Hey friends! My name is Allie and I am a PhD Candidate in Toxicology at Texas A&M University. I graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 2017 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Sustainability. My current research focuses on using ionizing radiation to break down cyanotoxins in drinking water treatment. I am very passionate about environmental toxicology, remediation, and sustainability.
When I’m not doing my PhD research, I run The Pretty PhD Blog which is focused on both science communication and fashion and lifestyle topics. I also love to weightlift, hike, play guitar, garden, and play/watch ice hockey!
How I first became interested in science and my path to get there
My love of the sciences started at a young age – it really didn’t matter the subject area, it was all so fascinating to me. I was one of those ‘never stops asking questions’ kind of kids. It also helped that my dad was an engineer and supported my love of STEM. While I ended up in Toxicology (and now also science communication), it took trying a couple things before I got there.
To start, I grew up as an Air Force brat and moved about 10 times before the 3rd grade! My family finally ended up settling down in central New Hampshire in a town of about 5000 people. I think I would attribute my original love of the environment to living in such a rural and beautiful area.
While in NH, I was lucky enough to participate in a semester at sea program called Ocean Classroom during my junior year of high school. We sailed all the way from Massachusetts to San Juan, Puerto Rico while learning how to crew a schooner and take marine related classes. It was this experience where I convinced myself I wanted to be a marine biologist who studied sharks. Fast forward a year and I had decided to leave snowy New England behind and start my marine biology degree in Melbourne, Florida.
However, while working in a wet lab my freshman year keeping horseshoe crab larvae alive, I quickly learned that the majority of marine biologists went on to teaching jobs instead of ocean conservation. I may not have known my dream career yet, but I knew that I really wanted to make a difference and do research that was applicable to real life. That, and I didn’t think that teaching was for me. After this realization I tried out another lab doing paleoecology research, but then eventually found my way into Biochemistry.
My junior year of undergrad following my switch into the biochemistry major, I began working in a Plant Biochemistry laboratory investigating chemical signaling in plants and algae. I really loved how the topic merged so many different types of sciences – chemistry, biology, botany, and even some engineering. Chemical signaling in plants and bacteria is actually an important area of research in terms of food production and also in human health. Finally I thought I had found an area that kept me interested and could really make a difference when I started my career.
In the hopes of getting more experience and improving my resume before graduation, I decided to apply for an internship during the summer of my junior year. (To be honest, I threw my name out to a lot of different programs to see if anything would stick.) I ended up receiving a spot in a program at the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) which is a research branch within the Food and Drug Administration. Before arriving at NCTR, I had never been introduced to the field of toxicology but after speaking on the phone with my would be advisor, I decided to give it a try. That summer, I moved to Little Rock, Arkansas to study biomarkers to predict susceptibility to toxicity caused by the cancer drugs tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It’s safe to say I ended up really enjoying it! My mentor taught me all about the various sub-fields within toxicology and how I could really fit my love of environmental science into toxicology. This was how I learned about environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology.
As fate would have it, I received an opportunity from Pfizer to present my summer internship research at the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting during my senior year in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, I met the chair of the Texas A&M Toxicology graduate program who convinced me to apply for my graduate degree in Texas. Three years later, I am pursuing my PhD in Toxicology!
Current work
My current research focuses on using a technology called electron beam (eBeam) irradiation technology to treat drinking water contaminated with cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins from harmful algal blooms. eBeam is a form of ionizing radiation that is used for a bunch of different things including sterilization of medical devices and phytosanitation of produce and other foods. It is now being adopted in a variety of environmental remediation applications, which is what I focus on!
My favorite thing about my research is that it has the potential to be implemented in real life and is very applicable because harmful algal blooms are becoming increasingly common and threatening our water supplies. I enjoy working on current issues and this project allows me to do just that. I won’t bore you with the specifics of my project, but if you are interested, I have a series of articles on my blog about my research that you can access here.
How did I get involved with science communication?
Something I have always struggled with while chasing my science dreams was how could I balance the technical side of my research with my other creative interests. In January of 2020 I decided that I wanted to start a blog as my creative side hustle. I called it, “The Pretty PhD Blog.” My goal was to combine lifestyle and fashion content with science content and hoped to expose some people to science who may not normally be looking for it. I didn’t realize, however, how much I would enjoy it!
In the last year, my blog has grown to mean so much more than I had originally planned. I found that I was very passionate about showing women and girls that it’s okay to be both smart and beautiful and that there should never be any boundaries preventing you from pursuing your passions. For me, I can be fashionable and still explain to you how an electron accelerator works. I also realized quickly (especially during the current pandemic) that the majority of scientists are terrible communicators! We can’t expect the non-science community to accept and understand our work if we don’t make it accessible.
Since starting my blog, I have done interviews, presentations, and Instagram takeovers for various teen and women in STEM groups and love spreading the message that you can do both. I have also found a new found love of science communication.
Future steps to my dream career
During my first summer in graduate school, I interned with an environmental consulting firm in San Francisco, California. I really enjoyed the consulting work style and felt I could really make a difference in cleaning up contaminated sites. I continue to work with them part-time as I finish out my degree and could see myself pursuing this after school. Particularly if I could focus on natural disaster specific site risk assessment and mitigation.
However, with the addition of my blog and new found love of science communication, I expect my path may change slightly. I find myself wanting to shift away from the full on technical work and move into the grey area in between. The area where technical work gets translated to reach more people. While I may not know exactly what this career path may look like for me, I feel like my path to get here was worth it to discover something I love.
Advice to anyone who wants to get involved in toxicology
Believe it or not there are very few undergraduate programs in toxicology. But, because it is such an interdisciplinary field, you can pursue a variety of degrees that could lead you to toxicology – chemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, etc.
In my opinion, the most important thing to do to enter the field is to seek out research opportunities that expose you to toxicology. Of course, this is easier said than done! To start, finding laboratories accepting students at your university is the easiest place to begin because you are already on location. It’s also helpful to get involved with scientific societies such as the Society of Toxicology (SOT) or the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). These societies have great information on the field, available opportunities, and are great for networking. Finally, applying to internships is a great way to gain experience in programs that you normally wouldn’t have access too. I have a blog article on my site with some great resources for STEM internships if you are looking for opportunities.
Advice to anyone who wants to get involved in science communication
I really think that the best way to start something new is to throw yourself into it. You won’t get far by just dipping your toe in.
A great place to start in science communication is by finding organizations and groups that do science communication activities already. There are many of these at universities, but outside of academia, science societies like those I listed above are a great places to start. Volunteering with these groups can help get your foot in the door and help you learn the basics of science communication.
Ultimately though, I believe you have to find your own style for your science communication! Everyone has different initiatives and topics they are passionate about. The most effective way to communicate is to find what works best for you. For me, I started my platform where I could share what spoke to me. I also volunteer and work with other groups that support the message I am trying to share.
The moral of my story
If there’s one takeaway you can get from reading my path in STEM, I hope it is that you shouldn’t be afraid to explore new things as you decide what you really love! You don’t have to have it all figured out at a certain age. You also don’t have to box yourself in to one thing only. You should do whatever it is that excites you.
Questions or comments? I’m always happy to chat! Whether it’s specific to toxicology, STEM, or science communication, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me via email at prettyphdblog@gmail.com, find me on Instagram (@theprettyphdblog), or check out my website at www.prettyphdblog.com.
