What is your current role? Tell us a bit about your work
I’m the Coordinator for Basic Science Services with the Health Sciences Library System at the University of Pittsburgh. For the Molecular Biology Information Service I provide bioinformatics support and training for researchers, helping them to access and use specialized analytical tools and databases. For Data Services I help populate a library-created Data Catalog and teach classes on electronic lab notebooks and data management plans. I developed a series offering postdocs an opportunity to practice teaching. I also support/teach on visual abstracts, command line basics, identifying appropriate data analysis resources, and, of course, preprints.
What are you excited about in science communication?
I’ve been promoting preprints since 2015, when my library’s MolBio team created a tool to aggregate preprints and help make them more discoverable. We posted a preprint in bioRxiv followed by publication in F1000Research. Clearly we need to revise the article, but I’m still pleased that we were able to participate in the preprint discovery process at the early stages, prior to the availability of so many preprint servers. In addition to more inclusive preprint tools/search engines, I’m excited about open peer review and creating a new skills development service to help grad students (or whomever!).
Why did you choose to participate in the ASAPbio Fellows program?
I have maintained an interest in and continued to advocate for preprints for the past 5 years, but I’d like to step it up a notch. I want to provide support to and be a part of a larger community of preprint advocates. I’m thrilled that I was accepted as a Fellow, and my experience has already exceeded my expectations.
Ask me about…
…what it’s like to transition out of bench research (I have a PhD in Neuroscience) and into a research support service within a medical library. You’re still around science, you can still publish and present, you can still get funding (but you don’t have to), and you no longer have to go into the lab on nights and weekends!