In this episode of the SciAnts Streams Women in STEAM 2026 series, we feature Liz, also known as IPaintBirbs—an artist, educator, and Twitch streamer whose work sits at the intersection of illustration, ornithology, and science communication.

Liz discusses her artistic journey, from formal art training to rediscovering creative passion through new mediums like gouache and mixed media. She reflects on how early educational experiences—including discouraging mentorship—shaped her path, and how she has since reclaimed those creative spaces on her own terms.

A central theme of the conversation is the integration of scientific rigor into art. Liz emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding bird anatomy and behavior to create accurate representations—contrasting this with the growing prevalence of AI-generated imagery, which she critiques for lacking both technical accuracy and scientific grounding.

The episode also explores how Twitch has transformed her work: what was once a solitary studio practice is now a collaborative, community-driven space where art becomes a vehicle for education. Through live painting streams and projects like her bird identification cards, Liz shares both artistic techniques and scientific knowledge with a broad audience.

Finally, Liz speaks to the importance of representation, confidence, and inclusivity in creative and STEAM spaces—encouraging the next generation of artists and scientists to trust their perspectives and claim their place in the field.

This episode is a conversation about creativity as a form of science communication, and how art can deepen our understanding of the natural world while building meaningful, inclusive communities.

In this episode of the SciAnts Streams Women in STEAM 2026 series, we feature RareGangster—a content creator whose foundation in applied mathematics and biomedical engineering continues to shape her work, even outside traditional STEM roles.

RareGangster reflects on a nonlinear career path that began with a passion for gaming and evolved into a STEM education she didn’t initially plan to pursue. Although she now works full-time as a Twitch streamer, she discusses how her technical background remains central to her approach—particularly in analyzing growth metrics, optimizing content strategies, and building systems-driven workflows for streaming success.

The conversation also addresses the social realities of being a woman in both STEM and online spaces. RareGangster shares candid experiences with bias, objectification, and harassment, highlighting how these challenges can impact confidence and recognition—while emphasizing the importance of resilience, self-validation, and community support.

Beyond career and challenges, the episode explores the broader role of streaming as a platform for visibility and influence. RareGangster discusses how creators—especially women with STEM backgrounds—can serve as powerful role models, inspiring audiences who may not see themselves represented in traditional scientific spaces.

This episode is a conversation about adaptability, identity, and the transferability of STEM skills—demonstrating that scientific thinking doesn’t end at the lab, but can shape careers in unexpected and impactful ways.

In this episode of the SciAnts Streams Women in STEAM 2026 series, we feature Dr. Leandra—an animal scientist whose work sits at the intersection of animal behavior, nutrition, microbiology, and agricultural systems, as well as a Twitch Partner dedicated to science communication.

Leandra walks us through her journey from a childhood passion for animals and an initial goal of veterinary school to an unexpected entry into graduate research. That pivot led her to study how early weaning impacts pig development and how targeted nutritional interventions—such as supplementing diets with epidermal growth factor produced via engineered bacteria—can support gut health and improve growth outcomes in agricultural settings.

The conversation unpacks both the scientific and human sides of research: designing and scaling animal studies, translating bench science into real-world applications, and navigating the ethical frameworks that govern animal research. Leandra also reflects on the role of passion-driven experiences, from wildlife rehabilitation to farm-based research, in shaping a scientific career.

Throughout the episode, we also explore how platforms like Twitch are reshaping science communication—creating spaces where researchers can engage directly with public audiences and demystify complex topics in real time.

This is a conversation about adaptability, interdisciplinary science, and the evolving landscape of how science is both conducted and shared.

This episode of Together for Legendary Women in STEAM 2026 features Mallory, an archaeologist and science communicator.

Mallory shares her path into archaeology, clarifies common misconceptions about the field, and discusses the realities of scientific work—from field research to career pressures. The conversation also explores her presence on Twitch, where she bridges the gap between academic science and public engagement.

With a focus on accessibility, community, and representation, this episode provides an honest look at what it means to be a woman in STEAM today—both in the lab and online.

KaseySnowArt, a scientific illustrator and educator, joins SciAnts_Streams to explore the deep connections between art and science. With a background in fine arts and a focus on animal anatomy, she uses her work to communicate complex biological ideas and highlight issues in conservation.

In this conversation, she discusses how curiosity and observation drive both artists and scientists, and how her work brings anatomical accuracy and storytelling together to engage audiences on Twitch and in the classroom. She also shares her goals of expanding into children’s educational content and using art to make science more accessible and meaningful.

This episode highlights the role of interdisciplinary thinking in STEAM, emphasizing how artistic approaches can enhance science communication, foster curiosity, and inspire broader engagement with the natural world.

Recorded March 5th, 2026

Volcanodoc—a volcanologist, professor, and Twitch science communicator—joins SciAnts_Streams to discuss both the inner workings of volcanoes and the realities of building a career in science.

VolcanoDoc explains how her research uses mineral and lava chemistry to map where magma is stored beneath volcanoes and how eruptions are triggered, offering insight into how scientists assess volcanic hazards. The discussion also explores what fieldwork actually entails, from collecting samples on obsidian flows to analyzing them with advanced geochemical tools.

Equally central is her personal story: leaving high school as a teen mother, working while raising a child, and navigating a nontraditional path through higher education to earn a PhD and secure a tenure-track position in an extremely competitive academic landscape.

This episode highlights both the technical depth of volcanology and the importance of persistence, mentorship, and access in STEAM—showcasing how science and lived experience intersect in meaningful ways.

How do you become an Egyptologist? What's it like digging through red clay? What are field excavations really like? Join us for the first segment of our 2026 Women in STEAM series where we talk with Egyptologist, archaeologist, educator, and Twitch streamer MelissainDeNile.

In this interview, we discuss HIV/AIDS research with Dr.Rachel Bender Ignacio, a physician-scientist and leading infectious-disease researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, where she serves as Assistant Professor in the Vaccine & Infectious Disease Division. She’s also the Principal Investigator and Director of UW Positive Research — a major clinical-trials site affiliated with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) — and is a driving force behind cutting-edge HIV/AIDS research worldwide.

With a training background in global health, epidemiology, and internal medicine (MD and MPH from University of Washington), Dr. Bender Ignacio has devoted her career to studying the many facets of HIV — from prevention and long-acting therapies to co-infections (like herpesviruses and tuberculosis), immune-system behavior, and the intersection of HIV with cancer and other comorbidities.

Beyond HIV, she has led critical response efforts during global health crises: from founding and directing Fred Hutch’s COVID-19 Clinical Research Center (2020–2024) to shaping clinical-trial design under pressure — proving she excels when the stakes are highest.

Dr. Bender Ignacio doesn’t just do research; she embodies the mission behind it. Her work is about real people: communities affected by HIV, patients juggling co-infections or cancer, and those historically marginalized by inequality in care or access. Her dedication lies in bridging scientific innovation with compassionate, equitable care.

Today we talked with Maryls Houck and Marco Wendt of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Frozen Zoo. Maryls is the Curator of the Frozen Zoo, while Marco is the spokesperson for the alliance. The Frozen Zoo is the largest collection of living cell lines in the world. The specimens are currently all vertebrates: birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. To date there have been 11,600 individuals, 1,300 species and subspecies collected over the Zoo’s 50 year history. The zoo has been pivotal in cloning Przewalski’s horse, bringing diversity back to the the black-footed ferret population also through cloning, and more.

The conversations delve into a wealth of topics including genetic rescue, how specimens are collected, the struggle in figuring out of where in each animal collections should be taken, how the living cells are maintained, what it means to be a species and more. Further Maryls talks about what it’s like being a woman in STEM, and talks about her history,

There is a lot in this one, and we were honored to be invited to speak with both Maryls and Marco.

Today we spoke with Charlie Ho (Chi-Lee Ho) a post-doctorate researcher concentrating on lung cancer at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle Washington. Charles Ph.D work took place at the University of Pennsylvania where he worked on early detection of gastric cancer.

During our conversation we talked about his educational, journey, his doctoral work, his work at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and his experiences in academia.

Dr. Maureen Lamb is the co-director of the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center at Indiana University Bloomington. The center holds the largest repository of fruit fly stock in the world. The center shipped out to over 950 institutions last year orders a year consisting 156,000 vials, or 3,200 vials per week. The center holds the fly line for white one discovered by Thomas Hunt Morgan at the turn of the 20th century, and houses 93,335 different stocks at the facility.

Dr. Lamb received her doctorate from the University of Iowa where she specialized in “Cell Cycle Control, Cell Fate Decisions, Critical Thinking in Scientific Presentation and Writing”. Their post-doctoral research was done at the Stowers Institute for Medial Research.

During this episode we talk about the importance of fruit flies in research, the day-to-day at a stock center, as well as the logistics involved in the running of such a large operation.

Today we spoke with Dr. Jordan Kennedy an interdisciplinary quantitative researcher and engineer, who combines materials science, mechanical engineering, biology, and ecology to unlock the secrets of complex systems. And yes, that means fluid mechanics, beaver-built dams, crash courses in ecological dynamics—plus more. Jordan earned both their Ph.D. and M.S. in Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University.

They served as Science Director at INDIGENOUS LED, spearheading partnerships across federal, tribal, academic, and private research sectors. They developed science frameworks rooted in Indigenous perspectives, emphasizing tribal IRB compliance and data sovereignty.

Today we talked to Dr. Josh Benoit, a professor in the department of biological sciences at the University of Cincinnati, where he heads the Benoit Lab of Insect Biology. His research includes how insects survive dehydration, cold, pesticide exposure, and other stressors—sometimes doing fieldwork in extreme environments, including Antarctica.

We covered his research in Antartica, talked about the vast array of insects that he has worked on including, midges, cockroaches, ticks and more.

Today we talked with Dr. Nathan Voltimer an associate professor at Oregon State University where he is the principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute, a part of the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics. Dr. Voltimer received his Ph.D in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. His labs research revolves around parasitoid venom proteins and identify signaling regulators among. His labs research focuses on cell signaling in immunity & disease with attention to “Regulation of host signaling by parasitoid venom proteins”, “Immune metabolism and parasite mediated metabolic changes”, the “Role of innate immunity and inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis”, “Molecular genetics of Drosophila melanogaster cellular immunity”, and the “Role of innate immune receptors in self-tolerance and autoimmunity”.

Nathan is also a project leader at the Genetics Education Partnership where he leads the Parasitoid Wasps Project.

Today we talk to Dr. Odel Rechavi the principal investigator of the The Oded Rechavi Lab at Tel-Aviv University. Dr. Rechavi is an ERC Fellow, a recipient of the Schmidt Science Polymath award, the Kadar award, the Blavatnik award and more. He is best known for his work which provides evidence that a trait can be inherited through a transgenerational inheritance mechanism using RNA and not DNA using nematodes as a model organism.

We not only covered his work in transgenerational inheritance, but also his research into using toxoplasmosis as a protein delivery system able to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Also covered was his work using DNA sequencing to help translate the Dead Sea Scrolls, the importance of science communication, and more.

Today we have Dr. Greg Pask, a professor at Middlebury College who holds his Ph.D in Biological Sciences from Vanderbilt University. As the head of the Pask Lab, Greg studies a number of different insect species including, but not limited to, ants, butterflies, and fireflies. Greg participates in a great deal of science communication doing work with Cosplay For Science, and presentations at Comic Cons around the country discussing insects in popular culture.

Today we talked with Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer who holds her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University. Alysia is the principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute which is part of Oregon State University. Alysia talks about her research into aging, the importance of cross discipline collaboration, and science communication.

Today we have Dr. Adrian Smith, a research Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, at North Carolina State University, Head, Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History, and the individual behind the popular AntLab YouTube channel. We talk about his journey into entomology from washing dishes in a fire ant research lab, the path to his doctorate, his research into ant behavior,  love for trap-jaw ants, and the inspiration for creating his popular YouTube channel.

On today’s episode we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Merritt, the head of the Merritt Lab at Laurentian University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry to talk about handedness and why most people are right hand dominant. This talk delves into mature subject matter not suitable for kids, if they are around wait for another time to listen. You have been warned.

On today’s episode we’re joined by Dr. Thomas Merritt, the head of the Merritt Lab at Laurentian University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry to talk about Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease. Dive into the genetics of the disease decimating the devil population, with pit stops along the way discussing transmissible cancer in clams and dogs, immortal parasitic cell lines, and more. Fair warning, today's episode does briefly talk about porcupine sex toys and animal copulation.