marla vacek broadfoot is a freelance science writer and editor who has published more than 250 articles about biomedical research. she currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at the university of north carolina at chapel hill and is a board member of the science communicators of north carolina.marla is the author of a place at the bench: women in biomedical research, a publication of the burroughs wellcome fund that explores the unique challenges faced by women in science. her work has been published by the raleigh news & observer and charlotte observer, american scientist, science news, the mayo clinic, the burroughs wellcome fund, science’s next wave, the university of north carolina at chapel hill, duke university, north carolina state university, and north carolina central university. from 2006 to 2007, she served as a senior public relations specialist at the duke university medical center news office, covering topics ranging from blind fungus to lung cancer diagnostics.before becoming a writer, marla was a postdoctoral fellow at the national human genome research institute and was awarded board certification in clinical molecular genetics by the american college of medical genetics in 2005. she received her phd in genetics and molecular biology from the university of north carolina at chapel hill in 2003.twitter: @mvbroadfoot