As a graduate student, I worked in an oceanography laboratory, using ToF-SIMS and NanoSIMS to study how the growth of marine organisms that make their own mineral shells affects the chemistry of those shells which are often used to estimate past climate conditions. I looked at ions like calcium, magnesium and sodium to better examine the connections between organic and inorganic components.
Now as a postdoc, I use NanoSIMS to image bound calcium in neurons and other cell cultures. But I haven’t forgotten my earth science background. I’m passionate about science communication, and in my free time, I write articles and video scripts, translating the latest climate change research into language accessible to a non-specialist audience.
