Fighting Cancer, Playing Music, and Promoting Science – Dr. Gail Seigel
Dr. Seigel is an accomplished researcher, helping to develop more efficient ways to treat retinoblastoma. We also had the chance to chat about her role in the Rochester NY March for Science, a global movement that aims to promote science for the common good and equitable access to scientific education and opportunities.
About the guest:
Dr. Gail M. Seigel is a Research Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo where she is the Director of the Ocular and Auditory Neuroscience Lab. A graduate of Rutgers University (B.S.), and Albany Medical College (Ph.D.), Dr. Seigel joined the SUNY Buffalo faculty in 2001. Dr. Seigel has authored over 80 manuscripts and has received a Cybil Harrington Research Scholar Award from Research to Prevent Blindness and a Fight for Sight Award of Merit. She is a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. She has established immortalized cell lines that have been commercialized and widely used, including the R28 retinal precursor cell line, the E1A-NR3 retinal cell line, and the Mocha (microglia from the cochlea) cell line.
Outside academia, Dr. Seigel is Diversity Officer on the Executive Board of the Rochester NY March for Science, a non-profit organization that promotes scientific outreach to the greater Rochester community. In her spare time, Dr. Seigel enjoys playing the clarinet as part of a local clarinet choir called The Clarinet Collection, a clarinet quartet called the Vaxxed Quartet (or VQ for short), as well as the Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble at the Eastman Community Music School. Dr. Seigel is the author of a memoir entitled, “Academania: My Life in the Trenches of Biomedical Research” available on Amazon.
This podcast was highly informative especially to the layperson in learning about approaches and challenges to scientific research and the path that Dr. Seigel has taken as well as her upbeat attitude toward her chosen profession. I found this most enjoyable as well as illuminating. Thank you.
Burton Segelin
Thank you Burton, it’s a pleasure to hear that! Indeed, Dr. Seigel is very inspiring.