5 Questions: What’s It Like to Work in Biochemistry?
By Vivian Mason
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| Dr. Rachel Cox has worked in biochemistry for 13 years, currently serving as associate professor and vice chair for USU's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Titles: Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University (USU); Cell and Developmental Biologist
Ph.D. Field of Study: Genetics and Molecular Biology
No. of Years in Biochemistry: 13
Skills Needed by Biochemists/Molecular Biologists: Being able to take constructive criticism and aspiring for clear, logical thinking
Favorite Motivational Quote: “You can only lead by example.”
Sources of Inspiration: My father, who was a retired professor in a similar field, inspired me. Also, my graduate advisor Dr. Mark Peifer at the University of North Carolina and my postdoctoral advisor Dr. Allan Spradling at Carnegie are very inspiring people and were very supportive. At USU, I look up to people such as my Chair, Dr. Teresa Dunn, who really leads by example. Dr. Mary Lou Cutler, a professor in pathology, really helped me in my career. Dr. Steve Kaminsky, the Vice P of Research when I started my position, was very supportive, as well as Dr. Saibal Dey, the former Vice Chair of Biochemistry and now Associate Dean for Graduate Education. There are also people here who do a terrific job every day, and I try to emulate them. I also try to be helpful and inspiring to the more junior people coming up.
A. It started with my wanting to become an academic. My father is a retired academic scientist. I could see growing up that one of the really appealing things about a career in academia is that you get to do many different things, including original research, teaching, university service, and scientific community service. Because I had the advantage of watching my father in his career, I was able to enter the field with my eyes open and benefit from his advice early on.
In academics, you have a lot of freedom to formulate your destiny and future. In biochemistry, you can come up with new ideas, design how you’re going to research them, explore how you’re going to deliver those ideas to the students, and so on. The field offers a lot of autonomy. I was always very certain that I wanted to be a professor, although I wasn’t initially sure of the exact discipline. But, I was best at biology. Thus, I combined my interest in biology along with my interest in becoming a scholar.
A. My husband had a job in Washington, D.C., and I was working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Baltimore. To find an independent position, I was looking locally for a university where I could continue my research studying mitochondrial function during development. I was very happy when I visited USU. I really liked the faculty members I met, especially in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
When I gave my seminar, people asked great questions and were really engaged. I have to say that the people made it very appealing. The department is very collegial. The faculty size overall is an advantage because I can talk to and get to know many colleagues, have collaborations with different departments, and consult with subject matter experts on various topics, as well as lend my expertise to anyone in need.
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| Fruit flies are frequently used for scientific research - including Dr. Rachel Cox's work in genetics - because they share many of the same basic biological processes as humans. (Photo credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Dominic Hart) |
A. I would call myself a mid-career scientist. In the lab, I’m very interested in figuring out what genes and proteins in the cell regulate mitochondrial function. In humans, poorly functioning mitochondria can lead to devastating diseases. People can also get neurodegenerative diseases. We use fruit flies, a common model organism, to try and dissect which genes are important for supporting proper mitochondrial function. Much of what we learn during experimentation can also be applied to knowledge on higher organisms, such as humans, since fruit flies and humans share a lot of basic biological processes.
Currently, I’m vice chair of the department, and I support my supervisor (Dr. Teresa Dunn), the faculty, the administrative officer, and the office staff just to make sure everything is running smoothly and there aren’t any problems. I try to look ahead and anticipate things. I also serve on numerous committees. My biggest committee commitment is being Chair of the Graduate Education Committee. However, I also serve on various student committees. I teach graduate students, I’m the course director for a genetics class, and I teach medical students in most of the modules. I really enjoy doing all of these things.
A. It’s hard to pinpoint, and it changes on any given day, but I enjoy teaching. I love doing research, as well as writing and reviewing grants and manuscripts. I do a fair amount of university service, such as the committee work, because the faculty members at USU are hard-working and have good ideas and interesting opinions. Helping with USU governance in this way is also mission centric.
I think the overall mission of USU is very important since we educate medical students to support the DoD. Many people here are either active duty, retired, or came from families with military members. I did not. I’ve learned a lot about the military, DoD, and the culture. The fact that USU has a combination of all the military branches is very unique.
A. First, talk to someone who’s done it and get more details about what it involves. Many of the graduate students may see the professors in their role as instructors, but might not know what their day-to-day jobs entail. Have a conversation about the pros, cons, strengths, and weaknesses involved in this field.
Second, as regards research, it’s very helpful to know that experiments usually don’t work. If you run a lab and do a postdoctoral fellowship, you have to work hard to be consistently successful performing experiments. For example, you have to repeat experiments many times, troubleshooting problems along the way. Although you need a thick skin, you also have to be optimistic about the scientific endeavor because it’s not always going to work. Once you accept that, then it’s a lot of fun.
The pandemic was, and continues to be, terrible for the world. However, the speed of vaccine development has been inspiring and a great example of the power of the work of scientists. Many pieces of scientific knowledge were perfectly poised for the rapid design of multiple successful vaccines. The researchers working on the various pieces of science that finally came together to make these vaccines may not have been among the most important persons at scientific meetings, but their experiments were critical for addressing this big health problem. So, you never really know what experiments are going to be incredibly useful for combating disease and helping human health.
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| "In biochemistry, you can come up with new ideas, design how you’re going to research them, explore how you’re going to deliver those ideas to the students, and so on. The field offers a lot of autonomy." - Dr. Rachel Cox (Photo credit: Dr. Rachel Cox) |
