When They Were Students ft. Catherine Lo
'When They Were Students' is a feature highlighting the diverse and unique journeys of our OHI team members into their current One Health careers.
Hi, I’m Catherine. I am a researcher with the SeaDoc Society, a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the UC Davis One Health Institute. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon consumed by countless hours of Rock Band, swim team practices, Girl Scouts, and Knox, the sticky hair-ripping gelatin cast I used as a synchronized swimmer.
When the time came to start thinking about my future, I knew I loved being in water and loved animals, but I had no idea what to do with that. That is until my older cousin brought up this low-key dream of hers to be a marine biologist. I ended up studying marine biology and chemistry at Oregon State University, went abroad in Australia for a semester, and then enrolled in an intensive undergraduate program at Hatfield Marine Science Center, a research lab based on the Oregon coast. I learned everything from zooplankton to large megafauna, to conservation and policy while developing my own mini research. I tend to think this sort of kickstarted the rest of my career. I worked on projects related to sea star wasting disease and then landed a part time intertidal ecology gig at the university. Fast forward to graduation, I scored my first marine mammal internship to study gray whale foraging ecology. Sea kayaking in a purple wetsuit was part of the research of course.
I grew a deep interest in combining veterinary research and marine ecology, but I wasn’t sure how I’d do that without a vet degree. Bland advice up to this point was get a PhD. That didn’t seem like the right path for me at the time. So, I researched jobs that interested me and compared skills that’d set me up for success. Looking back this became foundational to who I am today. I also knew I needed time away from school to prevent burnout so, I took a year off. In the summer/fall I studied for the GRE and cold emailed advisors to join their graduate program and then I mainly traveled a lot.
During my funemployment, I felt so fortunate that things were lining up for me. I landed a research internship at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA where I got my first taste in veterinary medicine and pathology and absolutely loved it. Come fall, I was moving to Florida to start my master’s in marine science and oceanography with a wildlife veterinary research lab. On top of doing my own thesis, I volunteered with other labs on campus, Fish and Wildlife, and the local zoo trying to get as many hands-on experiences as possible. As soon as I could, I submitted abstracts to share my research at conferences.
Picture this in 2018, a nervous wreck at her first Wildlife Disease Association conference. A friend had recommended SeaDoc Society based on my interests in wildlife conservation and veterinary research and I realized their Science Director was there. I walked up to Joe Gaydos, gave him my contact, and said…something? I must have blacked out.
I finished my master’s degree, worked for a sea turtle contract job and then for the State’s Environmental Resource Program. Then the pandemic hit and I found myself working from home trapped in an apartment. For a while I knew I wanted to come back to the West coast, and this was the final straw.
In 2020, a seasonal job for a non-profit which turned into a full-time contract position became available. I was to move across the country (again) to Friday Harbor, WA to study the behavior of endangered Southern Resident killer whales. I learned how much team building, planning, and inter-personal skills were necessary to succeed.
I wanted to stay connected with the veterinary world so I reached out to the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN) to volunteer with their necropsies. The SeaDoc Society and SJCMMSN have had a long-standing partnership responding to marine mammals and investigating disease. I showed up and participated as much as allowed and reconnected with Joe. As if I were done, I decided to go back to school taking night classes to get a certificate in statistics at the University of Washington. Having this under my belt made me feel better equipped to solve complex analytical problems, plus it was a nice boost in my CV.
Now 2.5 years in with the SeaDoc Society, I feel lucky with everything I’ve gotten to work on so far! I drive our research boats, help support a multi-collaborative killer whale health program, coordinate field work, manage data and run analyses, work with expert biologists and wildlife veterinarians, write scientific papers, continue to assist with necropsies, help manage our Competitive Grants Program to fund projects, and so much more. I get to be underwater as a research diver conducting surveys of young-of-year rockfish and come across crazy cool things like this velcro star eating a spotted ratfish. I pinch myself a lot when I think of all the late nights studying, early field work mornings, and dedication that has brought me to this extraordinary team committed to conserving and protecting marine wildlife and their ecosystems in a place I call home.
Advice For Aspiring Professionals
Some of the best advice I’ve ever received is finding a good mentor or peer(s) that will support you and your life goals. This career can be harsh at times, so surrounding yourself with a supportive network will help you see your worth, stay true to your values, and push you in the best way possible. Learn the hard skills (e.g. statistics, GIS, scientific writing) AND the soft skills (e.g. problem solving, team building, communication). Get involved and build your network as much as you can. Many skills are transferrable so try your best to think outside the box. Everyone’s journey is different so walk up to that person even if it seems scary, learn to own up to your failures, be open to new things, be enthusiastic, and find joy in what you’re doing.
