with mentee, Malia Gasteier
Dr. Laura Tran is an Assistant Editor with The Scientist magazine. She earned a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science from Saint Louis University (2017) and a Ph.D. in Integrated Biomedical Sciences from Rush University (2023). Her research focused on how circadian rhythms and alcohol affect the gut and resulted in an NIH NRSA F31 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
However, her passion shifted from research to science communication while interning with the Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST). Her writing covered a broad range of topics (e.g., animals, space, microbiology) for a general audience from 2021-2023, and she was on the organizing committee for ComSciCon Chicago in 2022. Dr. Tran also became a science communication fellow at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in 2023. She believes that effective communication is an invaluable skill in any profession.
While her career trajectory pivoted drastically during graduate school, she hopes it inspires others to set aside self-doubt when trying new experiences and tackling new opportunities. You never know where you’ll end up!
You can find Laura on LinkedIn and at her personal website.
E-mail us at awiscommunications@gmail.com if you’re interested in nominating someone to be on the podcast!