Sarah May
Credentials: Freelance Scientific Writer, Pipette & Quill Scientific Writing, LLC
Pronouns: she/her
Education/degrees:
BS, Biology, Alma College
PhD, Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin
Previous positions held:
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Scientific Writer, University of Chicago
Current position or career path:
As a freelance scientific writer, I help scientists communicate their research in a way that is clear, concise, and compelling. I was drawn to this career path because I enjoy writing and care about making the scientific literature more accessible. During my postdoc, I took science writing courses and wrote science news stories as a volunteer contributing writer for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Later, I became Scientific Writer for a large research laboratory at the University of Chicago. I now run my own freelance business, Pipette & Quill Scientific Writing, which offers writing, editing, and figure design services to scientists in academia and beyond.
Advice for current graduate students and postdocs:
Seek out volunteer activities related to career paths that interest you (or even ones that you never would have considered!). Try many different things and see what sticks. Have an open mind, be flexible, and don’t be afraid to make your own path.