#TraineeTuesday: Reagan Lamb, PhD

In this week's #TraineeTuesday (X, Bluesky), we feature Reagan Lamb, PhD, a postdoctoral associate recently awarded the Wu Tsai Postdoctoral Fellowship on the Experimental Track at Yale. This fellowship provides three years of funding for Reagan to pursue interdisciplinary research, combining her background of genetics and molecular biology.

Reagan describes herself as a "worm ambassador," advocating the use of C. elegans, a tiny roundworm, as a model system for pioneering microscopy experiments. At Yale, she brings this perspective to the intersection of two research groups: the labs of Marc Hammarlund, PhD, and Joerg Bewersdorf, PhD.

The Hammarlund lab studies how the nervous system works using C. elegans. Their recent work observes how nerve cells heal, how they break down, how energy is used in the brain, and how different parts of the nervous system are organized. Reagan’s expertise in genetics and neuroscience aligns with these efforts, playing a significant role in advancing new questions about the versatile organism – especially those involving advanced imaging.

The Bewersdorf lab develops innovative super-resolution microscopy techniques that allow studying parts of the cells in remarkable detail. These tools enhance capabilities in imaging speed, resolution, and color, revealing details of the cell’s complex structures far beyond the limits of a traditional microscope. With these tools, scientists can examine intricate features of the cell, including the Golgi complex (cell’s packaging center), the mitochondria (energy powerhouses), and the nucleus (information hub). Reagan's role involves combining these cutting-edge microscopy technologies with her background in C. elegans biology, investigating how these cells and nervous systems function at the microscopic level.

Reagan’s path into the field was not quite straightforward. In fact, she planned to study ecology and tried to steer clear of both neuroscience and physics, even calling graduate schools she applied to make sure she didn’t need to take the course Physics II -- according to her, Physics I “felt like pulling teeth.”

Over time, however, her interests gradually shifted toward molecular biology, another field that she initially found difficult. By the time she reached graduate school at the University of Kentucky, those once-avoided subjects became central to her work.

One of those doors was the prestigious Wu Tsai Postdoctoral Fellowship on the Experimental Track — a three-year opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research at Yale. For Reagan, who is the first scientist in her family, the recognition was deeply meaningful.

Since arriving at Yale, Reagan has found a research environment that sparks her curiosity. After coming from a smaller lab, she’s embraced the collaborative atmosphere – pitching various projects and learning from colleagues from all walks of science.

Looking ahead, Reagan hopes to continue bridging disciplines through microscopy — whether by leading her own lab or contributing to larger research teams.