I study conservation biology and genetics. I always loved math and science in school, and really enjoyed being outdoors. Being a conservation biologist I get to do a lot of fieldwork – every summer I go to Costa Rica to follow squirrel monkeys around and collect their poop for genetic analysis. I have a lot of fun, especially knowing that the work I am doing will help save a critically endangered species from extinction.

I study molecular biology and biophysics. This is the study of how the proteins in our cells work, and how they interact with each other. The proteins in our cells are like little machines; lots of diseases are caused by these proteins not working properly, so if we figure out how they are supposed to work we can use that to treat disease. Right now I work on proteins called TRP channels--they help your body sense heat and cold, and taste things that are cold (like mint) or hot (like chili peppers). I decided to be a scientist because my biology teacher in high school really inspired me. I like how you can find out what is really going on in your body and in the world around you.

I am a molecular biologist; we study what happens inside cells by using various techniques to observe their DNA and the proteins they produce and how they interact. I am studying olfactory receptor neurons, which we use to detect odors, to see what types of changes happen to them as they die. These neurons are replaced when they die, but most other neurons in our brains are not. It is interesting to understand how these olfactory neurons die because we can use what we learn to discover ways to prevent other neurons from dying to help people with neurodegenerative brain diseases.

I am a synthetic organic chemist - I use chemical reactions to make new organic molecules from existing ones. I decided that I wanted to be a chemist when I was in high school, because chemistry seemed like magic to me. My research involves developing novel catalytic chemical reactions that other chemists will be able to use to make biologically active molecules, like drugs. Scientists are constantly discovering new things about chemistry - working in a research lab is interesting and exciting, and I love learning something new every day.

My name is Victoria Landry, and I am a graduate student in Chemistry at Columbia University. I make interesting new molecules, and analyze the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms in these molecules. I work mostly with transition metals, and the element selenium also plays a large part in my research. I decided to become a scientist because it gives me the opportunity to be creative and innovative, and requires me to work with both my mind and my hands. It is an amazing feeling to know that you have created something that no one has before!

I am an astronomer -- I observe very distant galaxies from somewhat distant mountaintops: Arizona, Hawaii, Australia... telescopes are always in remote, beautiful places! When it's cloudy, I am usually in my office making simulations of galaxy interactions on big computers. I got interested in science and astronomy when I realized they were easier to understand than other people, and a lot less messy. Also, lab coats are nice.

I am a theoretical physical chemist; my field is in the intersection of math, physics and chemistry. I was drawn into chemistry because I was fascinated by the idea that math can be used to describe the behavior of atoms and subatomic particles, such as electrons. We cannot see or interact with this underlying structure of our universe (and ourselves!), but using mathematical models, we can get a picture of what is happening, and use it to make predictions that are useful to experimentalists. I work to develop these mathematical models of physical systems at the atomic/molecular level, and write computer simulations to test these models.

I am a geologist and am conducting research in Antarctica, which I will hopefully be able to visit next winter! 98% of Antarctica is covered by very thick ice, and underneath the ice are multiple mountain ranges, some as large as the Swiss Alps! What I am trying to do is figure out how these mountains formed, and how old they are, by looking at the amounts of different isotopes contained in minerals that come from the mountains. I always really liked math and science, and did not take a geology class until I got to college, where I decided to become a geologist because I loved learning about the history of the earth and how it works The great thing about geology is that it is a combination of math, physics, biology, chemistry and an understanding of how the Earth works all rolled into one!

I am a synthetic organic chemist. My goal is to make natural products and biologically active compounds, which is may end up becoming medicine. I've always loved science, including astronomy, physics and biology but became really into chemistry after having an amazing high school chemistry class where we were able to see chemical reactions occur before our very eyes.

I am a graduate student in Columbia's Department of Earth and Environmental Science. I conduct research on tropical cyclone (hurricane) landfall at the Columbia-affiliated NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Having a strong background in mathematics, I enjoy applying quantitative techniques in my research and am currently working on a statistical model of tropical cyclones in the western north Pacific basin, which uses past data to make predictions for the future. I have known that I wanted to have a career doing research since my first year as an undergrad, when I participated in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. I found that there was nothing more exciting for me than making discoveries in science. After that, it was only a matter of finding the field with the questions that most appealed to me.

I am a graduate student in chemistry working in the area of chemical biology. Chemical biologists use chemistry to develop new methods and techniques to help understand how things work inside the cell. We also try to use what we learn about biology to develop better ways of doing chemistry. I decided to study chemistry because I was interested in how new medicines are discovered; this requires a lot teamwork and cooperation between chemists, biologists, and many other people!