Meet Alisa Lehman!

I’m a Product Scientist at 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetics service. As part of the Product Science team I work to make sure our reports are scientifically sound and and meet FDA standards. I also help to ensure that our reports are written in ways users can understand. I spend most of my days reading and evaluating the scientific literature, documenting the validity of the genetic connections, and explaining those connections in simple, clear language.

A few weeks into my first biology class in high school I was hooked. I loved learning how, at the most basic level, all living things are built on the same principles. With the help of an incredibly supportive high school chemistry teacher, I was able to attend a program that paired high school students with a local university microbiology research lab for the summer. After that first summer working in a lab, I continued gaining experience in molecular biology, microbiology, and genetics throughout college in both classes and work in research labs. After graduation I worked as an associate scientist in industry trying to develop new antibiotics then went on to graduate school for my Ph.D.

It was during grad school that I started doing more science writing and communication; I loved, and still do love, explaining science to people even more than doing the science myself. In grad school I expanded my writing skills and communication skills by volunteering at a science museum (The Tech Museum of Innovation), both interacting with visitors and writing responses to public questions about genetics (Ask a Geneticist). And now in my current role I’m able to help make genetics personal with my research and writing.

When I’m not geeking out to wacky science stories, I spend a good chunk of my time cooking, and hanging out with friends and family. I also like taking the time to get outside, either running or hiking, whenever I can.

Explore, explore, explore. Biology encompasses so many different subjects. Like working outside? Maybe ecology field work is for you. Interested in how humans and other animals think? Neuroscience might be right for you. Want to learn the basics of how all living things work? Genetics or biochemistry could be your cup of tea.

Even if you’ve decided on a specialty within biology, a career in biology can be anything from working in the field, to teaching at the high school or university level, to working in the lab at a biotech or pharmaceutical company or in marketing, business development, or science writing. Take the time to try out all you can; curiosity and the ability to think logically are the most important skills you can develop no matter what you end up doing.