Meet Beata Mierzwa
Beata wearing her microscopy dress printed with real images of human cells and presenting her science video game, Microscopya, for San Diego Comic-Con 2023.
Beata, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California San Diego, holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology and University of Vienna, Austria, 2016. She is also the founder of Beata Science Art, a science outreach project that communicates science through art, fashion, and interactive media.
A fun fact about Beata is that there is a life-sized statue of her as part of an exhibit created by the IF/THEN Initiative. The exhibit aims to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers by showcasing the diversity of women in the field and challenging outdated stereotypes. Beata believes that every interaction, no matter how small, can plant a seed that will grow and shape future choices in the decades to come. By highlighting the connection between science, art, and creativity, my mission is to bring new and unconventional minds into the field, so these future scientists can use their creative ideas for groundbreaking discoveries – helping change the way we as a society approach scientific research, education, and communication.
When did your love of STEM begin?
I always had a natural curiosity as a child, and I still hear anecdotes from my family about me asking an overwhelming amount of questions about the wonders that make life possible. Though I was not surrounded by scientists growing up in a small village in Poland, I learned about molecular biology in high school and became fascinated by how our bodies are made of cells and how our genetic code makes us who we are. The more I learned about the complexity and dynamic nature of molecular processes, the more I realized how much there still is to discover. This drew me to a career in the life sciences, and I started studying molecular biology before I even knew what the inside of a lab looked like. When I saw my first dividing cell under the microscope, I was not only fascinated by the complexity of this process but also by its sheer beauty. This was the beginning of my journey towards combining my passions for science and art.
What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?
There are too many to name! I love that my work helps make a positive impact on our world by advancing human knowledge and inspiring our future generation of scientists. In the lab, I get to use my creativity to design experiments, and sometimes even get the chance to see something under the microscope that nobody has ever seen before! Exploring artistic ways to communicate science has also brought lots of exciting adventures – like creating my own science fashion line, designing space mission patches, and even creating a science video game (https://www.microscopya.com/).
What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?
No matter what your dream is – whether it’s science, art, or combining your own unique interests – I want to encourage you to treat your passions like a grand experiment. This can lead to exciting opportunities and maybe even a new unique career path. Being a scientist doesn’t need to be an all-encompassing definition of who you are – you can have fascinating hobbies, fantastical ideas, and be an amazing scientist as well. There is no dream that is too big to pursue!