Dr. Maria Gracia García Mendoza is a Scientist in the Research and Development Group of Luminex Corporation. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Research from Loras College and earned her PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has worked successfully in various areas of research within the biological field, including in breast cancer research.
Can you describe your career pathway and journey? Ex. What were you initially interested in? What did you major in? What did you research in college? What jobs have you had? What goals do you have for your future?
I was always interested in the life sciences. Since high school in my rural town of Clarion, IA, I enjoyed identifying creatures in creek samples and dissecting pig heads.
At Loras College in Dubuque, IA, I majored in Biological Research. I studied extra-pair paternity (the opposite of monogamy) in Wisconsin black terns by analyzing specific microsatellite DNA markers. The summer interns would collect the blood samples from the field, and I would isolate the DNA from these samples and run the reaction. To put it simply, I was running paternity tests on all these bird families and was glad to find they were pretty faithful, despite living in an environment that would encourage extra-pair paternity. This project combined ecology and molecular biology, and I really liked it.
When I was finishing college, I knew what I was not interested in: medicine, veterinary, and environmental sciences, so I focused on cellular and molecular biology. For my doctoral career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I studied the immune populations recruited into the collagen-dense breast tumor microenvironment. I found that neutrophils were recruited to dense breast tumors in mice, and by blocking them, you can reduce tumor size and metastasis.
For my postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Smithville, TX, I studied the molecular mechanisms involved in thymus development. The thymus produces all our T-cells, which are vital in fighting diseases, and it shrinks and is less productive as we age. Finding out what is essential to create this organ can help in the efforts to re-generate the thymus when we age. I learned that the microRNA cluster 17~92 regulates an important transcription factor necessary for thymus development in mouse embryos.
Then, I took a year off lab bench experiments to raise a daughter. In the meantime, I was a remote editor of scientific manuscripts written by scientists whose first language is not English at American Journal Experts. This experience helped me improve my communication skills. It also improved my confidence as English was also not my first language, and I was always (am) very conscious of my English.
I am currently a Scientist in the Research and Development group of Luminex Corporation (formerly Amnis), an instrument company that produces imaging flow cytometers in Seattle. The instruments detect and measure particles and cells tagged with fluorescent markers as they flow through tubes, and these particles also pass through a camera that takes pictures of them. I provide support for all aspects R&D, such as giving feedback to our software group, reporting issues with the instruments, helping customers with their experiments and analysis, performing demos, etc. I am a working bee, so being in this role with a strong and supportive manager really suits me. I hope to be in this role for a long time.
What do you like most/what do you find most interesting about your job?
It is a very dynamic position that allows me to learn, collaborate, and communicate in different fields of cell and molecular biology, and I really enjoy it. I think the fact that I am not focused on finding the answer to a single, complex question (as I did during my training) is refreshing. Every day is different, and the issues that come up in the day-to-day keep me on my toes. I like that projects take months to be completed, as compared to years, mainly because you share the load with the whole team; it’s not just you doing all the work.
What skills do you find to be most vital to your job? (They could be technical, professional, etc.)
Because of the kind of training a Ph.D. and a Postdoc provide, I am a lifelong learner! I feel I can investigate a new field and learn the basic information that will allow me to carry on a new project. Like my brain is now wired to understand complex data, and I’m so happy about that! I believe a good foundation in cellular and molecular biology has been very helpful. I also think good interpersonal skills are essential: how you communicate with your co-workers and customers, how to be a good listener, etc.
How did you first get started in this field and/or what were some of the most important steps or influences on your journey to becoming a scientist in this field? What do you think a high school student just getting started in this field should do to jumpstart their career?
The most important steps have been knowing myself and being confident in my skills. First, I had to know what exactly I wanted out of my career and day-to-day job. While in academia, during my formal training, I was so focused on my project and the immediate goals that I didn’t explore the possibilities and options that my skills and degree would allow for in the future. It took me until I was in my 30s to really sit down and look for a role like the one I now have. Once I knew what type of roles would be interesting and fulfilling, I joined a Ph.D. association that guides professionals in transitioning from academia (learning institution) into industry (private sector). I learned how to tailor a resume, how to network with other professionals (all online), and got structured guidance for this process. I have to admit that I had no idea how to get into this role, and I looked for help (it’s ok to ask for help). Then, I felt more confident that I could actually land a job I would like and be successful at.
As a high school student, learning about the different opportunities a STEM degree can offer is important. Also, talking to professionals in general and absorbing people’s experiences is great. Trying out camps and internships is also a good way to decide if this is something you would like to pursue in the future (Please, ask Lola about that 😉).
As a woman, what challenges (if any) have you faced in this field? Are there any other challenges you’ve faced because of other aspects of your identity that you’d like to discuss?
I consider myself lucky because my most significant mentors have been women. They had different personalities and managing styles. I learned much from them, including balancing family and work life, setting priorities, and being productive. They showed me that I am capable of being a successful female scientist and a mother. I am also very glad to say that the cell and molecular biology field is largely comprised of butt-kicking women!
I am also Hispanic; I immigrated from Peru when I was 15 years old. During my training, I was impressed by the amount of support and effort institutions put into recruiting minority students. Many scientific associations also provide minority support through travel grants, and there is also NSF and NIH funding support. I took full advantage of those opportunities as they allowed me to conclude my scientific training. These programs also encouraged me to give back and do some recruiting myself during my graduate training and beyond.
How do you see the future of this field of science playing out (what predictions, hopes, etc. do you have?)
The scientific research performed in my field has many applications, from detecting DNA damaging agents in cosmetics to identifying harmful algae in public lakes. I believe the field will keep on moving towards advancing our quality of life at a faster, more productive way. Data analysis using advanced methods, such as artificial intelligence, is also very important and will save time. I also see that the field is becoming much more collaborative among professionals such as software engineers, biologists, computer programmers, mathematicians, etc.
What is the coolest experiment, study, research, or work you have ever done?
My Ph.D. thesis project on finding out what immune population has a crucial role in breast cancer progression had a very cool experiment. To determine if neutrophils are important, I blocked their recruitment into the breast tissue using an antibody. I ran my own mouse clinical trial, which was super cool to me. The results were good, too! Once you reduce neutrophils in the breast tumors, the tumors do not grow, and they don’t metastasize to the lungs. It was a big effort, and I was super excited by the results, finding something no one else had seen before. Also, the use of antibodies to treat illness is very common nowadays, so it gave me hope that such treatment could be used in the future.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share about your career, story, life, etc? I want to be sure I include everything you feel is important!
I would like to add a little bit about how much the people we love can influence our paths and how that is ok. My mother had breast cancer when I was in high school. I didn’t know at the time, but that became a major influence for me to research breast cancer during my Ph.D. career. Years later, I fell in love and had to move far away to be with that person. I was bummed to move so far away from what I knew, but that move allowed me to work at one of the most renowned institutes of cancer research in the world. As a young student, I would have never imagined that I would or could accomplish such things, but those experiences truly shaped me. Sometimes, life can shake us up, and that is ok.
My Reflection:
First off, as I always say, thank you so much to Dr. Gracia García Mendoza! I really appreciate her taking the time to answer my questions so thoughtfully. Dr. Gracia García Mendoza was actually a guest speaker at a camp I attended, and I was super interested in her pathway, so I wanted to interview her and learn a little more deeply about her and see if she had any good advice for me (she definitely did!). First, it was really cool to learn about the research Dr. Gracia García Mendoza did when she was in college. It seems really amazing to me that she was able to discover something new about breast cancer through her very own research. It’s really interesting to hear first-hand about this really valuable research. I also loved what she said about helping researchers whose first language isn’t English. I am super amazed that Dr. Gracia García Mendoza has done all of this research and professional work in a language that is not her first. I cannot imagine trying to write scientific papers in a different language! I also really appreciated what she said about communication being key. That has been a common thread through almost all of the people I’ve interviewed, and I completely agree that science is nothing if you cannot communicate its meaning to the public. I also loved her little note about getting professionals advice as a way to get started in the field – I can say as someone who has spoken with many professionals, it is incredibly valuable. Finally, I really enjoyed Dr. Gracia García Mendoza’s final note about love shaping our paths. Part of the reason I am so eager to go into medical research is because my grandmother has Multiple Sclerosis, an incredibly debilitating disease, and I hope one day to research MS or a disease like it to try to help people like my grandmother (or my grandmother herself). I think love can be an incredibly powerful motivator in advancement. I’d like to say thank you again to Dr. Gracia García Mendoza for first being an amazing panelist at the camp I attended and then so wonderfully answering all of my questions and providing a valuable new perspective!
The Rosalind Project 