BioBus helps K-12 and college students discover, explore, and pursue science. We focus on students excluded from the scientific community due to factors such as race, gender, economic status, and physical access. Through this work, we envision a world where all people have the opportunity to reach their full scientific potential. We’ve reached 350,000 students at more than 900 schools and community organizations since 2008, primarily NYC public and charter schools and as far away as New England, California, and even Rwanda, Egypt and Jordan. BioBus students connect with scientists from diverse backgrounds, learn lab and research skills, practice science communication, and take steps to become the next generation of scientists and problem-solvers, making the world better for all of us. Our students access and become part of the scientific community through introductory science labs aboard our mobile labs at their schools; after school, weekend, and summer programs; and year-long internships. We offer programs city-wide with a focus on Harlem, the Bronx, and the Lower East Side.
Learn more in our most recent annual report, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. For media inquiries, please refer to our press kit.
Students discover the excitement of hands-on science aboard our Mobile Labs, equipped with $75,000 microscope and staffed by scientists. Parked in front of a school, entire classes of pre-K through twelfth-grade students climb on board for inquiry-based, hands-on, standards-aligned lab sessions.
After 45-minutes aboard a BioBus Mobile Lab, students have more positive attitudes towards science and want to do more. Eight to twelve week BioBus “Explore” programs at existing schools and community centers provide the students opportunities to develop their own research practice. At the same time, BioBus scientists build site staff's capacity to run inquiry-based research programs, as well as help equip sites with hardware and supplies.
We further support our students in becoming tomorrow’s scientific leaders through our “Pursue” paid internships for high school and college students. BioBus interns develop an independent science research project while serving as mentors to many of our younger students through teaching. "Pursue" and some "Explore" programs are located at BioBase Harlem @ Columbia's Zuckerman Institute. At this community lab, students work side-by-side with BioBus scientists and use the same advanced research microscopes found aboard our mobile labs.
BioBus is not a museum. BioBus is not a classroom. BioBus is not a fairground ride. BioBus is not even (always) a bus. BioBus is the research science lab that is in front of your school, at your block party, in front of your neighborhood park, in your summer camp, and at the college you want to attend. From the time you are four years old until college and beyond, BioBus supports your journey to make science part of your life, wherever that journey leads.
Mobile science laboratories have been identified as an important part of improving science education by NYC elected officials,1 the National Institutes of Health,2 and the National Academy of Sciences.3
80% of our staff are from groups underrepresented in STEM fields, an important factor in inspiring the primarily black, Hispanic, and female students with whom we work.4,5
95% of teachers requesting return visits from the BioBus because of the passion for science it ignites in their students.
65% of our students are African American or Latino.
Over two-thirds of the schools the BioBus visits serve low-income communities.
Internal and external research-level evaluations show significant positive impacts on student attitudes towards science following BioBus programs.
Eighty-four percent of teachers rate the BioBus as "equally," "more," or "much more" valuable to their students as compared to a visit to the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Hall of Science, or the Liberty Science Center.
Survey results and conversations with parents confirm that many students experience a dramatic positive shift in their attitudes towards science as a result of enrolling in BioBase courses.
1 Lost In Space: Science Education in New York City Public Schools, New York City Council, 2004), page 22
2 nihsepa.org program has provided major grants to three different mobile lab programs
3 America’s Lab Report (2005) National Academies of Sciences, page 176
4 Research Shows Why Misty Copeland Is So Important
5Under-represented and underserved: Why minority role models matter in STEM
Ben Dubin-Thaler, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Ben created BioBus in 2008 after completing his Ph.D. in Biology as well as his B.A. in Physics and Mathematics at Columbia University. “Dr. Ben,” as he is known to students aboard the BioBus, started BioBus as an experiment to test his hypothesis that, given the opportunity to use research-microscopes to perform hands-on experiments, anyone would be excited about science and want to do more. Ben and his team create a new kind of laboratory space that is empowering, accessible, un-intimidating, and that facilitates scientific engagement amongst populations historically underrepresented in science professions. Ben, now a recognized nonprofit and science education leader who is regularly invited to speak and consult for other organizations, hopes to create a future in which people from all cultures and backgrounds have equal opportunities to practice and understand science. Ben is a former Mobile Lab Coalition board member.
Read moreLatasha Wright, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Executive Scientific Officer
Latasha received her Ph.D. from NYU Langone Medical Center in cell and molecular biology. She continued her scientific training at Johns Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has co-authored numerous publications, presented her work at international and national conferences. BioBus enables Latasha to share her love of science with a new generation of scientists. Latasha spearheaded the creation of the first BioBase community lab, the BioBus internship program, and our Harlem expansion. Everyday that Latasha spends teaching students about science in this transformative environment helps her remember that science is fun. She loves sharing the journey of discovery with students of all ages.
Read moreChristine Marizzi, Ph.D.
Director of Community Science, Harlem
Christine graduated from the University of Vienna, Austria, with a Ph.D. in Genetics. With 13+ years in national and international science education, she dedicates her time, energy and intellect to build frameworks that help students realize their greatest potential in STEM fields and provide traditionally under-represented minorities with multiple entry points to academic and professional careers in STEM disciplines. She frequently consults on best practices for student-centered, place-based science education, and serves as scientific reviewer for international journals, funding agencies and science centers. Her deep interest in biological systems and data visualization also led to several critically acclaimed projects at the intersection between technology, art, and science with a wide range of collaborators. Her current position at BioBus allows her to combine her extensive training in science with her passion for science communication and outreach in a nonprofit environment.
Read moreRobert Frawley, Ph.D.
Lead Community Scientist
Robert Frawley, Ph.D., Lead Community Scientist, received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University and a Ph.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College. He joined the BioBus team in 2016. As a graduate student, he worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery as a research assistant studying the physics and chemistry of how bones form and how the soft tissue in our spines can be manipulated to decrease pain. Rob is also an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College, teaching microbiology and epidemics. He is a credentialed swim coach with several NYC-based swim teams and can often be found making puns and drawing comics. Every day, Rob looks forward to getting to know the Harlem community better, bringing his unique blend of engineer, educator, and science nerd to 3D print microscopes, recruit scientists as BioBus volunteers, and get to talk with students of all ages about science.
Read moreTessa Hirschfeld-Stoler, M.A., M.Phil.
Senior Community Scientist
Tessa graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Neurobiology & Behavior. She then entered the Ph.D. program in Cellular, Molecular, Biomedical Sciences at Columbia University where she earned an M.A. and M.Phil researching Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Tessa joined the lab of Mark Ansorge where her research focused on the role of the serotonin system in the development of anxiety and depression disorders. During graduate school, she discovered a deep passion for science education through her 6+ years of volunteer teaching in NYC public schools and as a volunteer at BioBus! As a Scientist at BioBus, she works with students, community partners, and research institutions to provide opportunities for students from all backgrounds to pursue hands-on science experiences and explore science research! Her goal is to support her students to become the next generation of scientists!
Read moreMaia Yoshida, M.A.
Senior Community Scientist
Maia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Cellular & Molecular Biology. She then spent two years at the Lim Lab at the University of California, San Francisco, studying immune cell cytokine signaling networks and their applications for engineering cell therapies that target cancers. She also headed the lab's outreach efforts, developing programs in collaboration with the Exploratorium and the California College of the Arts and became excited about science education that integrates the arts. This led her to pursue a M.A. in STEM Education at King's College London as a Thouron Scholar. There, she conducted original research with the Institute of Imagination on children’s perceptions of the relationship between maker education and inquiry-based science learning and also interned with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to develop a program focused on inspiring and supporting youth plant science interests through design-based approaches. Maia believes in BioBus's mission of supporting science education that is relevant, creative, and inspiring, emphasizing that science is everywhere and for everyone!
Read moreAshley Pirovano, M.P.S.
Director of Community Science, Lower East Side
Ashley graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a B.S. in Biology and earned a Master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry while studying communication between endophytic bacteria and biofuel feedstocks. Ashley has worked in formal and informal science education since 2017. She has developed several community-driven programs, including the Neighborhood Soil Science Curriculum, Afterschool Science Hour events, and the Student Town Hall YouTube series. Ashley was awarded the PASEsetter Award for her achievements in out of school education in 2022. Ashley is proud to work at BioBus where she has the platform to empower young people of color to reach their scientific potential!
Read moreGrace Avecilla, Ph.D.
Lead Community Scientist
Grace received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Central Florida and a Ph.D. in Biology from New York University. During undergrad, Grace worked in several labs, studying the evolution of grasshoppers, discovering single-celled eukaryotes from ocean water samples, and investigating an insect that transmits bacteria which cause disease in orange trees. As a Ph.D. student, Grace used experimental evolution of baker’s yeast and computer simulations to study how genomes evolve in response to stressful environments. Grace loves talking to students about their questions about the world, and is excited to teach them how they can answer those questions with science!
Read moreMarina Delgado
Senior Community Scientist
Marina graduated from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, where she majored in Interdisciplinary Science––a field that addresses planetary health challenges through the gathering, management and interpretation of data. Marina received a Eugene Lang Opportunity Award and a Mohn Family Foundation Scholarship Award in Summer 2017, funding her research experience at the Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico in her home country of Argentina, where she studied the endangerment of prehistoric tree Pehuen, and increased awareness of the tree's cultural and sacrilegious importance to Patagonia's indigenous people, los Mapuche. Throughout her college career, she held three merit-based fellowship positions, the last of which focused in culturally-competent science education with a strong foundation in social justice. She recently extended her education in Cornell Small Farm's Community Mushroom Educator training program, in which she studied how to build access to mushroom growing for BIPOC in NYC's Lower East Side. Marina’s community engagement work and service as a fellow has shaped her passion for the intersections between education and social justice. As a bicultural Latina, having the opportunity to give young BIPOC a positive experience with science is especially valuable to her.
Read moreCandida Barreto
Community Scientist
Candida graduated from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts and majored in Interdisciplinary Science; the program focuses on addressing planetary health issues through a social justice lens and applying this knowledge to real-world scenarios. Candida received the Mohn Science and Social Justice Fellowship award from Summer 2019-Summer 2021, which funded her internship experiences at Public Health Solutions working on data analysis for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), and at BioBus studying soil composition and mycoremediation in NYC Community Gardens, as well as developing outreach models for the hispanic community city-wide. Most recently she worked with the Lower East Side Ecology Center as an education intern where she developed an urban ecology-based curriculum in partnership with Henry Street Settlement. As a native New Yorker, she is passionate about giving back to under-resourced communities throughout the city with a close focus on Hispanic and Immigrant communities.
Read moreMollie Thurman, M.A.
Director of Community Science, New England
Mollie works with a wide network of academic partners and educators to bring the experience of scientific research to young people in New York and New England. Since joining BioBus, Mollie has designed and managed a variety of programs inspired by her former research topics, marine science and urban ecology. She is especially interested in connecting academic researchers with students in both formal and informal educational settings. Leading a team of BioBus educators, interns and professional scientists, she has worked on many novel research questions. Her favorite project to date was studying the prevalence of microplastics in the guts of East River filter feeders -- spearheaded by a group of NYC middle schoolers. Mollie received her M.A. from Columbia University in conservation biology, and has worked as a researcher with the Harvard School of Public Health and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Originally from Gloucester, Massachusetts, she is thrilled to be leading the expansion of BioBus programs to New England.
Read moreJamie Aubin
Director of Community Science, New England
Jamie is an experienced educator and project manager. She attended the University of Cincinnati in her hometown where she graduated with a degree in Sociology. Over the course of her career Jamie has worn many hats. She has worked for a children’s hospital, managed a public library, and she will talk your ear off about space if you let her. The majority of her career has been spent in museums where she has done everything from designing exhibits to cleaning dinosaur bones and sleeping in caves (to name just a few). More than anything however, she loves building communities and supporting them in what they need most. As the Director of Community Science for the New England team, Jamie is thrilled to help achieve exactly that as she and her team work to introduce students to science and the wondrous world around them.
Read moreAlice Chou, Ph.D.
Lead Community Scientist, New England
Alice is a marine neuroethologist with a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. As a doctoral student in the Cronin lab, she discovered a new region in mantis shrimp brains. Driven by questions about the interactions between neural dynamics and climate change, she continued as a postdoctoral research fellow in Eve Marder’s laboratory at Brandeis University while also working as a Fellow with the Brandeis Science Communications Lab. Although she specializes in crustaceans and neuroscience, chapters of her scientific story include bribing monkeys, wrangling skates, and poking honey bee brains. Alice is particularly enthusiastic about catalyzing curiosity about the science embedded in our daily lives through community collaboration and social justice. She has over 10 years of experience teaching informally and formally across age groups, and directed a community-oriented, not-for-profit youth leadership summer camp during college. When life was (mostly) remote, she even leveraged the digitization of our lives to connect with an even broader audience through science podcasts and livestreams. She believes that accessibility is key to making science inclusive and equitable, and is excited to contribute to expanding BioBus into New England.
Read moreBella Duati
Community Scientist, New England
Bella received a B.S. in Earth and Environmental sciences from Syracuse University. Bella is the Recipient of the Community Engaged Internship for the 2021 New York Sea Grant. During her internship she helped create a survey and collected data with the goal of standardizing seining methods to improve monitoring efforts. Bella’s undergraduate research project focused on sampling annual growth bands from fossil mollusks as old as 3.5 Million Years! The geochemical signals achieved in the shell help reconstruct how warm Earth’s climate was the last time atmospheric CO2 concentrations were as high as today. Bella’s passion for the ocean led her on a sailing expedition nonstop from San Francisco to Hawaii. Bella’s fervor for exploration is something she is excited to instill in young minds and help to inspire a new generation of scientists.
Read moreLuz Velasco, M.S.
Lead Community Scientist
Luz’s first contact with BioBus was as a volunteer in 2021. She is originally from Guatemala and lived for over ten years in Brazil, where she went to undergrad and grad school and researched rainforests, science education, and science communication. During her bachelor’s degree, she studied carbon stock in forests of Rio de Janeiro and interned in Climate Change laboratories where she studied biodiversity in tropical rainforests. During her master’s degree in Science Communication, she studied using technology as a means of communication to raise awareness for biodiversity conservation. She is pursuing her Ph.D. at Fordham University in Education, specializing in STEM and Innovative Instruction. She is passionate about science and wants to study ways to provide access to science education to society, especially underserved populations.
Read moreSedef Tinaztepe, Ph.D.
Supervisor of Program Operations
Sedef first climbed aboard BioBus I in 2014 as a New York Academy of Sciences STEM mentor, and continued as a volunteer scientist long after the mentoring program was over. She officially joined the BioBus staff in January 2018, upon completing her Ph.D. studies in Genetics and Development at Columbia University. An experienced molecular biologist, Sedef has worked at a number of research and clinical laboratories, studying molecular genetics of diverse organisms such as humans, viruses, mosquitoes, and grasses. She believes that hands-on experiences play a critical role in developing an appreciation of science, and she is excited to inspire and support young scientists of NYC at BioBus.
Read moreAndrea Canova, M.A.
Program Coordinator
Andrea is a nonprofit youth development professional originally from Boulder, Colorado. She holds degrees from Colorado State University (BA in International Studies with a concentration in Latin America) and from CUNY School of Professional Studies (MA in Youth Studies). During her undergraduate years, Andrea studied for a year in Argentina and Costa Rica and during her graduate years, she researched youth programs in NYC and Bogotá, Colombia. Over the course of her career, Andrea has worked with youth programs at Global Kids, The New York Hall of Science, the YMCA, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and is excited to continue her career with BioBus! When Andrea is not in the office, you can find her adventuring out of the city, hiking, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Read moreDana Bethune
Director of Business Operations
Dana Bethune is a seasoned business operations professional with a diverse skill set that includes administration, public relations and project management as well as a strong commitment to social justice. Before joining BioBus, she served as a consultant for Shake the Table, a non-profit dedicated to advancing racial, gender, and economic justice. She also played a pivotal role in leading the internal COVID-19 response for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Employee Health Program. Earlier in her career, Dana offered high-level support to the Executive Director of the NoVo Foundation and was Director of PR and Executive Administrator at Deborah Hughes Inc., a boutique firm specializing in public relations and events for the fashion industry and non-profit organizations. Dana earned a BBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and an Executive MBA from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.
Read moreDanny Valdes
IT Lead
Danny graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Philosophy. Like Dr. Ben, Danny was wary of getting ‘trapped’ in the world of academia and so moved to New York City in 2009 hoping to make a difference in the field of education. Danny is dedicated to spreading BioBus’ mission of making education a fun and interactive experience accessible to all students. He manages all BioBus technology systems and is a Salesforce Administrator, managing the highly customized database used for program operations and development.
Read moreRobert Horrace
Director of Community Facilities
Robert brings over 30 years of touring and event experience to the BioBus mission. His background includes Event and Logistics Planning, as well as Tour and Production Management in the Entertainment Industry. Robert’s extensive Transportation Management experience provides support to our Community Facilities maintenance program, while developing team wellness and ongoing compliance with F.M.C.S.A. and O.S.H.A. safety standards.
Read moreRory Verga
Senior Driver of Community Facilities
Rory earned an Associates degree in Environmental Science from Queensborough Community College. He joined BioBus in the spring of 2017 to help transport the BioBus mobile labs all over New York City, believing in the organization’s mission in making science more accessible to the future generation of scientists. Prior to his arrival at BioBus, Rory drove and operated various kinds of heavy equipment for the NYC Department of Parks urban forestry service for 33 years. Rory is the primary driver for BioBus’s flagship mobile laboratory, a retrofitted 1974 transit bus.
Read moreJosue Payero
Driver and Facilities Specialist
Josue joined BioBus in 2023. He holds a Class A commercial driver license and is known for his safe driving skills, careful equipment handling, knowledge of low-voltage electronics, Spanish translation abilities, positive attitude, and unflappable demeanor.
Read moreSasha Chait
Executive Development Officer
Sasha built and leads the fundraising, government relations, and communications efforts at BioBus. Since she joined the organization in 2015, annual operating revenue has quadrupled, thanks to many dedicated and new supporters. Sasha earned a BA in International Development and Social Change with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship at Clark University. Prior to BioBus, she worked at NYU Langone Medical Center, fundraising for biomedical research, healthcare for underserved people, and medical education. Sasha brings an equity and justice lens to her work through Community-Centric Fundraising and regular DEIB training.
Read moreSean Kelly, M.A.
Development Lead
Sean is a nonprofit development professional from New Hampshire with backgrounds in education and opera. He holds degrees from Hofstra University (BA Classics, BS Music – Vocal Performance) and the University of Notre Dame (MA, Classics), and worked on a doctorate in Classical Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. He was co-founder and director of The People’s Opera, an Oxford-based student-run opera company. As a theater practitioner, Sean is interested particularly in choruses and the way that meaning is produced by, among, and between groups of people. Similarly, as a fundraiser, Sean is interested in community-centric models of nonprofit administration.
Read moreJocelyn Curran
Government and Communications Associate
Jocelyn joined BioBus in 2022 after holding multiple roles in External Affairs, Marketing and Communications, and Volunteer Engagement at Food Bank for New York City, the city’s largest hunger relief organization. She is particularly proud of her work on the Woman to Woman campaign to bring relief to the thousands of New Yorkers facing period poverty, which was recognized by the Anthem Awards in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion category. Jocelyn volunteers with Earth Matter to maintain the Governor's Island Lavender Field and with FabScrap to sort discarded fabric to combat textile waste. Jocelyn holds a BA from Lasell University in Fashion Media and Marketing with a focus on industry sustainability.
Read moreAlison Dell, Ph.D.
Lead Community Scientist
Alison is a molecular biologist and artist. Alison likes creating drawings and designs based on living materials and systems, and likes thinking about how neurons make connections and communicate through cell signaling. Alison believes that science is everywhere and everyone should be welcome in lab, which is one reason she's so excited to join the Biobus team. Dell is co-founder of Art in the Lab - an ongoing series of free public events that mix drawing and laboratory work and is the incoming co-chair of the American Society of Cell Biology's Education Committee. Dell received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she now teaches Biodesign in the department of Fine Art and Design.
Read moreSarah Weisberg, M.Sci.
Co-Founder
Sarah joined BioBus as a co-founder in 2010 after completing a Master’s of Science degree in Cell Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Prior, Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College with a degree in Biology and Linguistics. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Stony Brook University, where her work explores climate change impacts on fish and on the resilience of marine food webs. There, Sarah is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded fellow as part of the Scientific Training and Research to Inform DEcisions (STRIDE) program. Over her years at BioBus, Sarah has become a leader in science outreach – mobile and stationary; she has served as Chair of the Mobile Laboratory Coalition, as co-founder of SOWING: a network for science outreach, and she regularly develops and implements outreach plans for NSF-funded projects. Sarah is happiest when she is building inclusive science communities and using scientific research to advance equity.
Read more- Columbia's Zuckerman Institute
- Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens
- Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC)
- Lower East Side Ecology Center
- NYU Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC)
- Billion Oyster Project
- BraiNY, Greater NYC Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience
- Dana Foundation’s Brain Awareness Week
- Columbia SEBS (Science and Engineers for a Better Society)
- Earth Day NYC
- Girls Prep
- Harlem Week
- HypotheKIDS
- Imagine Science Films
- Lowline Lab
- Maker Faire
- Math For America
- New York Hall of Science (NYSCI)
- New York City School District 1
- NYC Department of Education Citizen Science Program
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
- RockEdu (Rockefeller University Science Outreach)
- World Science Festival
BioBus is grateful for the support of generous donors and partners, including:
New York City Council and Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens Borough Presidents
New York State Senate and Assembly
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
New York City Economic Development Corporation
Flu Lab
Science Sandbox, an Initiative of the Simons Foundation
Richard Lounsbery Foundation
Regeneron
Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
New York University
Columbia's Zuckerman Institute
City College of New York STEM Institute
National Grid
Con Edison
West Harlem Development Corporation
Manton Foundation
Marcus Partners
Harvard University
Northeastern University
Zeiss
BioBus also relies on the generosity of many individuals like you. Thank you.
Learn more at donate.biobus.org.
