Amanda Hurley

Amanda Hurley got a PhD from Princeton University in the Department of Molecular Biology. She grew up on a sheep farm in New Hampshire with two veterinarian parents so her interest in the life sciences was inevitable. At Princeton, she studied the bacterial communication process known as quorum sensing. Currently at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, she investigates how communities of bacteria talk to each other for the common good. Communication between humans also interests her. Specifically, advocating for science and the translation of primary scientific research into relatable stories.

Infectious component of celiac disease?

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I have been waiting for an article like this to be published. It’s finally arrived!! Anecdotal experiences from my very own life have evolved the following pet theory: presence of an antigen during a non-related immune response induces autoimmunity. Philosophically, cross-reactive immune response made perfect sense. All I needed was a pesky little thing called … Read more

We’ve discovered the most likely cause of cancer…and apparently it’s NOT bacon (Thank God).

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Driver mutation origin in Cancer Figure. I am obsessed with not getting cancer. I don’t smoke; I avoid deli meats. I even stopped eating bananas to off-set working with radiation in the lab. Turns out, I might be completely wasting my time. A new study in Science from a group at Johns Hopkins revealed that the most likely cause … Read more

Why it’s time to speak up

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Crawling out of my lab, I cower as the sunlight blinds my sensitive, indoor eyes. Thankfully, my shiny white coat reflects the burning sun from my pale skin. My crippled pipette hand hangs limply at my side. I am a scientist. And, if can you believe it, I’m leaving the lab. I urge fellow scientists to … Read more