Sonya Bierbower
Ph.D. Student
by Rebekah Tilley
photos by Mark Cornelison
Doctoral student Sonya Bierbower’s journey to UK started with the sexual behavior in parasite-host relationships. Her research into how an organism can hijack the central nervous system of another organism, caused Bierbower, then a masters student from DePaul University, to track down UK Department of Biology Professor Robin Cooper at a conference because she knew he was doing some interesting work with neuromodulation.
“I had already accepted with a PhD program in Colorado. And within 20 minutes of meeting him, I put some serious thought into changing my plans,” said Bierbower. “By the time I got home, I had an email from him asking for my CV and I was interviewing here two weeks later. And I was here two months after that.”
“Coming here was the best decision I ever made.”
If you’d like to see Bierbower in action, look up a paper and video she and Cooper recently published in the “Journal of Visualized Experiments.” There the recipient of the prestigious Ribble Scholarship demonstrates a new method for measuring heart and ventilatory rates in a freely moving crayfish.
“This method gives researchers a basis to be able to change environmental conditions. The idea has been out there but we’ve really perfected it and made it simple to record data in animals that are moving instead of fixed organisms,” explained Bierbower.
Bierbower built her doctoral work around obtaining a broad understanding of how environmental factors can change the behavior and physiologies of organisms, specifically related to how those factors might influence the central nervous system. Her most recent research examines the effects of carbon dioxide.
“If you breathe in carbon dioxide, you’re going to pass out. So is my crayfish,” said Bierbower. “We can look at common mechanisms and common effects of carbon dioxide. Where is it working? How is it working? Is it in the CNS (central nervous system)? Is it in the muscle? Is it in the blood?”
Students in the hard sciences eventually have to make a career decision that takes them down the academic or industry path. Bierbower never had to agonize over her choice.
“Academics,” she began. “I really want to teach at the college level. I want to be there for the students because I have always seen education as power and a future. It opens doors. It gives you choices. You get to take control of your life versus someone else telling you what you have to do.”
While at UK, Bierbower has mentored around 30 undergraduate biology majors – a tremendous number. She has also worked in the classroom quite a bit, though she points to experiences working with students in the lab as being the most fulfilling.
“If you can make somebody excited about science, you’ve turned on something that wasn’t there before. That is the most rewarding thing, really making someone excited about what they are doing and letting them own it and be proud of it,” said Bierbower.
“Watching them talk about their discoveries and seeing their face light up is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve gotten to do while in the PhD program.”
Through the leadership of her advisor Bierbower is also actively involved in promoting science in local middle and high schools, from performing special in-class demonstrations to volunteering at local science fairs. It is through these activities that students are introduced to the exciting world of science and can start imagining a future for themselves.
“Seeing them in their bowties, it’s the cutest thing,” smiled Bierbower, mentioning her work at the science fairs. “It keeps you going back year after year, and I’ll probably always be involved.”
“We are lacking in science in this country - getting that education, and in turn, sharing my experiences can give young students that excitement.”
Bierbower is on track to complete her PhD in only 3½ years and has accepted a post-doctoral position at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas.
For Bierbower, two things made her graduate education highly successful: her advisor and her research done in the lab.
“It really comes down to having someone who is very supportive of your research, a mentor who wasn’t overbearing. And on the research side, you know you’re going to be in a lab for the next six years of your life. You better love it.”