From Lab Bench to Bay Shore: How Local Science Protects Our Future

Dear neighbors,

As a professor of Biology and co-director of Climate HQ at San Francisco State University, I spend my days studying two seemingly different worlds: the intricate molecular signals that guide how organisms develop, and the microscopic communities that could help save our coastlines. What connects these research areas is their power to address challenges that hit close to home – literally.

My work in cell signaling focuses on understanding what goes wrong when development fails, contributing to our knowledge of birth defects and cancer mechanisms. Every breakthrough in this field potentially means more effective treatments for conditions and diseases that touch nearly every Bay Area household. Meanwhile, my research on microbes is helping restore Olympia oyster populations and develop natural defenses against the soil erosion threatening our low-lying communities as sea levels rise.

Both research programs share a crucial mission: training the next generation of diverse scientists who will tackle tomorrow’s challenges. The students in my lab today – many from underrepresented communities – are tomorrow’s researchers, environmental leaders, and very likely your next doctor or dentist.

This work matters because science isn’t abstract – it is deeply local. When we understand how cellular communication breaks down in cancer, we are working toward treatments for patients at UCSF and Stanford. When we harness beneficial microbes to prevent coastal erosion, we are protecting Hunter’s Point, Bayview, Alameda, Foster City and countless Bay Area neighborhoods built on reclaimed land. When we restore native oyster populations, we are filtering our bay waters and supporting the fishing communities that have sustained this region for generations.

The Bay Area shaped me as a scientist through its culture of innovation and its recognition that environmental health and human health are inseparable. This community taught me that good science serves people, especially those most vulnerable to environmental and health disparities.

When people ask me who I work for, I tell them the truth: I work for you. As a professor at a public university, my salary comes from taxpayers, and my research is funded by agencies – such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the California Coastal Conservancy – that answer to you. That means every discovery in my lab, every student I train, every paper I publish is an investment you have made in our collective future.

Now I am asking you to invest in that tradition. Take the Citizens for Science Pledge at tiny.cc/sciencepledge to support evidence-based decision making in our communities. Contact your representatives about funding for scientific research – it is not just an abstract good, but a direct investment in Bay Area resilience. And consider how your own expertise, whatever field you’re in, might contribute to solving the challenges we face together.

Science works best when it’s a community effort. The discoveries happening in our local labs today will determine whether future generations inherit thriving baylands, effective cancer treatments, and the diverse scientific workforce we need to keep innovating. That’s worth supporting.

Laura (Kai) Burrus, PhD

Professor, Department of Biology

San Francisco State University