Meet Betty Booker Morning, Ph.D. | Senior Scientist, Research & Development – Genomics

We had the good fortune of connecting with Betty Booker Morning, Ph.D. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Betty, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
One of most impactful books in my earlier years was the “Third Life of Grange Copeland” by Alice Walker. It’s a must read for those of us hoping to understand the complexities of people or hoping to become better versions of ourselves. The main character goes through several iterations of himself before becoming a morally responsible and is unrecognizable, in those aspects, to his earlier adulthood. It’s also based during a time when African Americans were subjected to many psychological and economic hardships at the hands of America, so this also provided a look at how we are often doing our best with what we have at the moment. Overall, the book helped me understand and give more empathy to those I encounter. I encourage professionals to read and understand that we are all “works in progress” as we transition throughout life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I am a Senior Scientist in Research & Development at Advanced Cell Diagnostics, Genomics Division, an RNA in situ biotechnology company in Fremont, CA. Our technology offers a revolutionary assay for biomarker analysis, capturing gene expression in situ which can be visualized within intact tissue. This provides molecular detection in a morphological context to better understand cell-to-cell communication. Identifying RNA expression at the single cell level within the morphological context provides a great deal of information over conventional techniques that analyze bulk tissue, such as identifying the precise cellular and sub-cellular location of RNA, as well as validation of high-throughput expression analyses. Our technology can help answer research questions in multiple fields of study, such as examining intra-tumor heterogeneity and tumor-stroma interactions, identifying autocrine and paracrine cellular networks, and examining viral replication and transmission with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). My day-to-day work focuses on developing RNA molecules to target biomarkers in research and clinical samples.

As a Biomedical Scientist, our training includes intensive coursework with lab training to test our hypothesis-driven research leading to published data in peer-reviewed Biomedical research journals.

In 2015, I completed my Postdoctoral training in the Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences (Dr. Nadav Ahituv Lab) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), my research focused on human limb malformations and development. Limb malformations occur 1 in 500 births in the U.S. and can range from mild (polydacytly) to more severe (monodactyly) phenotypes. Using comparative genomics, this research identified non-coding regulatory DNA sequences, also known as enhancers, critical in vertebrate limb evolution and human limb development. In 2010, I completed my graduate studies in Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Dr. Patrick Higgins’ Lab. My Ph.D. dissertation work focused on DNA structure and topology during replication and analysis of topoisomerases and chromosome structure in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium using Lambda Red Recombineering. In short, how chromosomes are organized and managed to stay untangled during some of the most critical functions in the cell.

As an undergraduate researcher, I completed my studies at a Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Grambling State University in 2003, earning a B.S. in Biology with three research internships: Alcorn State University, Thomas Jefferson University and Johns Hopkins University. These three internships were the most important choices during college and set me apart from others in the field. I encourage any student interested in STEM-related careers to sign-up for internships, the experience will help you for many years to come.

In my spare time, I am often most proud of the opportunities to educate and engage people of color in Science, specifically with inquiry-based projects. I’m also honored to serve as a Mentor for many young people in the Biomedical Science field and to help them develop as independent research investigators. Most recently, I was named as a “Rising Star” among 1,000 Most Inspiring Black Scientists in 2020 by Cell Mentor (Cell Press & Cell Signaling Technology). As a first generation graduate, it is my hope to continue to inspire young, inquisitive minds, regardless of Socioeconomic status or family background, to find their place and develop into their most creative selves in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. For anyone interested in the STEM fields, I encourage you to find mentors (peer and career) and find supportive circles of people who lift you up and engage you to learn more about yourself and your role in the community and world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places in the Bay Area:

Brenda’s Meat and Three for Southern Inspired Brunch in NOPA, San Francisco
Chop Bar for Brunch & Drinks (Bloody Mary) in Jack London, Oakland
Padrecito for Huevos Rancheros during Brunch & Drinks in Cole Valley, San Francisco

Cupcakin’ Bake Shop for one-of-a-kind Key Lime Pie & red velvet cupcakes in Oakland/Berkeley

Everett & Jones BBQ for local staple and delicious combo plates for dinner or lunch in Oakland

Lake Merritt for 3miles of walking or running with beautiful views and backdrop in Oakland

Lake Chalet for late lunch views on Lake Merritt in Oakland

Queen Hippie Gypsy Crystal Botanica Store in Downtown Oakland

Oakland Zoo nestled in Oakland Hills and one of best in Northern California

Golden Gate Park (home to California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden, Rose Garden, de Young Museum) in San Francisco

Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD) for beautiful collections and exhibits, Downtown SF

Cha Cha Cha for Tapas and amazing Sangria in the Mission, San Francisco

Foreign Cinema for the Michelin-star experience and films in the Mission, San Francisco

Gordo’s Taqueria for some of the best tacos & burritos Inner Sunset, San Francisco

Tacos Mi Rancho (also known as The Taco Truck by the Lake) for authentic Norcal Burritos, Oakland

Sonoma Valley Bike Tours & Rentals for riding and winetasting, Sonoma
Brown Downtown Napa for Winetasting & Social scene, Napa
Corner 103 Winery, Sonoma

Mission Peak for Hiking and amazing views of entire Bay Area, Fremont
Mt. Tamalpais State Park & Muir Woods for hiking and views, Marin County
Stinson Beach for picnics & sun, Marin County
Ocean Beach for Bonfires, Outer Sunset, San Francisco

Off the Grid Food trucks on Friday nights at Fort Mason, San Francisco

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my entire village of men and women in my immediate friend and family circle. I attended college and graduate school in two non-native states, lending my support system often far at a time when WiFi was limited and cell phone was mostly used after 9PM. This environment forced me to develop meaningful & supportive friendships very early on in my career, a skill that continues to prove beneficial.

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