Dr. Theresa B. Loveless is an Assistant Professor of BioSciences at Rice University.

While attending high school in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Loveless found out that the growth and behavior of multicellular organisms can be explained by chemical reactions occurring in cells and has been primarily interested in biology ever since. From then through to the end of her Ph.D., she studied basic cell and molecular biology, with a focus on how cells respond to DNA damage. As a postdoc and faculty member, she has turned to synthetic biology, making “cellular flight recorders” that convert transient events in a living cell into permanent records in the cell’s DNA. A disabled scientist, Dr. Loveless has ample experience determining which accommodations will make it possible for her to perform her research. Now she mentors others in the disability community.