The Team
We are the PassioInventa team. We’re here because we’re hungry for knowledge about the way the world works, and we believe sharing that knowledge will make the world a healthier and happier place. Yes, we’re scientists. But we’re also normal people, with lives and hobbies outside the lab. Our passions keep us inspired. We hope they’ll inspire you, too.
The Founders
Jason Baer
If you look up “coral” in the dictionary (any dictionary, and even some textbooks), you’ll find a little picture of Jason’s face smiling down tenderly at a diagram of the colorful, charismatic jellyfish-rocks. Jason’s passion for coral reefs evolved from a lifelong obsession with the ocean, and most of his time is spent in or around water as a diver, a swimmer, a researcher and an extremely hydrated dude. Jason studied Marine Biology at Eckerd College, during which time he engaged in a bunch of coral restoration research projects in the Caribbean, Red Sea, and South Pacific. Through these experiences, he got pretty accustomed to a career spent on pristine beaches (with a mojito in hand) and will spend the next 80 years or so doing that. He continues this trajectory as a PhD student in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of California San Diego/San Diego State University studying, you guessed it, ovarian cancer (kidding). With all good luck, Jason’s research in the Rohwer Lab will help in developing successful new coral restoration strategies in the Caribbean and beyond. Jason also loves sleeping on the ground (preferably outside in the wilderness, but he takes what he can get), traveling to crazy places, and laughing at his own jokes.
Email - jlbaer@eckerd.edu
Daniel Chapman
Dan “the man” Chapman graduated from Eckerd College in 2017 with a B.S. degree in biochemistry. Despite his past research in megalopi crab development and neurotoxicology of harmful algal blooms along with a divemaster certification, he has shelved marine science as a hobby and is now pursuing an MD/PhD in neuroscience from Georgetown University (he was going to tell you a neuroscience joke, but he doesn’t have the nerve). He currently studies mechanisms of memory deficits in repeat traumatic brain injury in the Burns Lab. In the future, he hopes to develop novel therapies for repeat traumatic brain injury so that the NFL can stay in business and the Green Bay Packers can go on to win many more Superbowls. Despite his extensive scientific background, he still cannot believe the spread “I can’t believe it’s not butter” is in fact not butter! It looks like butter, feels like butter, and tastes like butter… but it’s not, unreal!
Email - dpchapma@eckerd.edu
Blaide Woodburn
Blaide graduated from Eckerd College in 2017 with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and is currently obtaining his PhD, studying HIV infection of the brain. Blaide developed a passion for science at a young age through managing his own rare metabolic disorder where a mere desire to understand his body blossomed into a passion for biology and all things scientific. To this end, Blaide has researched a variety of topics, including muscular dystrophy, cancer, the microbiome, and neurodegenerative diseases. That said, science is about more than the things that you’re studying, it’s about the process...the problem solving process. As the eldest sibling in a broken home, Blaide grew up problem solving out of necessity (and often communicating with others to do so), which he believes has translated to the lab and his ability to communicate effectively with others. Blaide is a huge nerd that enjoys reading (mostly SciFi) and watching anime, but enjoys playing sports, working out, and hiking. In the future, he hopes to pursue a career on the interface of science and business as a life science consultant, working with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help solve problems that span multiple fields of study.
Email - blaide@email.unc.edu
PassioInventa EditorS:
GabRielle Dardis
Gabrielle graduated from Lehigh University in 2017 with a BS in Biochemistry. At Lehigh, she conducted research on joint reformation in the regenerating tail fin of zebrafish. She additionally worked at the Penn State Cancer Institute researching new approaches to treat pediatric bone cancer. She developed a passion for researching mechanisms of disease which she pursued further at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now, she is a third-year PhD Candidate in Biochemistry studying novel crosstalk between inflammatory signaling and epigenetic proteins in triple negative breast cancer cells.
Beyond the bench, Gabrielle loves science communication and thinks it should be added to the canonical Scientific Method - creating great graphics can be worth a thousand words, and well-edited writing can paint clear pictures in turn.
Outside of lab, she loves taking on cooking and baking projects while trying new beers and wines, practicing her metric conversions while training for powerlifting competitions, and spending some time outdoors with her husky and lab pups, Artemis and Astrid.
Instagram: @gab_dar
Email: gdardis@email.unc.edu
Laís Lima
Laís is a marine ecologist interested in species that are ecosystem builders, such as corals and kelp. She likes to work across ecological scales: from micro- to macroorganisms, from functional genes to ecosystem functioning. Laís is born and raised in Brasil (she prefers it spelled in Português), where she got a BSc in Biological Sciences from Universidade de Brasília (2011) and a MSc in Marine Ecology from Universidade Federal Fluminense (2015). In fall 2016, she started a joint doctorate in Ecology at San Diego State University/UC Davis advised by Dr. Elizabeth Dinsdale. You can find Laís underwater doing research in the kelp forests of California or in the coral reefs of Bermuda. Otherwise, she will be in the lab processing samples, writing her PhD dissertation and wishing she was out in the water.
Instagram - Laís Lima
Email - laisfolima@gmail.com
PassioInventa Internship:
Katie Sklaver
Katie is a current junior at Eckerd College. She is studying for a B.S. in Molecular Biology and a B.A. in Communication. She does research on how to most effectively communicate science to non-scientists. This research includes topics such as the role of crowd-sourced data in large-scale ecology projects, and how story-telling can be used to improve grades in chemistry classes. In her free-time her passion for plants (in particular poisonous ones) has led her to undertake all manner of outdoor adventures. She likes to rock-climb, backpack, trail-run, kayak, and scuba-dive. In the future she hopes to pursue a career in science journalism.
Email: khsklave@eckerd.edu