Mary Smith

ex-scientist, Bacteriocinner Times, science writer 💙

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

Life update: Ready or not, here she came. June 2nd I welcomed my daughter, Liliana, into this crazy world 3.5 weeks early in a moving car on the way to the hospital. She’s perfect and had no complications from being premature 🌸

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DeathCab4Callie Even now that I have finally reached my pre pregnancy weight 2 years post partum but my body is shaped completely different. It’s a hard thing to accept.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@eduleadership @FeralHeather @joshua_r_eyler @chronicle I broke my foot and quickly found out how inaccessible my campus was. Even when elevators were working, the ada entrance was in the most inconvenient of places and completely opposite side of the building as the elevator. Not exactly crutches friendly. Let alone wheelchair.

[Dr Marissa Edwards @DrMarissaKate]

@esdsantos Academia will take everything from you unless you set boundaries.

Sleep, exercise and spending time with friends and family are more important than work.

Burnout is not a badge of honour.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

Literally what I said in my micro class. Bamboozled that this concept wasn’t already a thing.

[ICPPB & Biocontrol 2024 @Icppb2024]

Looks like the old concept of the Plant Disease Triangle is quite similar to this new concept describing human pathogenesis: https://t.co/4AJVF7MMPH

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

This was a great way to end the week. Protein, protein, and more protein!

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

I know this is a long shot but are there any microbiologist out there that have myovirdiae phages that target klebsiella sp. that they would be willing to share with a desperate graduate student?

#sciencetwitter

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@crazyyetnormal @ZJAyres This I was in multiple sports the first time I had depression, and the only time I needed meds. 🙃

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@ZJAyres I once had someone ask me how it was scientifically possible that I was depressed and exercised 5 times a week. umm the endorphins wear off after an hour or so after stopping. Am I supposed to exercise 24/7?

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@ZJAyres I am the opposite. I could read literature all day every day, but getting bench work done is like pulling out teeth.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DrRantAllDay @Momademia I was just so fatigued. I needed a full nights sleep & sometimes a nap (w/o caffeine). I also developed mild gestational diabetes (diet controlled, no meds). The blood sugar fluctuations affected my ability to think quickly. It made it hard to perform at the level required.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DrRantAllDay @Momademia Balancing my son and responsibilities wasn't the toughest part; being pregnant during grad school was. Those 10 months were less productive than I anticipated, even with a straightforward pregnancy. I wouldn't want to start a new job pregnant.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DeathCab4Callie Having a kiddo really humbled my thoughts regarding my immune system. Frequency of sickness of everyone in the home these first two years was absolutely not something I was prepared for. It was easily the most unexpected ‘costs’ of being a working mom in academia.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@RC_Neupane Thanks Ram! I’ve been super nervous waiting on the outcome for the past couple weeks!

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

I am very excited to announce that my application (and interview) was one of the 8 selected across 7 different departments this season, and I will be a member of UTSAs IMSDs 2023 cohort come August!

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DeathCab4Callie Personally, we found some traveling vaccine clinics that do discounted vaccinations and preventative meds just to help with the cost of having animals. 3 of my 4 are on other meds and that alone is a huge cost.

[Mary Smith @bacteriawarfare]

@DeathCab4Callie It greatly varies by area. When I lived in Denver vet care was very expensive. Cost hundreds per X-ray. Vaccine appointments were easily 200+ per animal. I’m in PA now and it’s much cheaper. When I lived in TX it was even cheaper than PA.