Michelle Dziejman is an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical School.
We spoke to Michelle Dziejman on December 3rd, 2021 from her office at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Michelle is a faculty member at the same university where she earned her undergraduate degree. Her primary role is as an NIH funded Principle Investigator, but she also teaches in the classroom and mentors at the bench.
Her research focuses on Vibrio cholerae, which she particularly enjoys because of its relevance to global health and the way it connects her to a world-wide community of experts. She notes how most of the scientific community is — in her experience — collaborative and supportive. It attracts life-long learners and problem solvers, like Michelle herself. She emphasized how curiosity can help buffer the bumpier parts of the scientific journey — recalling how much determination it took for her to find her own first lab opportunity.