Christine Reid, PhD
Scientist and Science AdvocateHelping you to become the scientist you are!
Hi, I’m Christine! I have a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and I believe that Everyone is a Scientist. Join me!
My Story
One of my earliest memories is feeling like I had to prove myself. “Girls can’t do math! Girls can’t do science!” To a certain extent, these lies motivated me. You think that girls can’t do these things? I will prove you wrong!
I went to college to study biology, and I made a big mistake. I didn’t understand a class – Genetics – so I decided to skip the final. Yeah, I failed that class – whoops! But I decided that I would not let that failed grade sit on my transcript, so I retook the class and passed it with a better grade. A reminder that I (and you) can do anything we put our minds to.
I got a job in drug manufacturing and realized a very clear ceiling – there was no way to move up if I didn’t have a PhD. And I was always curious how things worked. So, at 25, I moved 3000 miles away from home to pursue my PhD.
While getting my PhD, I realized a lot of things. One of them is that science is hard because we make it hard. We make up so much jargon and vocabulary that sometimes it’s impossible to understand! And the second thing I realized is that I love to teach and communicate science. Breaking down difficult topics into easy to understand bits – that’s my wheelhouse.
My Values & Beliefs
Everyone is a Scientist
Do you notice things? The color of the sky or a pretty flower? Do you wonder how things work? Then you are already a scientist!
Science is logic
Science might hide behind lots of jargon and complicated vocabulary, but at is most simple, science is logic. Have you learned logic? Science logic goes something like this: Hypothesis, Experiment, Results, Refine Hypothesis. Very straightforward and logical progression.
Critical thinking is, well, critical
Critical thinking is such an important part of being human. We all need the ability to assess information and decide for ourselves if enough evidence supports someone’s claims. We need to be able to assess information from multiple sources, identify primary sources, and evaluate our interpretation of the data.
My Approach
I teach science in an approachable and straightforward way. I teach science so you will understand the concepts before you need to know the jargon. I show you how to use logic in everyday thinking and how to apply critical thinking to the biggest questions facing us today.