RG x RACI_EmpoweringtheFutureofSTEM_singlepages300dpi - Book - Page 24
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M A D DY L A H M ●
MARi NE CHEMi ST
O
nce upon a time, there was a high school student named Maddy
who failed an open-book test in chemistry and grew up to be . . .
a marine chemist!
When Maddy and her brother were little, they’d romp around the wetlands near
their home, helping turtles cross the road and searching storm drains for frog
eggs. Later, she’d relax on the beach, or kayak with her family.
She always felt at home by the water, so it was no surprise that she grew up to
work on a science vessel at sea. What was a surprise – at least to her high school
chem teacher – is that she majored in chemistry at university! It’s true that she
originally struggled with the subject, but Maddy had a professor at uni who made
her look at chemistry in a whole new way.
Maddy was also interested in genetics and medicine. Because of a rare
genetic mutation, she and her brother were born deaf. As a baby, she received a
cochlear implant, a medical device that connects an external hearing aid to her
auditory nerve and allows her to hear. Learning about genetics and the human
body helped Maddy learn more about herself. “I thought of myself as a cool
science experiment,” she said.
Today, Maddy spends about three months a year at sea, living and working
aboard a research ship. Her team collects samples of seawater from depths of
6,000 metres, and collaborates with other scientists to monitor change in the
oceans and reveal information about aquatic life. She has also helped to design
and build Hydrobox, the world’s first portable hydrochemistry laboratory.
As a seagoing scientist, Maddy is constantly learning. She’s having an exciting,
fulfilling career, and she’s opening more doors for women and people with
disabilities who are under-represented in her field. Hopefully not for long!
BORN 1997
U NiT E D STAT E S
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