Dr. Michelle Heck is a Research Molecular Biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), an Associate Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, as well as an Adjunct Professor in the school of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. Michelle studies interactions between the insects that infest plants, the pathogens that those insects can transmit, the diseases that can occur as a result, and new ways to control the spread of these diseases. Outside the lab, she loves spending time with her fantastic family, being a musician, watching her kids get interested in music, and cycling in scenic areas nearby. Michelle received her B.A. degree in biology from Boston University and her Ph.D. in biology from Watson School of Biological Sciences at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. She then conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University. Michell has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including the 2014 USDA ARS Herbert L. Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Scientist of the Year Award and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award in 2017. In our interview, Michelle shares more about her life and science.