"I Guts My Eyes On You"

10/10/21 • 28 min

said she......
She is Valerie Bentivegna, a science and medical writer who studied bioengineering, bio nanotechnology and life sciences related to physics and cancer. While working as a research scientist, she got to engineer tissue, gut tissue! Always wanting to keep her options broad, Valerie now works in Seattle, Washington for a company that does design services for biotech, pharmaceutical, and global health companies.
But that's not all! Valerie loves to collaborate. She organizes comedy open mics, providing a space for other comedians like herself to show their stuff. She co-wrote an episode of Physics Girl on PBS. Oh yeah, and she has worked with a friend, also a scientist, creating a book that highlights scientists and innovators in a fun and artistic way. And as one who loves to take complicated words and make them understandable, it makes sense that she uses this skill to help educate about science, and make you laugh at the same time.
Multi-talented? Understatement!
Valerie's website:
https://valeriebenti.com
On Instagram and Twitter:
@valerie_benti ... benti, like venti, the coffee...."taller than tall"..... :)
a little bit of Valerie's writing:
https://www.valeriebenti.com/science/the-iridescent-truth-behind-iridescence-and-hummingbirds
Inking Science - this art-meets-science book can be found at:
https://inkingscience.com
where you can find more about Organ-On-a-Chip technology (for growing mini organs!) and Nortis, where Valerie worked for a time:
https://nortisbio.com
Marie Curie Alumni Association:
https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/
Esperluette - the free publication where, as they say it on their site, "We try our best to allow you to experience the fascinating world of research through our artistically scientific goggles.":
https://www.esperluette-research-outreach.com/
oh those definitions.....
mandrel (oh gawd, I hope I spelled it right! :0 ) - a gently tapered tube
science slam - a popular form of science communication where scientists present their research in a given amount of time (like 10 minutes) to a non-expert audience
white paper- an in-depth report on a specific topic
well plate - a rectangular plate containing small wells, or cavities
Find my science-related art here:
http://www.betsyjudge.com
And various other things here:
https://www.instagram.com/basjudge/
https://www.instagram.com/artfulscientista/

Previous Episode

Like Your Mom, Only Cool And A Scientist

Amy Zwierzchowski-Zarate, a neuroscientist from Dallas, Texas, shows us how being a scientist and being a mom don't have to be mutually exclusive. For this STEMinist, being a statistic can have a positive side to it.

And you might be familiar with the term Amyloid Beta, that brain protein that may signal that a person has Alzheimer’s disease. In Amy’s lab at University of Texas Southwestern (UT Southwestern), she has pioneered the idea that another brain protein, Tau, may be responsible for neurodegenerative diseases as well.
No stranger to being the first to do things in various areas of her life, Amy positively paves the way for herself and others, in and out of her lab. I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with this inspiring and fun Scientista; check it out!

Some definitions (...you know I like those definitions!):
Tau - a protein that keeps things structured inside of cells
Amyloid Beta - a protein that mis-folds (incorrectly folds), and floats outside of cells
Prion - a type of infectious protein that can trigger normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally (think: ... Mad Cow Disease)
Ligand - an ion or molecule that donates electrons to form a bond
Antibody - a protein that binds to foreign bodies, like bacteria and viruses, in order to destroy them.
Amy’s Instagram:
@modernsciencemom
https://www.instagram.com/modernsciencemom/
Amy's website:
modernsciencemom.com
~ Here, among other things, you can see a photo of Amy in outreach action with a (plastic) brain and budding young scientists.
~ A reference article from one of Amy’s blog posts:
https://news.microsoft.com/features/why-do-girls-lose-interest-in-stem-new-research-has-some-answers-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
Amy on Facebook:
@modernsciencemom
Find my science-related art here:
http://www.betsyjudge.com
And various other things here:
https://www.instagram.com/basjudge/
https://www.instagram.com/artfulscientista/

Next Episode

Going For It

She loves both art and engineering. She has an uncanny "GPS" voice. She studied mechanical engineering at University of Tennessee at Martin. She is on the path to becoming licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). She loves to do it all and tries to "fail fearlessly".
Meet my talented guest, Holly Bopp, from Memphis, Tennessee.
Years ago, Holly had a significant conversation with a family member that helped steer her to the career course that she is on now. Previously working with electrical systems as a mapping coordinator and engineer for various towns and cities in Tennessee, she now has fun as a mechanical engineer designing conveyor systems and likes the challenging but rewarding collaboration part of her job.
In her not-so-spare time, Holly loves to design costumes for cosplay and is training her voice for commercial work. Oh yeah, and she is acting too. From engineering to voice over to cosplay to drawing, she really does do it all!
Holly's Instagram:
@hunt3rch1ck
Some definitions:
FE exam - the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. It is the first step in becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE).
ABET accredited college - the organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
Order of the Engineer - an association in the United States for graduate and professional engineers that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the engineering profession.
cosplay - ("costume play") performance art where cosplayers wear costumes representing specific characters.
leetspeak - from gamer culture where letters are replaced with similar looking numbers or symbols.
Master Chief - the main character in the video game, Halo.
Akali - the rogue assassin character in the video game, League of Legends.
Find my science-related art here:
http://www.betsyjudge.com
And various other things here:
https://www.instagram.com/basjudge/
https://www.instagram.com/artfulscientista/