Meet Breakout Labs Ambassador, Melanie Reschke
Welcome to Meet Our Ambassadors — a weekly series that highlights each of the talented PhD students doubling as volunteers who represent Breakout Labs at their research universities and local events.
This week’s ambassador is Melanie Reschke who is pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Yale University.
What inspired you to pursue your area of research?
Biology was the first subject that I connected with in a way that felt much deeper than just being another subject in school. I think I was immediately drawn to biology because it had explanations for all of the things I could see and feel in my everyday life. As a scientist, I am usually thinking about how much more there is to learn about our world and how little we know, but I am still often overcome with amazement at all of the details that we as humans have already discovered. Recognizing that everything we now know, and sometimes take for granted, was at one point a brand new discovery has inspired me to pursue scientific research.
What is the most fascinating thing you’ve learned thus far?
I will forever be fascinated with how kidneys work. The role of the kidney is to maintain the acid-base balance, blood volume, and concentrations of electrolytes and small molecules in our blood. This is a critical function in our body because our blood circulates to carry nutrients to all cells in our body, and in the process also collects waste materials that need to be filtered out of the body. The microscopic anatomy of the kidney consists of both long, looping tubes and dense knots of blood vessels, and I really find it to be a beautiful display of structure and function. I would recommend anyone sit in on the kidney lecture of an intro physiology course!
Who inspires you?
Two people immediately come to mind — First, my advisor in college was incredibly inspirational for my scientific career. She is extremely thoughtful about how she carries out her research and the scientific questions she chose to focus on. She studies the biology of pain, and in particular chronic pain which is a condition with which I have a personal connection. She cares so deeply and genuinely about the lives of people who may someday benefit from her research; it’s really inspiring to be in her laboratory and feel the passion and personal motivation that is going into her work.
The second person who always comes to mind is Beyonce. On top of being an amazingly talented artist and businesswoman, I am grateful for the messages and image she puts forward to inspire young girls. She encourages strength, independence, and power, but what sets her apart from many other positive female role models is that she rejects the idea that those qualities inherently clash with expressions of femininity. This is pretty important to me because it contrasts with most of the messages I got growing up as an aspiring scientist. Although it’s more commonly accepted, I wish I had known a bit earlier in my life that I could be a feminine person and also be intelligent and strong and critical and lots of other things.
What do you hope to go on and accomplish with your Ph.D?
When I describe my work to family and friends, it’s rewarding when people can relate to the area of research that I am in. What has been most rewarding for me is to see that many people feel hopeful about how my project could help them. I’ve worked on projects related to different aspects of human health or disease and, when I’m almost too close to the bench to see the bigger picture, it is very motivating to be reminded of the impact research can have. I mostly just want to live up to the hope that research can give people, and contribute toward something that will help people!
What do you like to do when you’re not heads down in the lab?
I like working with my hands, so when I’m not in lab holding a pipet I am usually in my apartment holding a power drill with some DIY project, digging through potting soil, or sewing (or, at least learning how to sew). I’m also really into making personalized skin and hair care products from simple ingredients, which keeps my chemistry and biology brain active at home.
What prompted you to become an Ambassador at Breakout Labs?
Before I started my PhD, I had the amazing opportunity of working at EpiBone, a Breakout Labs portfolio company. I became very interested in how cutting edge technology can be transformed from an idea in the lab to a product or service. I wanted to continue to learn about this process and stay connected to people who are in the middle of it. Serving as an ambassador for Breakout Labs has encouraged me to connect with entrepreneurial groups on campus and I’ve met great friends and colleagues through those activities.
What has been a highlight of your ambassadorship?
The annual Unboxing events are definitely a highlight. I went to my second one in October 2017, which was awesome because I got to follow up with some of the companies and people I had met in 2016 and see how much they had accomplished in the past year. With all of these companies coming together, celebrating successes, and workshopping problems, it was a really cool feeling to share in that excitement.
What keeps you up at night?
I feel very strongly about improving how the public relates to science. I think too many people feel disconnected from and/or a lack of ownership toward science. I don’t really have a solution yet but it’s something I think about a lot, and I try to make science as relatable as I can. As a part of this, I participate in a lot of outreach activities and events for middle and high school students in New Haven. I think the kids really get that science is a daily part of life for everyone, not just people that work in a laboratory. At science fairs, kids show off their experiments to optimize battery life in their devices, mix soils to grow bigger plants, and figure out which paper towel brands can hold the most spilled water. I try to encourage that inquisitive instinct, and I hope they keep feeling a close connection with the scientific method, regardless of where their careers take them.
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If you enjoyed our interview with Melanie, give us a 👏 . If you’re interested in the Breakout Labs Ambassador program, click here.
