Congratulations to our December scientist of the month, Ms. Jada Suber! Jada is a 5th year PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UNC-CH from South Carolina. Please congratulate her by following her on instagram (@jadapearl2.0) and supporting her journey through her amazingly decorated Etsy shop (jadapearl2point0).
How did you become interested in science?/What made you pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences?
“As a kid, my dream was to become a doctor. Initially I wanted to be a pediatrician, but after developing food allergies at age 7, I wanted to become an allergist. During undergrad, I stumbled across research and fell in love with it. My focus then shifted too contributing to the food allergy community as a researcher.”
What is something cool about your research that you would like people to know?
“I study inhibitory mechanisms of effector cells in peanut allergy and alpha-gal allergy. Though peanut allergy gets most of the attention, alpha-gal allergy is also fascinating because it differs (in some ways) from traditional food allergies (like peanuts), Alpha-gal allergy is an allergy to a sugar found in non-primate mammals that develops after a bite from the Lone Star tick.”
What exciting news or accomplishments would you like to share from this past semester?
“I have a first author review that was recently accepted and will be published at the end of this month. Also, I was recently invited to serve as a panelist on the Early Career Panel during #BlackInImmuno Week. This year, I also started an Etsy shop dedicated to selling nerdy science T-shirts.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In 10 years, I see myself either running my own lab at a medical institution or teaching at the undergraduate level and conducting smaller scale research (staying in food allergy research of course). By then, I also hope to have a science center up and running in (or near) my hometown to offer intriguing science experiences to children in the surrounding rural areas.”
What is a piece of advice that you would give Black students who want to pursue a career in the biomedical sciences?
“My advice would be to simply go after it with all your heart and soul. Don’t let fear or obstacles stop you from reaching your dreams. You are more than capable. You are beyond talented and you belong in these spaces.”