Exploring the Unknown

Arizona's Leading Women Scientists

by Danielle D'Adamo

Since the Greeks first pondered the wonders of astronomy, mathematics and biology in the 5th century B.C., women-despite arduous barriers-have participated in unraveling the secrets of science. Trotula of Salerno, Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall and a handful of others who are responsible for impressive scientific advances have gained some measure of recognition for their achievements, but many other outstanding women scientists remain largely unknown in mainstream society.

Arizona, with its biodiversity, clear skies and leading universities, is lucky to draw top scientists from nearly all scientific fields who choose the state as a home base for their studies. Phoenix Woman was fortunate to speak with some of Arizona's remarkable women scientists to provide our readers with insight on their important work and rising careers. It may take super-brain status to fully understand the complexities of their work, but even those of us who don't quite meet Mensa qualifications can appreciate the magnitude of their accomplishments.

Nadine Barlow, Astronomer
Martian Impact Craters

Dr. Nadine Barlow's first love can be traced back to fifth grade at the Palomar College Planetarium in San Marcos, California. "During the middle of the presentation, they announced a new moon had been discovered," says Barlow. "And it really hit me-science isn't just a bunch of facts and figures. Things are constantly changing. My science textbook is wrong!" That day, she decided to become an astronomer and vowed to stick with it as long as it was fun. And 20 years later, it still is.

"My research focuses on Martian impact craters and what they can tell us about the distribution of subsurface water and ice reservoirs," Barlow says. "I have compiled the premier resource on information about Martian impact craters larger than five kilometers in diameter for the entire planet in the Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters."

Barlow is also current chair of the Mars Crater Consortium, an international organization of scientists interested in Martian impact craters. "Other research topics that I am currently pursuing include crater size-frequency distribution analysis of selected areas of Mars to determine age relationships, analysis of secondary crater production on the moon and Mars, and comparison of morphologic characteristics of impact craters on Ganymede to those on Mars," she says.

Barlow is an associate professor in Northern Arizona University's Department of Physics and Astronomy. Along with a desire to make a difference in the lives of her astronomy students at NAU, she also wants her research to bring recognition to the university. "We are a research institution rather than a "Research-One" like U of A or ASU, but we have a strong position and there's good research happening up here in the pines."

Barlow's status in the world of astronomy is impressive, and having an asteroid named after her is icing on the cake. The asteroid "15466 Barlow" was discovered in 1999. Asteroid names are approved by the International Astronomical Union, and the naming process can take years.

Deirdre Meldrum, Engineer
Genome Automation

Make way for the "New Breed." A hybrid of dean and director of a major research laboratory, Dr. Deirdre Meldrum is giving fellow scientists a run for their money. "I don't know of anyone else in the country with a research effort as large as in my Center for Ecogenomics who is also dean of a school. Each position on its own is a major job. What I do is not business as usual."

As director of the Ecogenomics Lab at the Biodesign Institute, Meldrum develops technologies that enable the study of live organisms in harsh environments ranging from the human body to the oceans. In addition to her responsibilities at the Biodesign Institute, she is Dean of Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and a professor in the department.

"My research is in the field of genome automation and I'm developing tools, sensors, nanoscale and microscale systems to rapidly detect and analyze differences between healthy and diseased cells," says Meldrum. "I help develop automated instruments to perform various biological experiments. For example, an automated fluid handling system is used to automate the steps to prepare samples for DNA sequencing. This system has robotics, sensors, fluid dispensers-like inkjet printers but they dispense chemicals-and computer control."

Elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003, Meldrum is currently a member of the National Human Genome Advisory Council of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is a White House appointment.

Given the opportunity to meet many interesting people from around the world, Meldrum says the most exciting aspect of technology is that it enables scientists to understand how things work and develop solutions. "Our work requires teams of people from different disciplines working together," she says. "We are developing technologies that enable scientists, engineers and medical doctors to understand how diseases work and to ultimately come up with ways to diagnose, treat disease and perhaps even eliminate disease."

Shannon D. R. Ringenbach, Kinesiologist
Motor Control and Development

Although her interest in science began in elementary school, Dr. Shannon Ringenbach's real passion for kinesiology (the science of human movement) stems from a 15-year career as a gymnast. "I was actually competing during my doctorate education and two years as a national level trampolinist," explains Ringenbach.

With a passion to discover how the brain controls the body, Ringenbach is funded by the Jerome Lejeune Fondation in Paris to study whether music can improve movement performance in people with Down Syndrome. "Over a decade of research has found that the brains of persons with Down Syndrome are organized differently than the typical population," says Ringenbach. "Specifically, they perceive speech in the right hemisphere-whereas the typical population perceives speech in the left hemisphere-but they organize and produce movement in the left hemisphere similar to the typical population. This creates a problem when verbal instructions are given to produce a movement. I've been examining how the predictions of a model of atypical cerebral specialization in persons with Down Syndrome affects how they perform and learn bimanual actions such as drumming."

Even as an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Arizona State University, Ringenbach stresses that teaching is only one part of her job; her main role is research. "I think people would be surprised that most of my time is spent on a computer," she says. "I use a lot of calculus to analyze three-dimensional data, conduct statistics and graph my results. But my most complicated challenges are that I have the dual role of being a scientist and a mother of three, in which scheduling and organization are key!"

Recognized with the Young Research Career Award in 2006 by the World Down Syndrome Congress, Ringenbach has been nominated for the Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award from the North American Society of Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.

Lynda Williams, Geochemist
Interaction of Clay Minerals and Microbes

While most kids in junior high school want to be a professional athlete or a police officer, Dr. Lynda Williams wanted to be a nuclear physicist. "It's true," she says. "Until I went to college and my advisor convinced me to try Geology. It became a natural fit."

Williams' specialty is in the geochemistry of sediments-particularly clay minerals. Why clay? "It may seem like a boring thing to study, but it's really very interesting," says Williams. "They're actually the most common alteration minerals in the earth's surface, and since they're everywhere, understanding their chemical interactions with the environment is very useful."

Williams says this field is important because it has broad applications in environmental management and in understanding the origins and evolution of complex organic molecules on earth and other planets. "The interaction of clay minerals and microbes in geologic processes is a relatively new area of research," she says. "While some clays produce food for microbes, others are toxic to them. If we can harness these processes, we may be able to enhance the growth of good bacteria and eliminate the harmful ones."

Currently an associate research professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, Williams is studying antibacterial clays to determine what makes these clays antibacterial. "My colleagues and I found several clays that kill numerous human pathogens, including the deadly MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), which is a problem on the rise in the U.S.," she says. "We hope to get Mother Nature to tell us what recipe she cooks up in the little chemistry lab on the surfaces of clays that may lead to a new method for controlling infectious diseases."

We're glad someone is saving the world while the rest of us try to master programming our Blackberries! Williams was elected as Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2006, and has won numerous awards for her research.

Vicki Chandler, Biologist
Genetics and Molecular Biology

Dr. Vicki Chandler, regents' professor at University of Arizona's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the BIO5 Institute, says she was originally spoken for by the ocean when she became a scuba diver. Her interest wavered, however, when she enrolled in a college biology class. "The field of genetics suddenly became very appealing," she says.

Striving to succeed in a highly male-dominated field, Chandler's area of study is focused on the regulation of gene expression and understanding where and when they are expressed. "In humans, almost every cell in our bodies has exactly the same DNA sequence and the same genes," she says. "Yet in each different type of cell found in our tissues and organs, only a subset of the genes is active. Turning on and silencing the appropriate genes is essential for development, and misregulation of gene expression is a common theme in many diseases."

Chandler is also using this system to investigate mechanisms of gene silencing in the genetic engineering approaches to crop improvement we've heard so much about in recent years. "It's fascinating because plants like corn and rice have more genes than humans do," she says. "That's because plants can take minerals, water and key elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen and then use the energy of light to make all the food they need."

Pursuing an important research area and leading a major interdisciplinary research institute to make a difference in the world has another perk. "Traveling all over the world to participate in conferences and collaborative research projects are a key component of my career," says Chandler. "I've traveled to Australia, France, Mexico, Switzerland and even Austria this year!"

Chandler's achievements have not gone unnoticed by her peers nationwide. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2002, and was elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2005.

Danielle D'Adamo is Managing Editor of Phoenix Woman Magazine.