago.

*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.

July 2010 Scientist of the Month: Debby Quock, M.S.

by Eunji Chung

Debby Quock, M.S. is a Computer Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).  Her work focuses on applications that support real-time accelerator controls, specifically geared particle accelerator controls and software. In addition, at ANL, Debby spear-headed “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED)”, a student outreach event for girls in middle school. Before Argonne, Debby was a Senior Chemical Engineer for Texaco, Inc. and a consultant for Technology Evaluations, Inc. Naturally inclined towards scientific reasoning, mathematical interpretation, and analytical problem-solving from a young age, she pursued her B.S. in chemical engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia, followed by her first M.S. degrees in chemical engineering at Rice University, and a second M.S. degree in computer science at the University of Chicago. During her studies in the late 1970’s, the U.S. was experiencing  an oil shortage and energy crisis and Debby felt the urgency and the significance of pursuing a degree that would apply all of the basic sciences in order to solve real world problems (a problem that is still relevant today). Debby was a Senior Engineer at Texaco, Inc. in the Alternative Energy group and worked on improving oil refinery. Debby attributes both her professional and personal success to her family’s support and dedication to education, starting with her father, who designed the first periscope used in space for NASA and her late mother who pursued both a masters in English and an MBA during a time when it was unheard of for women to obtain an MBA in a male-dominated business culture. In addition, she speaks of the fullness and adventures of love, marriage, and children, and gives a bit of her insight in regards to current oil spills.

EJC: How did you get interested in science?

DQ: My father had a B.S. degree in Physics and a M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering. He designed for NASA and he typically explained events in life through the eyes of a scientist/engineer to my brother, sister and me. My father’s natural curiosity about how things work and how to design new, better solutions was contagious, [and] my choice to pursue science was never really a conscious decision, but rather just always out there as the pastime that I enjoy most and wanted to be a large part of my life.

EJC: How did you end up at Argonne?

DQ: I quit Texaco Inc. in Houston, Texas at the level/title “Senior Chemical Engineer” to stay home full-time with my daughter (quit work when she was 11 months old). From there, I followed my husband and his career from Texas to upstate New York to the suburbs of Chicago. After moving to the suburbs of Chicago, I became antsy to get back into the workforce as I tremendously missed solving technical problems. I worked part-time for one school year as a substitute teacher in the St. Charles, IL school district where I taught everything from P.E. to advanced placement high school physics. It was desirable to have my summers off to be with my children, but I learned while teaching high school physics, that I would rather be “doing” the physics than teaching it to others.

EJC: Were there any professional or personal obstacles you encountered while pursuing your career as a woman in science?

DQ: Yes, many.  Having children threw me for a curve as I never really thought that I would ever get married, much less have children. I was the type that was completely consumed and satisfied by my interests in science and engineering. I met my husband, Joe Quock, at Texaco Inc., we were in the same group that I was first hired into. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering and currently works for UOP in Des Plaines, IL as a project manager for designing oil refineries.  Now, I can’t imagine having a better soul mate and father to our children – he is completely supportive of my career and also, extremely supportive of our children’s interests in pursuing careers in engineering /science. My daughter has a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and is currently working on her Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering. My son is currently working on his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. While I worked on getting my second masters degree at night school at the University of Chicago while working at Argonne full-time, my husband took over the basic care needs of our children – scheduling dentist and doctor appointments, etc. (all while he was a project manager for UOP meeting the high demands of that job). Even with the tremendous support from my husband as a great father, I did make the very difficult choice of quitting my job at Texaco Inc. to stay home full-time. At that time in history of the oil industry (1980’s), it was expected for engineers to work more than 40 hours per week. I often went in to work on Saturdays, and brought work home on weekdays. After my daughter was born, I asked Texaco if I could switch to working 20 hours per week and was turned down – this was a new concept to the engineering community in the 1980’s, that women would want to work part-time after having children, and on highly challenging technical projects. I ended up staying home full-time for 7 years, but stayed very active in adult projects and activities through volunteer work and going to night school taking business and computer science courses.

EJC: If there was one thing you would advise young scientists, what would it be?

DQ: Join and get involved with professional organizations that are related to your field of work. This will allow you to network, make new friends with those who have similar interests, and serve on committees whose work ultimately gives back to society.

EJC: In the next ten years, what do you envision for yourself? What do you want to achieve?

DQ: I want to continue to be challenged technically and to be able to apply my analytical skills to the highest level possible. I find a tremendous amount of satisfaction in mentoring others and helping them grow as scientists/engineers. At ANL, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to manage and lead projects that include physicists, engineers, computer scientists and college students working part-time or as summer interns. I want to achieve helping others reach their career goals and help to groom the next generation of scientists/engineers.

EJC: The U.S. has a major oil spill to clean up today. From your experience, could you give us your professional observation on the importance of taking precautionary measures?

DQ: As engineers and scientists, we can continuously push ourselves to research and design facilities that exceed and are beyond the current “best practices” of our fields. Not for the sake of producing more profits, or in the case of government operated particle accelerators, delivering more “beam time”, but for the sake of safety of personnel and equipment. At Argonne, incorporating safety into everything that we do has become a major initiative from the lab director on down. The message of Argonne being a safety-focused work culture is exhibited by posters on the topic of safety displayed throughout all buildings, many safety training courses, detailed and thorough validation and trouble-shooting procedures for critical safety systems, periodic lectures to staff by safety experts, and more. Argonne handles a wide variety of dangerous chemicals, radiation, electrical systems and more; so incorporating the mindset of safety first as design engineers and research scientists is crucial. It (safety) has become a way of life at Argonne.

Nomination submitted by Eleanor Taylor of Argonne National Laboratory.   Article by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Eunji Chung.  Ms. Chung is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University. 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.

“Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day” is an annual event begun February 21, 2002 to connect middle school aged girls with positive role models of women engineers. Research indicates that girls lose interest in subjects leading into engineering careers long before college and demonstrates a need to introduce and encourage young girls to the engineering profession through job shadowing is essential. To learn more about “Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day”, please click here to read article published in the Chicago Sun Times.

*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.

June 2010 Scientist of the Month: Karen Visick, Ph.D.

by Michelle Merrigan

Typically, passing around a bacterium and its host would not necessarily impress an audience.  But to the delight of crowds, Dr. Karen Visick and members of her laboratory at Loyola University have livened up department research meetings and classes by bringing in specimens of glowing bacteria and tiny hatchling squid to pass around. Karen’s laboratory, in the Microbiology and Immunology Department at the Stritch School of Medicine, studies the fascinating symbiotic relationship between the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, Euprymna scolopes. V. fischeri cells are bioluminescent, and when grown to high density inside a particular organ in the squid, they emit light. This light keeps the squid from casting a shadow beneath it in the water column, which helps it avoid predators. When choosing her laboratory’s research focus, Karen was attracted to the V. fischeri-E. scolopes relationship because unlike many other bacteria-host model systems, the interaction was natural. Bacteria in the seawater associate with the squid without any manipulation.

Karen earned her Ph.D. at the University of Washington studying gene regulation, in particular flagellar assembly in Salmonella. Karen has been a professor at Loyola for 12 years and is taking her first sabbatical this coming fall. During her sabbatical, she will be studying pathogenic members of the Vibrio genus with Dr. Jorge Crosa at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. . She hopes to learn more about biochemical approaches to studying pathogenesis and share the genetic manipulation tools she has developed with her colleagues.

Karen’s husband, Dr. Jonathan Visick, is also a microbiologist and teaches at North Central College in Naperville.  They have been fortunate enough to manage joint sabbaticals in Portland. Jon was offered a faculty development position at Lewis and Clark University and Karen was then able to arrange her own sabbatical. Their nine year-old daughter, Rachel, is also excited to live in a new city for a few months.

Karen expertly balances the many duties of an Associate Professor, including research and teaching, and spending time with her family. She credits her husband’s flexibility and willingness to share childcare duties as part of her ability to meet the demands of academic life. Karen says that while the notion of quality time may have become a cliché, it has been key to managing being a professor and a mother. For example, she sets aside Monday as the day of the week when she leaves the lab early and has a special Mother-Daughter night with Rachel.

Karen is also the director of the Microbiology and Immunology Department’s Graduate Program, which involves managing the needs of current students. She enjoys this position and has no desire to pass it on to another faculty member, even after 6 years. As a student in the department, I can personally attest to her skill in and dedication to this time-consuming job, which has definitely made a positive impact on students.

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.

*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.

May 2010 Scientist of the Month: Sara Branco

by Heather King

“I can’t remember when I decided to become a biologist,” Sara Branco tells me, “I guess biology chose me, since I never considered pursuing any other route.”  Sara is a mycologist at the Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago and is weeks away from receiving her PhD.

Sara began her career in her home country of Portugal, where she fell in love with fungi at 16 after a field trip.  “Soon I realized that in my country there were very few mycologists, and that even fewer studied fungal ecology and evolution.”  Sara wanted to study just that, and after earning her bachelor’s degree, went on to work for the Montesinho Natural Park as a mycologist for three years.  She loved the work so much that she stayed on even when bureaucracy prevented her from receiving a paycheck for over a year.

After her stint at Montesinho, she earned a Fullbright scholarship to study in the United States and began her graduate work in the University of Chicago’s Committee on Evolutionary Biology.  Much of her time is spent at the Field Museum of Natural History interacting with a broad diversity of scientists from mycologists to systematists.

Sara’s research focuses on the symbiosis between fungi and plants that live in soils with extremely high levels of heavy metals.  She often uses her research as a topic during outreach activities and says that adapting her research for outreach with fifth-graders, high school students, teachers, and college students is not only rewarding, but has helped her immensely with clarifying her own ideas.

Sara’s motivation, both personal and professional, was partly inspired by Catarina Costa, her high school math teacher.  “Catarina played a very important role in making me realize that the sky is the limit and that you just have to be focused and work hard to achieve your goals,” Sara says.  “Interacting with and learning from her was definitely important in defining my personal goals and overcoming barriers.”

Sara is a gifted teacher herself and always shows an infectious enthusiasm for science.  I nominated Sara for Scientist of the Month after TAing an undergraduate Biological Diversity course with her at the University of Chicago.  Her passion for reaching each student was impressive, as was her willingness to challenge the effectiveness and accuracy of the existing curriculum.  Sara herself is an example of how much a teacher can affect the lives of her students, and she is passing that influence on.

Sara is pursuing an academic career, where she can both investigate and teach.  “The idea of teaching both in a classroom and my own lab seems like a very fulfilling route,” Sara says.  We wish her luck in all future endeavors!

Nomination and article submitted by AWIS Chicago Staff Writer Heather King. Ms. King is a PhD candidate at University of Chicago.  Photograph courtesy of Maria Alice Neves.

*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.

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.

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