She Creates: Danielle Twum
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It’s alright to fail. But if you fail, don’t consider yourself broken
”
An International Women’s Day Feature
Danielle Twum
As a field applications scientist, Danielle Twum knows how to make her physics-heavy job sound very accessible to others. She combines her training as a cancer immunologist with the new skills she has learned working for a biotech to explain how the company’s technology works to potential clients who do not have the same scientific background and vocabulary. In graduate school, Danielle developed a passion for scientific communication for lay audiences when she participated in a TEDxBuffalo event, giving a talk entitled ‘Guardians of Your Inner Galaxy’. Translating scientific jargon into every day, accessible language, her talk was an introduction to the fantastic inner workings of the immune system. Her greatest accomplishment so far has been being able to explain her thesis work clearly and concisely to a lay audience in the 3-Minute Thesis competition at the University at Buffalo where she was the 1st Runner-Up. Since then, she has made it her life’s work to bring science to anyone with even the tiniest interest and to make science fun for everyone. Danielle has a degree in biology from Vassar College and a PhD in cancer immunology from the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her hobbies include finding the best Korean, Japanese, and Indian food restaurants wherever she goes. She’s also an avid reader and loves dabbling in fashion and photography.
What gets you up every morning?
That this might be the day I can scream ‘Eureka!’. Shoutout to Archimedes!
How did you get your start?
I started research in college, studying coral bleaching in sea anemones. I pivoted into cancer research because I unfortunately lost an uncle to brain cancer when he was in his mid-30s ( I was about 7-9 years at the time) and I always wanted to understand the disease that killed him. He and I shared a birthday. It was because of Uncle Kofi that I applied to Roswell Park for their summer program and I was admitted into their doctoral program. I wanted to apply both the scientific and transferrable skills acquired in graduate school in the next phase of my journey which is why I applied to work at a startup and here I am.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I am a field applications scientist at a startup. This means that I run experiments on the company’s system at customer sites and troubleshoot whatever snag I might have hit during an outside experiment on our systems in-house. One of the best parts of my job is that there is no typical day. This teaches me to be flexible and always ready for whatever comes my way. If I have to meet with a client, my day will start with going straight to the client’s lab, prepping their samples and running them on our system installed in their lab. This allows me to interact with potential users who might pass by to see what I am up to. Other days, I will be working with the Research and Development Team in-house to develop assays and troubleshoot. My days are also interspersed with meeting calls with researchers interested in our system.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
For me, watching our product get better with time and knowing that I have contributed to the production process is rewarding to me.
What do you credit your success to?
My community and their unending belief in me. There have been so many times I have wanted to give up, sit and cry. However, my community lets me cry, they wipe my tears, then lift me up and encourage me to put one foot in front of the other. My mentors have been crucial. My chemistry teacher from Senior High school, Mrs. Opare, was the first person to introduce me to scientific communication unofficially. She would explain chemical reactions using examples from household incidents. It was in Prof. Jodi Schwarz’s lab that I started conducting research, studying coral bleaching in sea anemones. Jodi pushed me to apply to Roswell Park’s summer research program and the rest is history. Jodi and I are still in touch.
And lastly, my family. My sister, my parents and my late grandmother. My sister because she is able to always see the silver lining in any situation. My mother especially because she went to college as a mature student after having two children.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
It’s alright to fail. But if you fail, don’t consider yourself broken. You are bent into a unique shape and you’ll be surprised how far you can be bent ; and you'll be shocked at the amazing sculpture that the bending results in.
What is your earliest memory of wanting to pursue a career in STEM?
My mum bought me a book when I was in 4th grade, about the different body systems and I declared I wanted to be an ob-gyn to help bring babies into the world.
What is your super power, the thing you bring to your work every day that sets you apart from the rest?
In graduate school I learnt to be like water, a famous Bruce Lee quote, I believe. Water fills every space it is in and is flexible. This has definitely come in handy in my current job and in many situations.
STEM can be intimidating and difficult to digest by the general public. You’ve found a way to bridge that gap and bring your work to audiences in an accessible way. What’s your secret?
People love a good story including myself so I try to talk about STEM that way. Although it can sometimes be challenging to break super complex ideas down, the beauty is in the challenge and the reward is seeing that complex idea light a fire in someone and inspire them to learn more.
If there’s one small step we can take to get more women involved in STEM, what is it?
I think we should increase visibility of women STEM role models to inspire more women to get involved in STEM..
How important is community to you? How are you fostering a community?
It is amazing how much strength we have in ourselves but when we have a supportive community, we go supernova! As an If/Then Ambassador with 124 other phenomenal women STEM innovators and pioneers, we are working to create a community; through social media, speaking engagements, television appearances such as CBS’ Mission Unstoppable; that will increase the visibility of women in diverse STEM roles.
On my personal social media, I am trying to normalize the image of a black scientist with an undercut and funky lipstick and a killer fashion sense. I want young black girls to know that being a scientist does not mean you have to fit into a mold, it means you get to make your own mold..
What do you want to be known for?
I want to be known as the woman who motivates young girls, especially young girls of color, to be unapologetically themselves whilst pursuing a STEM degree. I want them to look at my life and be inspired to chase their dreams whilst staying true to themselves.
College & Major ?
Vassar College; Biology
What are some apps on your phone?
Kindle, Spotify, CaltrainMe, Amtrak, Uber, Lyft, Google Maps, JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, AirBnB, Audible, Overcast, NBA, YouTube, Netflix, SoundHound, Duolingo, Rain Rain, TicketMaster, Fandango, DoorDash, OpenTable, Starbucks and Yelp.
One piece of Tech you cannot live without?
My phone because I use it to optimize my commute to work and to meetings and I read a lot on it.