The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
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Director of the Cell and Molecular Imaging Center at San Francisco State University
A: My name is Annette Chan and I use she/her pronouns. I received my undergraduate degree in zoology at UC Berkeley, and later completed my PhD in plant biology there as well. After graduate school I worked for about eight years in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute lab at UC Berkeley as a staff microscopist and cell biologist.
Today I’m the Director of the Cell and Molecular Imaging Center (CMIC) at San Francisco State University, where I’ve worked for the past 20 years. The CMIC is a microscopy and flow cytometry facility that supports research across many departments.
For nearly 30 years I’ve been teaching people how to use microscopes and imaging technologies and helping them with their research. I’ve trained more than 1,000 students one-on-one at San Francisco State alone—undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, technicians, and even high school students. The projects that come through the facility are incredibly diverse. I’ve helped people study everything from bacteria and cancer cells to zebrafish, octopus, fossils, mineral samples, and semiconductor materials.
My work is really about helping other scientists do their science. Every day I’m supporting new research and helping people learn tools that allow them to explore the microscopic world.
A: My connection to The Lawrence Hall of Science actually goes all the way back to childhood. My parents used to take me there when I was young, and I absolutely loved it. I also visited on school field trips, so The Lawrence was a place that really shaped my early love of science.
In 1987, when I was at UC Berkeley, I saw an article in The Daily Californian announcing that The Lawrence was starting a new docent volunteer program. It sounded like the perfect opportunity for me because it combined my love of science and teaching in a place that I already loved. I joined that first cohort of docents, and I’ve been volunteering ever since.
That means I’ve been volunteering at The Lawrence for nearly 40 years!
Over the years I’ve helped in many different ways—supporting events like Ice Cream Day and the Future of Food event, participating in outreach activities like Maker Faire and the Solano Stroll, and working in spaces like the Biotech Lab and Ingenuity Lab. I enjoy doing whatever is needed, whether that’s helping visitors with activities or assembling Sunprint kits.
More recently I’ve also been involved through the San Francisco Microscopical Society and The Lawrence’s microscope programs, where I help maintain microscopes, prepare slides, and assist with demonstrations. It’s a wonderful way to combine my professional expertise with my volunteer work.
A: Collaboration and strong relationships are essential to the kind of work I do. Modern science is rarely the work of a single individual—it usually involves teams of people approaching a problem from many different angles.
The equipment we use in microscopy facilities is extremely sophisticated and expensive. For example, one of our confocal microscopes cost nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. Because individual labs often cannot afford this equipment themselves, shared facilities like the CMIC allow researchers from many departments to access these tools.
That means I collaborate constantly with faculty and students across the university. I help them design experiments, train them on the equipment, and work with them to analyze their data.
Science today depends on collaboration. When people work together—combining their expertise, tools, and perspectives—we’re able to tackle the complex scientific challenges that no single person or lab could solve alone.
A: Microscopy itself is naturally engaging because it’s so visual. When people look through a microscope and see cells or microorganisms for the first time, they’re often immediately amazed by what they see.
Accessibility is also an important part of the mission of the Cell and Molecular Imaging Center. One of our guiding principles is that we never turn anyone away for lack of funding. Running a microscopy facility is expensive, but students and faculty are still able to use the equipment even if they don’t have grant funding. Some microscopes in our facility are also completely free for researchers to use.
Accessibility also means making science understandable. I’m always thinking about how to explain concepts more clearly, and I often observe other instructors or training sessions to improve how I teach microscopy.
Inclusivity is also built into the history of our facility. The CMIC was established through a Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) grant from the National Institutes of Health, specifically to support institutions like San Francisco State that serve many low-income and underrepresented students. Every day I work with students from many different backgrounds and help them gain experience with advanced scientific tools.
Through my volunteer work at The Lawrence Hall of Science, I also help make science engaging and accessible for people of all ages. I love seeing visitors—from toddlers to adults—get excited about everyday science through activities that connect science to things like food, music, or art.
A: I believe that science is for everyone, and that everyone should have at least some scientific knowledge so they can make informed decisions about their health, their environment, and the world around them.
If someone is considering a career in science, I encourage them to think about whether they enjoy curiosity and problem-solving. Do they like figuring out how things work? Do they enjoy observing the world closely and asking questions?
At the same time, it’s important to be honest that science can be challenging. Experiments often fail, and the work can be repetitive. But those challenges are also part of the process of discovery.
Many of the students I work with at San Francisco State face additional barriers. They may be first-generation college students, working jobs while studying, or dealing with financial pressures. I see imposter syndrome affect many of them. But I also see how incredibly hard they work and how determined they are.
My advice is to remember what sparked your interest in science in the first place, find mentors who support you, and don’t give up. There are also many ways to engage with science—through teaching, communication, policy, or education—so you can find a path that fits your interests.
A: If everyone felt welcome in science, we would see a much greater diversity of people entering scientific fields. That diversity would bring new perspectives, ideas, and innovations.
The problems we face today—climate change, health challenges, environmental issues—are incredibly complex. Solving them will require many different viewpoints and experiences working together.
When science becomes more inclusive, it becomes stronger.
A: I actually have several science heroes.
When I was young, I admired Marie Curie for her dedication and persistence in scientific research. I’ve also long admired environmental scientists and advocates like Jane Goodall and Jacques Cousteau.
I’m also deeply inspired by mentors in my own life. Dr. Steve Ruzin, who directed the Biological Imaging Facility at UC Berkeley, taught me a great deal about microscopy and how to run a research facility. My PhD advisor, Dr. Zach Cande, showed me how someone can be both an excellent scientist and have a well-rounded life outside the lab.
Another science hero of mine is my high school chemistry teacher, Ms. Tanya Phillips. When I wanted to enter a science fair, another teacher refused to sponsor me. But Ms. Phillips supported me, let me work in her classroom during lunch, and encouraged me to pursue my project. I eventually won the American Chemical Society Award for the best chemistry project that year. Her support had such a profound impact on me that I later named my first son Phillip after her.
And finally, one of my more unconventional science heroes is Spock from Star Trek. Watching that show when I was young made me dream about becoming a scientist. In fact, years later I even worked as a writing intern for Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was an incredible experience and a reminder of how powerful science inspiration can be.
A: Science can be difficult. Experiments often fail, the work can be repetitive, and there is constant pressure to succeed. But despite all of that, science should fundamentally be fun.
There is nothing quite like the moment when an experiment finally works—when you see something new under the microscope or make a discovery that no one else has seen before. That moment of discovery is incredibly exciting.
Because I work in microscopy, I constantly get to see beautiful and fascinating things at the cellular level. The microscopic world is full of patterns, structures, and processes that inspire a sense of awe.
And beyond my own discoveries, one of my greatest joys is seeing others experience that excitement. Sometimes I hear students cheering or shouting with excitement when their experiments finally work. Watching people discover something new is one of the most rewarding parts of my career.