Contributors

Mariah is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research is on the breakdown of proteins by enzymes and designing substrates that are uniquely susceptible to individual enzymes for use in disease tracking and diagnosis. As a grad student, she most enjoys mentoring new researchers and making scientific illustrations that help convey technical concepts in accessible ways. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing volleyball, biking, hanging out at local breweries, and spending as much time as possible with her dog.

Lexi is a recent graduate of Marist College where she received a BS in Biomedical Science with minors in Chemistry and Psychology and competed in Division 1 collegiate water polo. Currently, she works with children and adults of all ability levels as a swim instructor. She is also working towards becoming a physician and has a special interest in community health education, promoting wellness practices, and pediatric care. In her free time, Lexi enjoys traveling, audiobooks, learning new things, and staying active (especially outdoors).

Beatriz has recently completed her MSc in Oncology at the University of Porto, Portugal. She's interested in the health sciences, particularly Oncology and Immunology, and eager to learn as she explores the Science Communication world. She also loves cats, gaming, reading books, and creative writing.

Alisha is currently an undergraduate student at Nova Southeastern University, studying biology and psychology to apply to a Physician Assistant program. Alisha is working on research about medications that cause osteonecrosis of the jaw and enjoys learning about fashion, traveling to new places, and dancing.

Menna is a dentist and a lecturer with a PhD in dental biomaterials from Egypt. She has worked on the development, modification and testing of various dental materials. Currently, she is residing in Dubai with her family and concentrating on raising her sons.

Jessica Reuter Castrogiovanni is a scientist and writer interested in studying genetics and neuromuscular disabilities. She is always working toward improving her knowledge and is passionate about scientific literacy. When she isn't writing or advocating for science, she enjoys reading, trying new tea flavors, and teaching her little girl.

Vivian Lam is a researcher in thoracic and geriatric oncology at UCSF. They completed their undergraduate degree in human biology and comparative literature at Stanford University. They are captivated by palliative and end-of-life care, death and dying, and medical anthropology. They believe that critical theory and narrative can unveil alternative modalities of care and ways of being. They also enjoy distance running, staring vacantly into the distance, and warbling in the shower.

Magali is a young scientist with a PhD in molecular biology with a background in biotechnology and genetics. She spent 5 years at the Spanish National Cancer Research Institute performing basic research on a tumor suppressor protein from the cohesin complex. Currently, her interests are shifting towards global health and science communications. She now works as an independent consultant for a company that develops innovative global healthcare solutions for remote areas. In her spare time she enjoys nature, yoga, traveling, diving, and scrapbooking.

Aisha Al Abri is a biomedical scientist and recently completed a master's degree in cancer biology and therapeutics. Her master's project was focused on the anti-cancer effect of statins. She has always had an interest in science communication to a broad audience. While not working she enjoys hiking, traveling, and painting.

Dominika is a doctoral researcher in the Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences. Her thesis is focusing on fungal pathogens of plants, in particular developing fast and effective methods of their detection. More recently, she has also started analysing the metagenomic communities of organic strawberries. In her spare time she is expanding her collections of read books, pole sport figures and indoor plants.