Event:

Growing up, I never really fit in socially with my peers and had few friends my age until university. During my time at university I received a diagnosis of ADHD and a few years later Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, combined these terms are often described as AuDHD. While these diagnosis were formal I did not share them with anyone for fear or for shame. Instead I masked, augmenting my behavior to socially and scientifically fit in. In Fall of 2022 I moved to Germany to accept a postdoctoral research position and started silently working on neurodivergent support and in the Spring of 2024 I finally discussed my experiences openly as a medicated autistic scientist living in Germany. While sharing these experiences has been tough it also has helped me take my mask off and share more about my experiences in work and in life. Through reading, research, mental health support, and more I have been able to advocate for myself and other AuDHD scientists. IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS TALK, I will discuss my journey through pre- and post-masking in science and how science, academia, and life could become more accommodating to scientists of all neurotypes.
IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS TALK, I will introduce my research on biological functional gradients in sensory structures. Humans and animals are equipped with unique biological metamaterials that allow them to interact, sense, and manipulate the world around them. This versatility is built with three primary building blocks: proteins, sugars, and minerals that can be arranged to provide multiple functional advantages, such as high stretchability and high strength, which are commonly material trade-offs in human-made materials. In this talk, I will discuss how integrating methods across engineering, physics, biology, and materials science disciplines to analyze biological composites can provide insights into their movement and sensing abilities. I will primarily share insights into how functional gradients are built, how they can augment sensing abilities, and how engineers can re-create them using multi-material 3D printing. The talk will cover many different species ranging from well known model organisms, such as rats or cats, to specialist species, including ravens and elephants.