Dr. Rachael Sirianni, assistant professor of biomedical engineering!
"We get to work on the edge of translational science – that is, understanding how technologies move from academic (benchtop) research to the clinic (bedside)."
Who are you and what do you study?
I am an Assistant Professor at Barrow Neurological Institute, and I run a biomaterials and drug delivery lab. We design better medicine to treat diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord. Specifically, we make tiny polymeric nanoparticles to improve how drugs work in the body, and we also design cell scaffolds that help us understand what drives tumor progression. On a day to day basis, this means that we create polymers, study cells, and evaluate new therapies. We get to work on the edge of translational science – that is, understanding how technologies move from academic (benchtop) research to the clinic (bedside).
When were you first interested in science and what made it interesting to you?
I have always loved science, although I did not always want to be a scientist. As a child, I was absolutely confident that there would be an answer to every single question! When I couldn’t find an answer easily, I wanted to figure it out myself. I was drawn to both biology and math, which is how I ended up in Biomedical Engineering. For a time, I thought I might want to go to medical school. As I progressed through my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I realized that I wanted to improve human health, but what I liked best was problem solving and question answering, which is science at its core.
Have you had any great role models during your career?
This is an important question, especially when young women are at a stage where they are looking around themselves to make career decisions. I think there is an urge in all of us to find a singular role model: someone we can aspire to be like in all respects. I’ve had some amazing mentors… they all happened to be male! The inability to connect with a female mentor was discouraging at times, but I’ve learned that my role models are actually all around me. I have a deep respect for the diversity of the people I get to interact with day in and day out. In each person, no matter whether they are many years my senior, a colleague, or a trainee, there is something that I would aspire to become.
What's your favorite thing about science?
It is an incredibly creative occupation. My job is to think and imagine, all about things that I truly care about. There is a feeling of power (knowledge), ownership, and confidence in that process of becoming an expert. I love the fluidity of how the specialized knowledge gets exchanged with others to progress collective understanding. Because I run my own lab, I get to shape our structure and interactions with one another, as well as how our individual scientific interests contribute to a much bigger picture. That part is pretty neat, and probably what I enjoy most about my current position.
Do you have any advice for young women who are interested in a career in STEM?
I would say, just keep going, and don’t let the unknown stop you. I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about what I want and how to accomplish it. In the end, I never could have predicted where I ended up, and I’m not sure all that worrying did much to help me get there! One of the best pieces of advice I received about this was from a former advisor. When I asked him how he managed the endless uncertainty and stress of submitting grants, he answered “I just keep doing it. And I’ll keep doing it until I can’t anymore.” I think of that advice a lot. When something is no longer a good fit, you will know it, and that will be the time to change course – never before that moment. My other favorite quote is from Emily Dickenson: “The will is always near, dear, though the feet vary.” I have this taped to my computer monitor, and it reminds me, every single day, that motivation and capability are two very different things. Every minute of hard work goes toward building that capability. The hard work is always worth it.
What is a cool factoid about you unrelated to science? :)
I have two awesome children, ages five and three. One of the great things about having kids is that they find unending ways to make sure “life” gets a fair shake in the work-life balance game :) My major outlet is exercise. There is simply nothing more valuable than getting to physically and mentally reset on a regular basis!
