She translates science for the masses
A doctorate in genetic toxicology doesn't have to mean a life squirreled away among test tubes. That's the lesson in the career of Brindha Muniappan, a health science educator at Boston's Museum of Science.
"I'm a scientist," says Muniappan, 34, who taught environmental toxicology at the University of Guam. "Working on specific mutations was great," she says. "But I realized I wanted to talk about a lot of other topics."
Now, Muniappan's job is to organize lectures and speak to lay audiences about developments in current health science -- subjects like breakthroughs in asthma or cancer research. This month, she has organized a series of public interviews at the museum with women doing exceptional work in technical fields, with the aim of inspiring girls to think about the career options that can come from earning, say, a doctorate in genetic toxicology.
"A lot of girls turn away from science," she says. "So the more young girls we can inspire, the better."
Her approach toward explaining difficult concepts such as cellular biology is a deconstructive one. "You have to break the science down into pieces," she says. "We try to use demonstrations and props. A lot of scientists get lost in the details, but you've got to pick your points. You can't rush through things. It's a matter of looking at a topic and thinking, 'How can I explain this to my mom?' "
Muniappan uses her experiences raising her children as a guide to reaching out to younger audiences. "Just playing outside, a 3-year-old is very aware of insects or birds or learning how to swing. Interest comes automatically." That's not to say that there aren't challenges in inspiring young minds. "Some days my son will look at a bug and say that he wants to be an entomologist. But usually he wants to be a cement truck driver."
One of the most difficult aspects of her work is helping the scientists themselves communicate to their audience. There's a degree of truth in the stereo type of the inarticulate genius inside a lab coat. "The people who are really good at research can't necessarily communicate it," says Muniappan. "Universities don't just need to deliver scientific knowledge. They need to teach people to communicate it, too." There's a practical need for this, considering that much research funding comes from public agencies. Explaining complicated science to the public is vital in ensuring that the checks continue getting written.
M.J. Morse, the manager of the Gordon Current Science and Technology Center at the Museum of Science, stresses how important it is for "informal" educators like Muniappan to have higher degrees in science, citing the benefits of having contacts in the academic communities and of being able to turn complex information into lay terms, quickly. "Brindha's seen the need for that kind of translation. She's very talented at articulating the given features of technology."
Born in Guam, Muniappan is the daughter of an entomologist and a science teacher. "It's great to grow up on a tropical island. It's not what people think, though. No thatched huts," she says. "We do have super typhoons, though," the storms that batter the island with winds of as much as 180 miles per hour. "When the power goes out, everybody barbecues."
After high school, she left the island for MIT's environmental engineering department -- and has been here ever since.
"I really enjoy communicating an enthusiasm for science," says Muniappan. "To show people why it's cool."
FACT SHEET
Hometown: Lexington, by way of Guam.
Family: Husband Eric. Sons Manu, 3, and Jeevan, 5 months.
Hobbies: With a toddler and an infant, it's hard to do much more than play in the grass.
On Guam: "It's pretty urban. We have malls and movies theaters, and we drive cars."
Ambitions: To expand the museum's coverage of global health issues and infectious diseases. "We want people to understand that there are a lot of health problems out there. In this country, we don't think about malaria much." 