Get to know AxoSim’s Director of Scientific Operations
Meet Megan Terral, AxoSim’s Director of Scientific Operations. Megan has been with AxoSim for five years. With the nickname of Marie Curie and a passion for problem-solving, she serves a critical role on our science team. Learn more about Megan in the Q&A below:
What is your background in science?
My background is in Biochemical Engineering. I’ve always enjoyed the problem-solving nature of sciences and math. My career interests bounced around between medicine, teaching mathematics, or becoming Matthew Gray Gubler in the TV show Criminal Minds. It wasn’t until working as a lab tech at a start-up company in my college town that I learned about what the research field was like in a commercial setting. I became really driven by the challenge that the development/translational scientific field presents, and chose to stick with the field after graduation.
What drew you to AxoSim?
In my final semester of college, I took a course in Tissue Engineering and learned about the emerging organ-on-a-chip industry, and I became immediately intrigued. While taking that course, I learned about AxoSim through Ben Cappiello, who I’d met over coffee for career advice 4 years earlier and who was currently working at AxoSim. AxoSim immediately captured my attention – a Nerve-on-a-chip company that was not only in my favorite city and hometown (New Orleans!) but was also small, challenging, and fast-paced. I knew I would learn at an accelerated rate and be surrounded by innovative and driven people. I immediately applied, and the rest is history!
What is your favorite cell and why?
Schwann cells (known as Schwannies in the lab); One of my first projects at AxoSim involved sourcing and characterizing human Schwann cells, so I got to know the cells very well. They can be a challenging and delicate cell line to work with, so developing techniques and mastering protocols for these cells is a valuable process to look back on! Seeing them function within our system today is very rewarding for our team.
When not in the lab, where can we find you?
When not in the lab, you can typically find me with my dogs, family and friends, gardening, or making jewelry. I’ve honed in on jewelry making over the last few years, developing different metalsmithing skills, and have grown to really love the art.
What scientific discovery has impacted/inspired you the most as a scientist and why?
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (2006, Shinya Yamanaka) accelerated research in many fields. Its impact on the tissue engineering space was profound, allowing for the development of complex 3D human cell-based models, like some of those we work with at AxoSim (BrainSim® and microBrain™).
What about AxoSim gives you hope for the future of neurological disease?
Our ability to capture clinically relevant human data, combined with the team of extremely smart and BEYOND dedicated people that we have working to continue to optimize our platforms, increase throughput, and expand applications.
What scientist in history do you most admire and why?
Marie Curie—My grandmother nicknamed me Marie Curie the day that she first saw me in a lab coat. I (embarrassingly) didn’t know the reference at first, but after a Google search, I realized my grandmother was giving me humongous shoes to fill… She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and still remains the only person to win a Novel Prize in two scientific fields (physics and chemistry). Her legacy made a profound impact on women in STEM.
What about AxoSim’s future in human data excites you the most?
I’m excited to see us continue to grow in the impact we have on our historical customers and the relationships we continue to build with new customers. Seeing our impact grow has been incredibly rewarding. My excitement and enthusiasm for future/continued growth stems from confidence in our team to continue to produce breakthrough results and develop valuable data outputs.