1/ A thread about my research! Many know my undergrad & grad degrees are in biology, & I've worked as a corporate scientist in drug discovery, etc. In my Ph.D., I switched gears & did a novel study of how representations of scientists in media impact adult STEM interest.

2/ My research stems (no pun intended) from a music video I put out last year that is my creative expression of my liberation as a Black woman in STEM. That video is called "Big Ole Geeks". It went viral. I'm linking it in the thread but you can also Google it!

3/ I made the video because I was TIRED of people telling me that I was a "token Black" and I "didn't look like a scientist" after years of conforming to all of the eurocentric standards & customs that most Black women have to force themselves in to get by. So I liberated myself.

4/ I describe these experiences in the TEDx talk that I gave earlier this year. I highly recommend that you watch it. Here is the link

5/ When I put the video out, it honestly was scary but I knew people were going to mistreat me regardless of how I lived, so I was going to live my life unapologetically & stop trying to please people who oppress me. What happened after caused me to focus my research on the video