Kaela S. Singleton, PhD is a Black, Samoan and Queer neuroscientist turned campaign manger for Solving for Science. She is making the leap out of academia having recently completed a spectacularly successful postdoc in the Faundez lab at Emory University.
Over the years, Kaela has developed an expertise in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal development, and over those same years expanded this experience by sculpting a personal philosophy for the development of individuals and community. The ethos of Kaela’s career has been that the formation of a neuron is like that of a successful researcher; both processes are driven by intrinsic and extrinsic factors which interact to create a mature and unique individual. Aspects of her identity such as her Blackness and queerness represent intrinsic factors, while her experiences — particularly those in science and academia — represent extrinsic ones. She’s experienced both the misery of toxic, incompetent advisors in addition to the joy and fun of supportive mentors and a community of uplifting peers. These factors have inextricably linked her benchwork with activism and community building.
Kaela’s commitment to bettering STEM can be seen in her co-founding and leadership in Black in Neuro, and her numerous honors and awards including being named Agnes Scott College's Outstanding Young Alumnae in 2020, one of Cell Mentor's 1000 Inspiring Black Scientist, and Forbes' 30 under 30 class of 2022.
Her goal in the next phase of her career is to focus on the community aspect of her ethos and combine her knowledge in community building, activism and expertise in science to reimagine a brighter and better future for the scientific community.