Briefly describe your current professional activities.
I am a marine natural products chemist in a postdoctoral research position in the country of Panama. My research uses ecologically guided marine collection techniques to collect cyanobacteria for screening in biological assays for tropical diseases and cancer. We then extract the marine specimens, perform pre- fractionation of extracts, and send them to other members of our group for screening for activity against tropical diseases including malaria, Chagas’ disease, and leishmaniasis, as well as against cancer and for cytotoxicity screening. The next stage of our research involves conducting bioassay-guided fractionation to isolate and identify pure compounds that act against these tropical diseases.

How long have you been working in this field?
I have been in my current position as a postdoctoral scientist for just over one year but was involved in my PhD research for five years.

When and how did you decide to choose this career?
I have always known that I enjoyed science and that I wanted to be involved in biomedical research, but that I enjoyed being outdoors as well. However, my path to this career has been rather unique beginning with an undergraduate degree in chemistry and biology that included a semester of study abroad in the Brazilian Amazon investigating Amazon ecology and ethnobotany. My next step involved obtaining a plant ecology Master’s degree where I realized that I would prefer applied biomedical research and so I followed this with a PhD in terrestrial plant natural products chemistry focused on finding medicines for breast cancer. Following this, I sought out a postdoctoral position that would combine field and laboratory research in the search for new compounds to treat disease. Just after beginning my current position, I recognized that marine science opens a whole new world of exploration and exciting research possibilities.

What education and training did you receive before entering your field?
I have a B.A. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Biology, a M.S. in plant ecology, and a Ph.D. in natural products chemistry. I am currently receiving postdoctoral training before looking for a permanent position as a university professor.

How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field?
My first job as a marine scientist is my current position. Describe a typical day as a marine scientist. A typical day as a marine scientist can be anything but typical. As a marine natural products chemist, I spend many days in the laboratory, extracting, fractionating, and identifying new compounds to treat tropical diseases. As a scientist I also need to write journal articles to publish my research and grant applications to obtain funding. However, 3-4 times per year we go on collection trips that are quite different than a typical lab day. Field trips involve scuba diving to collect samples, taking ecological measurements, and processing samples. A typical day of collection starts early in the morning and involves 3-4 dives followed by sample processing that often can last until late at night – very fun but very hard work too.

What do you like most about what you do?
I truly enjoy finding new molecules that have interesting biological activity and thinking about how to advance these leads to become medicines. I also love to scuba dive and explore the marine environment!

What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career?
Two experiences stand out – one involves exploring the marine environment and learning about what kinds of compounds these marine organisms produce – the other involves mentoring students who begin to think as independent scientists and explore new avenues of research on their own.

What do you like least about what you do?
As a scientist, there are various administrative responsibilities that require lots of time and are not as fun or rewarding as the field and lab science.

What is the biggest challenge for you as a marine scientist?
Obtaining funding to be able to continue research.

What would you like to say to someone considering this career?
Make sure that you enjoy your work (e.g., coursework, research) because obtaining the necessary education and training is challenging but can be very rewarding.

What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field?
Curiosity, inquisitiveness, perseverance, and self-sufficiency.

What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it?
It would depend on the level of involvement desired: someone could have a Bachelor’s degree and get a job as a marine technician; someone with a Master’s degree could have a job as marine scientist assisting other research; and with a PhD someone could lead their own projects and get a job as a professor, or in industry, or with the government.

What are the various career opportunities in the Marine Sciences field?
For marine natural products chemistry, these include university professor, pharmaceutical chemist in a company, scientist at the National Institutes of Health, and others. For marine sciences in general, there are numerous career opportunities – too many to list here!

What are the opportunities for students who want to obtain a bachelor or master’s degree rather than pursue a PhD?
Generally, Bachelor’s degree scientists can assist Master’s and Ph.D. level scientists. With a Master’s degree, some independence in research can be possible but oftentimes, Master’s scientists are assisting Ph.D. scientists in their research.

What could someone who is interested in this field do to learn more about it right now?
Find journal articles on the types of subjects that interest you – look through professor’s webpages to see what their research involves and what kind of training they received – talk to teachers to see if they know anyone that might help. Establish contact with a professional marine scientist and ask if you can shadow them for a day – basically observing the person during a typical day at their job.

Is there any general advice you would like to offer to students on making a career choice or on work life itself?
Love what you do – you will spend at least 1/3 of your life working (probably more)!