“Visibility is important for mental health, for standing up to injustices, and for mentoring current colleagues and future scientists.” – Lauren Esposito
Dr. Lauren Esposito is an entomologist from El Paso, Texas and one of the world’s only women scorpion experts. Her passion for studying insects and birds began from a young age, including a first-grade science project studying the Mendelian genetics of pigeon colors. With a growing interest in studying arachnids during undergrad, she earned a PhD in arachnology from the City University of NY (2011). After her graduate studies, Esposito studied scorpion genetic information and studied the use of scorpion venom in cancer research and medication. Currently at UC-Berkeley, her research revolves around the evolution of scorpion venom and distribution of scorpions in the Caribbean. Wanting to make an impact through outreach apart from research, she created the organization 500 Queer Scientists as a network of LGBTQ+ scientists worldwide. Being openly queer herself, Esposito was inspired to create the organizations after learning that over 40% of LGBTQ+ scientists in the US were not ‘out’ to their colleagues. For her work in outreach, she received the Walt Westman Award by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP), the highest honor that the NOGLSTP awards to a member.