Chat with a Scientist- February 2021

The New York Academy of Sciences invites NYC students to a virtual series called Chat with a Scientist, which spotlights the diversity of STEM professionals and their careers, and creates a casual space where youth can engage with and learn from real scientists.

Each Chat with a Scientist event will last for 60 minutes and feature 2 scientists who will have the opportunity to talk about their paths into science, the work they currently do and, most importantly, answer questions directly from participants. Our goal is to provide young people with relatable role models, raise awareness of the breadth of STEM careers, and spark a lifelong love of science.   In this event, you’ll meet two scientists and hear about their work in developing drugs that have the potential to treat diseases such as diabetes, obesity and schizophrenia.  

These events are geared towards NYC middle school students and families, though all are welcome to join.

Who you'll meet:

Allan Reyes
Principal Scientist, Pfizer

• Hometown: Guadalupe, San Jose, Costa Rica
• Your current job: I am a Principal Scientist in the Internal Medicine Research Unit looking to identify and then modulate pathways that are associated in metabolic disease. In our lab, we work to identify the initial molecules that have the potential to advance to drug candidates.
• Why you love science: I love science because it provides a framework to seek answers for the many unknowns in our lifetime. It encourages curiosity and creativity that leads to new knowledge and the potential to improve quality of life.
• Where did you go to school? I graduated from the University of Connecticut
• Favorite activities/hobbies outside of work: I love all sports, but soccer is my favorite. I coach my kids (2 boys) U10 and U12 town teams and my weekends are usually full of games.

Alexandra Srnka
Senior Associate Scientist, Pfizer

• Hometown: Jackson, New Jersey
• Your current job: I am a Senior Associate Scientist working in the Rare Disease Research Unit at Pfizer. Most of the projects I work on are discovery biology based so I am usually working on experiments to answer questions we have around potential new targets to treat rare diseases.
• Why you love science: I am passionate about science because I believe it is a way to have a profound impact on our communities and quality of life. It also challenges me every day to think critically about how to solve problems and overcome obstacles we may face in doing so.
• Where did you go to school? I went to Northeastern University in Boston, MA for my B.S. in Biochemistry.
• Favorite activities/hobbies outside of work: My favorite activities outside of work are running, travelling, playing the piano, and cooking. One of my goals is to run a half marathon on each continent. 2/7 so far!