Contributors
Martina G. Efeyini
Martina G. Efeyini became an 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Today contributor in 2014 and is a former careers columnist. She is a toxicologist, science communicator and STEM advocate who is passionate about sharing resources for the next generation of scientists. She earned her bachelor's degree in toxicology from the Pennsylvania State University and her master's degree in toxicology from St. John’s University. Outside of science, Martina loves spending time with her family, reading, making vegan meals and having a good up of tea.
Articles by Martina G. Efeyini
Interview
‘Don't just stop at what you’re assigned to do’
April 14, 2023
Isaac Bell talked to 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Today about his path to and current position at The Jackson Laboratory.
Interview
‘I was in the right place at the right time’
March 4, 2023
Mark Witmer, a senior director at Bristol Myers Squibb, talked to 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Today about what it’s like to be an industry manager.
Interview
‘I like to be in the lab’
Dec. 23, 2022
Our industry careers columnist spoke with Susan Abbatiello, a principal consultant scientist at Waters Corp.
Interview
'Keep developing your expertise'
Sept. 16, 2022
Anand Balakrishnan is a biochemist at Enanta Pharmaceuticals. He leads a team that has worked on respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis B virus.
Interview
‘I wanted to go where I was needed’
Aug. 19, 2022
Yuliya McAnany, a senior associate scientist at Amicus Therapeutics, talked to our industry careers columnist about her work.
Jobs
‘Our technology allows you to name the nameless’
July 8, 2022
Swathi A. Kumar is senior director of marketing at Verogen, a company based in San Diego that produces next-generation sequencing solutions for forensic investigations.
BMB in Africa
‘Life happens, but we keep pushing’
June 21, 2022
91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ member Adaude Amalunweze is a scientist and educator in Nigeria.
Jobs
‘We're all a bunch of weirdos doing our stuff’
May 20, 2022
An interview with Charles Sanders, a research associate at XBiotech.
Interview
'Anywhere you go, be ready to review your work'
April 29, 2022
Maria Grandoni is a scientist at PPD. She talked to our industry careers columnist about her work on the manufacturing and quality side of industry.
Interview
‘Have faith in that training’
March 18, 2022
Raghuvir Sengupta has been a biochemist for HP and is now a Pfizer postdoc. He talks about his work and how his graduate training prepared him for his industry career.
Interview
'A different career almost every three years'
Feb. 25, 2022
Christian Cunningham traces his path from washing dishes at Berkeley to discovering drugs at Genentech.
Observance
Black scientists to follow
Feb. 5, 2022
In celebration of Black History Month, columnist Martina G. Efeyini shares a roundup of Black scientists you should know.
Jobs
Working at a national laboratory
Jan. 28, 2022
Meet Faith Dukes, director of K–12 STEM programs at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Jobs
7 skills you need in 2022
Jan. 7, 2022
Our careers columnist highlights the top skills shared by the scientists she interviewed this past year.
Award
Provost makes chemistry accessible for undergrads
Dec. 14, 2021
Joe Provost will receive the 2022 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education recognizing an individual who encourages effective teaching and learning of biochemistry and molecular biology.
Jobs
Meet data scientist Kelsey Florek
Dec. 3, 2021
For the state of Wisconsin, the bioinformatician develops computational infrastructure for investigating infectious diseases.
Jobs
Working for a state health department
Nov. 5, 2021
An interview with toxicologist Alejandra Maldonado, a Utah epidemiology manager.
Jobs
Advice for those seeking careers at scientific societies
Oct. 15, 2021
This is the third part in a series about scientists who've launched and established careers at nonprofit professional-development organizations.
Jobs
Doing policy work at scientific societies
Sept. 14, 2021
This is the second part in a series about scientists who've launched and established careers at nonprofit professional-development organizations.
Jobs
Working at a scientific society
Aug. 23, 2021
This is the first part in a series about scientists who've launched and established careers at nonprofit professional-development organizations.
Jobs
From Smithsonian fellow to research botanist
June 15, 2021
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini interviewed Manuela Dal Forno, a lichenologist at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
Jobs
7 tips for preparing for alternative science careers
May 21, 2021
One of the most popular talks at the 91ÑÇÉ«´«Ã½ annual meeting last month was by careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini. Here are some takeaways. (You can also watch it on demand.)
Jobs
Meet Efraín E. Rivera–Serrano
April 30, 2021
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini talked to Efraín E. Rivera–Serrano to learn how he made the switch from having one academic job to having several science communication jobs.
Art
A molecular biologist by day and a science artist by night
April 2, 2021
Beata Mierzwa is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego. She is also an artist with a growing science art brand.
Jobs
Connecting chemistry with education
Feb. 26, 2021
Meet Christiane Stachl, director of education, outreach and diversity at Center for Genetically Encoded Materials at UC Berkeley.
Professional Development
#BlackInX Twitter movement creates visibility for Black scientists
Feb. 5, 2021
In celebration of Black History Month, careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini shares how #BlackInX movements create a community of support for Black scientists.
Jobs
From neuroscientist to science policy analyst
Jan. 15, 2021
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini talked to NHLBI staffer Nicholas Jury about his career path.
Jobs
End-of-the-year checklist: Getting ready for 2021
Dec. 25, 2020
Navigating career changes is challenging, especially during a pandemic. Here are some tips for preparing for the new year.
Jobs
A career supporting research innovation
Dec. 4, 2020
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini talked to Kerisha Bowen about how she transitioned from organic chemist to patent agent.
Jobs
Alternative science careers at a glance
Oct. 23, 2020
Are you interested in a career away from the bench and the academy? Columnist Martina G. Efeyini highlights a handful of jobs to help you start thinking outside the box.
Jobs
From bench scientist to biotech business booster
Oct. 2, 2020
Meet Ernesto Chanona, senior manager in the Office of the BioHealth and Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce.
Jobs
Doing epidemiology at the FDA
Sept. 11, 2020
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini talked with Michael Bazaco about how he wound up at the agency and what he does there.
Jobs
Tales from the 'Food Science Snob'
Aug. 7, 2020
Ever wondered how astronaut food is made? How to brew kombucha? Are you a foodie? Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini talked to Ariel Carter to learn about her experience as an early career food scientist.
Jobs
NIH employment and training opportunities
July 17, 2020
The National Institutes of Health is made up of more than two dozen institutes and centers that focus on specific diseases, systems and populations. Learn about positions, fellowships, training and resources to jump-start or advance your career.
Jobs
Get the most out of your university’s career services
June 26, 2020
Why not take advantage of career services offered by your alma mater? You paid for them!
Jobs
We are all connected: exploring environmental science careers
June 5, 2020
Take a step in your backyard and explore nature's free museum. Then ask yourself: Might an environmental science career be right for you?
Professional Development
Building your professional brand
May 15, 2020
Careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini shares quick tips you can use now to build your professional brand.
Jobs
Science inreach: why building connections as scientists matters
April 24, 2020
Our careers columnist talked with Lou Woodley, director of the Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement, to learn what it takes to be a scientific community engagement manager.
Jobs
How to become a principal investigator at the NIH
April 3, 2020
The NIH Intramural Research Program has about 1,000 principal investigators and an extensive training program for early-career scientists, many of whom become principal investigators at the NIH and elsewhere.
Professional Development
How to have a successful informational interview
March 13, 2020
Are you in a career transition, or do you just want to learn about a new field? Informational interviews are a good way to learn about science jobs.
Jobs
Investigating public health careers
Feb. 21, 2020
If you are a scientist who wants to protect the health of society, consider a public health career. The field is great for those who want to be real-life disease detectives.
Jobs
How mentors make an impact on your career
Jan. 31, 2020
At every stage of your career, mentoring matters. In honor of National Mentoring Month, careers columnist Martina G. Efeyini shares why a mentor is essential for your career success.
Jobs
The other side of research
Jan. 10, 2020
There are research administrators at all experience levels and at every stage of research.
Jobs
#SeasonOfGiving: exploring nonprofit careers
Dec. 13, 2019
Are you a natural problem solver looking for a career that supports the greater good of science? If so, a nonprofit career may be a career for you.
Jobs
Making science more accessible: science communication careers
Nov. 22, 2019
A great science communicator does three things: makes science more engaging to the public, finds ways to support outreach, and curates content using a variety of formats to target audiences.
Jobs
As Election Day nears, a look at science policy careers
Oct. 30, 2019
Our careers columnist writes about how to prepare for a career in science policy and offers a sampling of open policy positions, including fellowships.
Jobs
Careers in STEM education
Oct. 8, 2019
STEM education increases diversity, inclusion and equity because we all deserve a seat at the table. So what does this mean? We need more scientists in STEM education careers!
Art
Clothed in bacteria
April 1, 2016
A bioartist develops new concepts of clothing inspired by the actions of bacteria that coat human skin.
Hobbies
Pursuing dragons and damsels with Hal White
Aug. 1, 2015
Martina Efeyini interviews Harold White III, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Delaware.