I am a postdoc in Dr. Brad Tebo’s laboratory and I’m trying to link phylogeny with the biogeochemical function of autotrophic and metal-oxidizing bacteria. The main goal is to discover the most environmentally relevant organisms that are participating in and/or are impacted by the manganese cycle.

Where is your hometown?

My family roots are in the foothills of North Carolina. I don’t really have a hometown right now, but I’m eager to settle somewhere back east near family in NC or near the Adirondacks in NY.

What is your career?

Research scientist/Teacher.

What is your education and training?

I’ve been interested in science since junior high when I was on the Science Olympiad Team and won the National Tree Identification competition. I also went to summer science camps and attended a selective, public high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Math. After that, I decided to get a broad liberal arts degree at Swarthmore College and traveled a bit studying history, languages and literature. I have more recently moved back into the sciences. After doing some environmental chemistry research at The Evergreen State College (TESC), I got my PhD in the Department of Microbiology at Cornell University. My current research interests are in environmental microbiology and biogeochemical cycling of carbon and metals.

What inspired you to choose your career and which persons were your role models?

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Powell encouraged me to join the Science Olympiad Team. Dr. Andy Brabban and his wife Dr. Paula Schofield were big role models for me at TESC, and Andy had been a postdoc at Cornell with Dr. Steve Zinder, who was my graduate advisor. I would say that Steve has had the largest impact on my career and has been an ideal role model. I can only hope to be as good of an advisor to my students as he was to me.

What are some of your favorite things about life at sea?

This is my first time at sea and I find the whole experience pretty fascinating. A lot of resources go into making such an expedition possible: skilled engineers, expensive machinery not to mention all the scientific equipment that needs to be mailed over. It seems a bit overwhelming to me at the moment.

What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, backpacking, etc. Right now my husband and I have a two year old, so we spend a lot of time walking and hiking in the coast range and on the coast of Oregon.

Contact information:

Department of Marine and Biomolecular Systems
School of Science & Engineering
Oregon Health & Science University
20000 NW Walker Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97006
Email: brauers@ebs.ogi.edu

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