Gaius J. Augustus, PhD
Creative and Independent Thinker
I believe in taking a creative approach to problem-solving while implementing new technologies and solid analytical practices.
Creative mindset
Solving problems often means breaking out of the box. I believe that embracing new tech and collaborating with other diverse thinkers are essential components of solving the most difficult problems.
Lifelong learner
I taught myself web development in middle school. Took physics for fun in high school. I learned animation while in film school. Returning to university for science, I joined 2 research labs, and then jumped into a new field for my PhD. I love learning new things.
Integrity & Honesty
I take pride in everything that I do, which means it needs to be done correctly and efficiently. This is never done in a vacuum, requiring effective communication and respect for others’ time and expertise. That’s the quality I bring to every project.
My first career path was art. I went to a fine arts high school and university, where I learned drawing, painting, sculpting, graphic design, and video production.
Now, I integrate my artistic and scientific skills to complete and communicate projects.
I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in 2014, majoring in Integrative Studies. This program was dedicated to giving motivated students the ability to customize a course plan in order to pursue a specific career goal. I chose a balance of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology courses to get a good foundation for my continued education in the biomedical sciences.
For my PhD, I continued to integrate fields, learning bioinformatics, statistics, and epidemiology to try to tease apart risk factors and mechanisms that drive cancer progression. I was particularly interested in focusing on health disparities, hoping that my small contribution to the scientific body of knowledge might improve the lives of underserved patient populations.
Every project – whether creative, scientific, or policy driven – requires strong communication skills. In addition to my PhD work, I joined the University of Arizona Cancer Center communications team to improve those skills. I brought my visual background to the team, creating infographics and animations about recent research. But I also learned a lot about crafting scientific stories for multiple audiences.
