Career Conversations: Q & A with Structural Biologist Lauren Parker Jackson

Dr. Lauren Parker Jackson. Credit: Vanderbilt University. “A confusing experimental result almost always means you’ve stumbled upon something interesting and maybe even exciting. I think that’s what makes science fun,” says Lauren Parker Jackson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Check out the highlights of our interview with Dr. Jackson to learn how she became a biologist and what she studies in her lab. Q: What sparked your interest in science? A: I credit my high school chemistry, physics, and biology teachers with getting me interested in science. They were quirky, they were talented, they were energetic, and they weren’t afraid to push us. As a teenager, I did a lot of science fairs and quiz bowls, where two teams compete to answer academic questions. As a high school junior, I took part in the Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering, where I spent a month at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, studying chemistry in a lab. That exposed me to research for the first time. Q: What was your path to a research career? A: I started at Vanderbilt as an undergrad in chemistry. In my first year, I went to my professors and asked, “Are there research opportunities?” A lot of professors said, “No, not for freshmen,” but one, Dr. Gerald Stubbs, said yes. I joined his lab the summer after my first year at Vanderbilt, and I never left. I originally thought I was goi...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Cellular Processes Profiles Source Type: blogs