Meet Dr. Sydney Thomas | Scientist, designer, and accidental bird enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Sydney Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Sydney, why did you pursue a creative career?
Hear me out, I’m a scientist. Most people think of science as a dull, analytic sort of job (and it sometimes is) but it’s also incredibly creative. It can sound pretty straightforward at first – I make a hypothesis about how cells work, then I test that hypothesis, then I revise the hypothesis. But the truth is, that no matter how many hypotheses I test, I’m never going to be able to understand even a billionth of what’s happening in just a single one of my cells. No one can, it’s far too complex.

This is how I like to think of it: I’m standing, blindfolded, in the middle of the world’s largest Rube Goldberg machine, trying to figure out how one lever works. No one has done it before. There’s no user guide, no rulebook. It’s up to you to find a way. It reminds me of what it’s like to stare at a blank canvas, exciting but also a little terrifying. That’s what I love about it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My day job is as a biochemist, studying which medications are safe during lactation. It’s a fun job – I get to help moms and babies stay healthy – but the work culture can be exhausting. Academia tends to operate on the same principles as a high-powered law firm or a Michelin-starred kitchen (you want to see your family over Christmas? Do you even CARE about science?). It’s assumed that work is your life. And while I’m a generally non-confrontational person, that kind of schedule doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried; it was rough. I’ve had to learn to fight for free time, and how to explain that the fact I have interests outside of work doesn’t mean that I’m a bad scientist.

While this can be difficult to convince my fellow scientists, one of the hardest people to convince is myself. For me, design is self-care. I love creating images that make me smile, and learning the skills to create products and market them. But even so, I still feel a tension between self-care and productivity. At worst, self-care becomes a hack, as if the point is for you to find the minimum amount of manicures that will get you through your 80-hour work week. But the truth is that self-care is essential to productivity. And not just in the “having mental breakdowns isn’t an efficient use of time” sense. In fact, some of the skills I use most in my job I didn’t learn in the lab. I learn how to write papers through screenwriting. I learn how to communicate results through making comics. I learn how to visualize data by designing t-shirts. I wouldn’t be half the scientist I am now without these skills.

My science also influences my design. Exhibit A: Evidence of Significance (a statistics pun). But it can also have a deeper impact. One of the most sobering things about studying human milk is just how much junk we can detect in it. Microplastics, pesticides, industrial chemicals – you name it, I’ve probably seen it in milk. That’s why when I was looking for a printing partner, I chose a company that only uses environmentally-friendly dyes, organic cotton, and renewable energy. Because, in the end, there’s not much difference between the health of our planet and the health of our kids.

I wouldn’t be who I am without all of these interests. There’s a lot of voices in my field that say that to really succeed, you need to eat, drink, sleep, and think only about science. But the truth is, if I had taken that advice, I wouldn’t just be a poorer person, I would be a poorer scientist.

Designing penguin sweaters makes me a better biochemist. And that’s cool with me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently live in San Diego, and one of the must-see places here is La Jolla Shores. It’s a strip of beach that has it all: beautiful sand, tidepools, shorebirds, seals, sea lions. There are often a whole crowd of baby seals in the winter, which are honestly too cute to describe. While you’re there, make sure to stop by the gelato shop Bobboi and get their pistachio gelato. It’s a must try, and since it’s San Diego, every day is gelato weather.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Izabela Sekowska Photography (@iza.s.photography). Izabela and I got puppies at the same time and have bonded over the chaos. We’re also founding members of Poodles against the Patriarchy: a definitely-not-made up club that focuses on dismantling systemic sexism and belly rubs. All are welcome!

Website: evidenceofsignificance.com

Instagram: @evidence.of.significance

Facebook: Evidence.of.Significance