Dr. Rabiah Mayas is currently the Science Director of Science Chicago. In this capacity she represents and advocates for Science Chicago to the greater Chicagoland scientific community, writes for and manages the Science Chicago Blog, and works with the Science Chicago team and Partners in program development, including advising on current and future science trends, innovations and research and how best to include them in public programming. Science Chicago was a year-long collaborative initiative that launched in September 2008 and concluded in August 2009 that highlighted science and technology achievements, increased access to science learning experiences, and promoted dialogue about the importance of science and technology.

In October 2009, Rabiah will begin work as the Science Director for the Center for the Advancement of Science Education at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

Rabiah earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The University of Chicago in 2007. Her graduate work was focused on investigating mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells establish fidelity in pre-mRNA splicing, a process which is estimated to be causative of ~50% of heritable, mutation-derived human disease. This work has provided key insight into how errors in splicing are prevented and has significant potential to be adapted to the human system for the study of the genesis and treatment of disease.

While working on her Ph.D., Rabiah served as a mentor for Chicago Youth Programs in Jackson Park, a classroom mentor for the University of Chicago BioOutreach Program at Paul Robeson High School and a research mentor for undergrad, graduate students and technicians. These experiences informed her decision to use her scientific training for public health and science education. Specifically, she is interested in bridging the knowledge gap between scientific academia and underserved communities in the U.S. and developing countries. In the long-term, her goal is to use her experience and research training to develop programs that advocate for scientific and health education and awareness in such communities.

Rabiah has been awarded numerous fellowships, honors and awards including a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Research Fellowship 2003-2006; a NIH Molecular and Cellular Biology Training Grant (2000-2003); and a Fogarty Minority International Research Training Program Scholarship (1998). She also has B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a Certificate in Modern Languages and Linguistics (French) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Dr. Mayas was also a certified Emergency Medical Technician 2000-2002.

Rabiah is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland and has an identical twin sister who is also a scientist – she earned her Ph.D. in microbiology from New York University in 2007. In her spare time Rabiah enjoys traveling, running half marathons and competing in triathlons.

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