About My So-Called Lab
My So-Called Lab is a place for women* scientists to talk to other women scientists about their work. At My So-Called Lab, it’s a given that women and girls CAN do science, so we will not be discussing whether or not women and girls should pursue science, or demonstrating evidence that women are just as good at science as men. What we will be discussing is HOW women ARE doing science, who these women are, and what their research is about. To that end, we will:
- Produce a series of interviews in which women scientists interview other women (coming soon);
- Solicit and share lab “selfies” from women scientists on our Instagram account; and
- Regularly update our blog with news and information pertaining to women scientists (coming soon).
Financial support for My So-Called Lab comes from the Division of Research on Learning at the National Science Foundation.
*We welcome all women, cis and trans, as well as people who have a complex gender identity which includes ‘woman’
About Us
Katherine Bryant, Ph.D.
Dr. Katherine Bryant is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Comparative Neuroimaging at the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging at the University of Oxford. Her research examines the organization of white matter in different primate species in order to better understand the evolution of structural and functional specializations in human brains. She is also a core member of the Neurogenderings Network, an international group of scholars who work at the intersection of neuroscience and gender studies, and serves as the Secretary and Senior Officer for Science for the People, a nationwide grassroots science-activist organization dedicated to building a radical political movement in science and society.
Erin Hecht, Ph.D.
Dr. Erin Hecht is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She is a comparative neuroscientist studying relationship between brain structure and function, particularly in the evolution of neural adaptations to support complex cognitive, behavioral, and affective functions like social learning, tool use, and communication. Her work uses a variety of structural and functional neuroimaging techniques including DTI, MRI, and PET, as well as behavioral measures, in clinical and non-clinical human subjects, nonhuman primates, and canids.
Lea Ann Leming
Lea Ann Leming is a digital media executive focusing on news, health, and lifestyle topics. She has held leadership roles at CNN Digital, ABC News Digital, WebMD, Turner Broadcasting, and SheKnows Media. She has launched numerous websites, and is passionate about giving women and young adults platforms for self-expression. In 2014, Leming was named one of Folio’s Top Women in Media for Industry Leadership, and she is an alumna of Women in Cable & Telecom’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. Her work has contributed to team wins for the George Foster Peabody Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, and Webby Awards.
Munawwar Abdulla
Munawwar Abdulla is a Lab Manager and RT in the Evolutionary Neuroscience Lab at Harvard University. Her MSc focused on studying the mechanisms and treatments of neuropathic pain and peripheral neuropathy, and she continues to use these skills to assist with projects regarding fox brains. She is also active in the Uyghur community and spends most of her free time writing or translating poetry, raising awareness through social media campaigns and creating online platforms like the Tarim Network for Uyghur youth.