Andrea Gomez, a 2006 biology graduate from the Colorado State University College of Natural Sciences, uses the flame of internal curiosity to explore new research areas, power through adversity and find confidence as a woman in STEM.
“People have external drivers of course, but I find that those tend to change depending on context,” said Gomez, who is now an assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of California, Berkeley. “But that internal fire of curiosity … just hold onto that and protect it because that is uniquely yours.”
During her undergraduate degree, it was that internal fire that brought Gomez to research the question she is still trying to answer today – how can synaptic dysfunction in the brain manifest in conditions like autism, intellectual disability and neurodegeneration?
Undergraduate life at CSU
Gomez, who is Indigenous and Chicana, is from New Mexico but moved to Colorado to attend CSU. As a woman of color on a primarily white campus, she felt disconnected from her classmates but joined retention programs to find her community.
She joined the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science as well as the Colorado Alliance for Minority Participation. She saw them as a chance to embrace her heritage while being around people of a similar background. In these groups, Gomez forged strong connections and became involved on campus.
“She was very proud of her heritage as a Chicana and Laguna Pueblo Native and chose to be engaged with SACNAS,” said Arlene Nededog, director of inclusion in the College of Natural Sciences. “During her undergraduate years, she served in officer roles with SACNAS at CSU.”
In 2004, Gomez’s curiosity led her to Don Mykles’ Crab Lab in the Department of Biology, where she worked on phenotypic plasticity in crustaceans’ behavior due to environmental conditions.
“She had a natural gift for conducting research at the highest level, displaying excellent bench work skills and a mastery of experimental techniques with a strong intellect,” said Mykles, director of the Crab Lab.
She applied for and was accepted into the Beckman Scholars Program, a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students, with Mykles encouragement. Gomez was also awarded other scholarships, such as the NSF Undergraduate Research Experience and the Native Students in Science Scholarship.
“They collectively contributed to a really great research experience,” she said.
Following her curiosity at UC Berkeley
After going to New York University for her Ph.D. in developmental genetics, Gomez did her post-doctorate research in Basel, Switzerland. She then started her research and teaching career at UC Berkeley when the pandemic hit.
Gomez’s lab is dedicated to understanding the ever-changing, overly complex human brain. The human brain has 86 billion neurons that communicate with each other, create circuits and share information. The brain requires this much complexity and change to maintain proper function, but there is a delicate balance in the work.
Too much change in the brain could mean we do not retain memories. Too little change could mean our neurons fail to make vital connections. Some modifications to the complexity of the brain can happen, but too many modifications can cause problems.
Gomez’s research, inspired by studying plasticity in crustaceans, focuses on brain plasticity, or the adaptability of organisms to changes in the environment. To do this, her team is measuring the effects of psychedelic compounds on mice.
“These compounds profoundly change the way people feel and behave long after any exposure to the medicine,” Gomez said in a story for UC Berkeley Research. “I think that understanding how psychedelics change the brain can give us a window into how we can manipulate the brain in other ways – including how to treat neurological diseases that impact learning and memory.”
Resiliency in facing adversity
Gomez, who is known for her willingness to remain flexible, as well as her tenacious curiosity, had to overcome a lot when the pandemic started. COVID-19 caused her to rethink her research and how she embraced her identities at work.
In 2020, she did not have the experimental mice she needed to conduct her research but made the decision to follow her curiosity and focus on the role of psilocybin in brain plasticity, which led her to where she is today.
While the effects of prejudice remain ever-present, it was at UC Berkeley that Gomez found balance and confidence in all her identities. As soon as she found her footing, she wanted to help and provide a welcoming community to students with identities similar to her own.
“She is a role model who engages in outreach activities promoting diversity and inclusion,” said Mykles.
Gomez has since co-founded a Berkeley scholarship for Indigenous students, mentored many in her lab, and returned to CSU as an inspirational keynote speaker for the Honors Program.
“Andrea shapes science through her sense of curiosity and adventure that pushes her to explore and expand the field of neuroscience,” said Nededog. “There is also her strong commitment to give back to her community by co-founding a Berkeley scholarship for Indigenous students studying science.”
What’s Gomez’s secret to resiliency and success?
“Holding on to curiosity in its pure form is one of the most valuable and estimable things I learned throughout these experiences because I can always trust that,” Gomez said. “Nobody can take away my curiosity.”