Dr. Megna Tiwari’s scientific journey has been anything but linear—beginning as an undergraduate fascinated by biology, continuing through work as a blood bank laboratory technician, and advancing through a master’s, Ph.D., and postdoctoral training.

Her early research focused on infectious agents, but an unexpected encounter with glycobiology sparked a new scientific passion. Captivated by the intricate world of glycans, she began exploring how these small but powerful sugar molecules influence nearly every biological process—a realization she often sums up with the phrase, “From small sugars come big things.”

By the end of her Ph.D., Dr. Tiwari’s curiosity had expanded beyond the lab bench to include the question of how students thrive in science. This led her to combine her love for glycobiology with a growing dedication to science education research.

Now a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Erin Dolan and the BioF:GREAT team, Dr. Tiwari is helping to democratize glycoscience—developing, testing, and sharing glycoscience teaching materials designed to work across diverse classrooms and learning environments. Her overarching goal is to build national capacity for glycoscience education, ensuring that students and educators alike have access to the tools and knowledge needed to bring this vital field into mainstream biological education.