My name is Justine, and I am a scientist, an artist, and a citizen of the world. I’m trained formally as a research scientist - during my recently completed PhD, I studied neurons in fruit flies that are involved in taste processing and memory formation. In the world of science during graduate school, I found myself drawn to clean, simple elements of style for data presentation (yes, that is a Strunk and White reference), and began incorporating minimalist aesthetics into my own presentations and publications. Towards the end of graduate school, I began exploring the world of design and fabrication by playing around in the maker spaces, and then taking classes offered at the Jacobs Design Institute; I became the custom fly experimental chamber consultant in my lab.
When I am not tackling research problems, I am curious and passionate about creatively exploring the world. I believe that traveling, new experiences, and exposure to different cultures help me to grow to become a more appreciative, resilient, and multi-dimensional person. I strive to leave the world a better place than I found it, by designing and creating experiences. Sometimes these experiences are in the form of gastronomical creations that I share with friends and family (cocktails, baked goods, or otherwise); other experiences are in the form of collaborative art projects. Whatever the project, I am a strong believer in the iterative design process: researching and exploring ideas, improving and evolving an idea in a collaborative environment, and finally meticulously creating an experience that I’m proud to share. This personal website is a collection of some of these experiences in my life.
