Science involves constantly learning new techniques, technologies, and equipment so you’re always on the edge of your seat,” says Chrystal Starbird, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill. We talked with Dr. Starbird about her journey toward becoming a scientist, the support she received from NIGMS training programs, her research on receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), and her advocacy for science trainees.
Q: How did you become interested in science?
A: At an early age, I was interested in Ranger Rick magazines at school because they had bright, bold pictures of frogs and foxes on the front cover. I wanted everybody to read and enjoy the magazines as much as I did, so when I was in second grade, I started a nature club. Talking with my friends about science as a young person is where it all started for me.
Q: What were your next steps in your science journey?
A: It wasn’t clear to me in middle school or high school that I would be a scientist. In fact, if you’d asked me back then, I would’ve said I was going to be a basketball player and then retire as a lawyer or writer. Although I had many interests and was involved in several activities, my favorite topic in school was always science, so looking back I should have known it was my calling. I applied to undergraduate schools with good science programs to pursue a biology major and planned to attend medical school. As a first-generation college student, I participated in a work-study program that allowed me to work in environmental science and microbiology labs, where I was bitten by the research bug. It seemed powerful to me that you could just ask questions, learn the tools, and find the answers. From that point on, I wanted to pursue research, but my scientific journey was a nonlinear path.
I left school for a while due to family challenges, and after going back and graduating with a biology degree, I worked for a pharmaceutical company in North Carolina, where I learned that having a Ph.D. is valuable in the science community. During that time, I received a phone call from UNC about applying to the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)—an NIGMS-sponsored program that aims to develop a varied pool of well-trained students who will transition into research-focused doctoral degree programs. To continue working with the pharmaceutical company, I was going to have to eventually relocate, and because moving for a job with my family would have been difficult, 1 year with UNC PREP was a perfect opportunity to start my journey toward becoming a graduate student.