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Alix Deymier is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Dental Medicine at UConn Health. Initially interested in science through art conservation and ceramics, Alix is a materials scientist whose lab examines dental ceramics (or bones) and acid-base diseases that affect those materials. She chronicles her training and emphasizes the importance of negotiation. Thanks to a mutual understanding with her advisers, Alix was able to pursue her intellectual interests at every turn, and when it came time to start her independent research career in 2017, she continued the types of projects she started during her postdoctoral position. Located in Farmington, Connecticut, UConn Health provides a beautiful and interdisciplinary environment where Alix can learn from experts from medicine, dentistry, and engineering. Encouraging other faculty members to include their preferred gender pronouns in email signatures, Alix Deymier is also passionate about diversity and inclusion in academia and scientific research, and she draws from her own experiences as part of the LGBTQ community to become an advocate for others. Alix says that she’s too proud of her interests outside of work not to share them publicly, so on the first day of class to her students, she gives a presentation called “I Have a Life,” where she shows her involvement in political protests and hobbies like dance. Her message is that it’s OK to be a scientist who loves other things in life besides science.