COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SCIENCE EDUCATION
Think Like a Scientist (TLaS)

We believe in a world where every child can become a scientist!

Think Like a Scientist is a non-profit, community outreach science education program founded by Aimee Pugh Bernard in 2018. Our mission is to invest in early childhood education in order to empower the next generation of scientists. We fulfill our mission by offering community outreach science programs free-of-charge at elementary schools and community libraries that serve historically underrepresented groups (HUGs) in STEM surrounding the University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz medical campus (AMC).

CU Anshutz Medical Campus Today e-news article 'Making Science Cool and Fun'

2023 TLaS Annual Report

TLaS is composed of a diverse team of volunteer scientists and students dedicated to community outreach and science education under the guidance of founder and faculty sponsor, Aimee Pugh Bernard. TLaS volunteers inspire elementary school children (aka 'young scientists') within the community surrounding the CU AMC to explore the wonders of science. Together, TLaS volunteers share their love of science with 'young scientists' and train them to 'think like scientists' through learning about the basics of the scientific method through a mix of mini, interactive lessons and hands-on, fun experiments. The community surrounding the CU AMC is of low socioeconomic status and 75% of the 'young scientists' are on free-and-reduced lunch. To ensure that every child can experience the wonders of science, Aimee and her team secure funding through grants and donations to run all programs offered by TLaS for FREE to the community.

Please use the links below to view and access files for the 6-week after-school TLaS curriculum on CU Digital Collections, the TLaS YouTube channel, and the TLaS website.

TLaS CURRICULUM - CU DIGITAL COLLECTIONS TLaS YouTube CHANNEL TLaS WEBSITE

Meet the Leadership Team

The leadership team is composed of volunteer students and professionals from across the CU AMC under the guidance and partnership of Founder and Faculty Director, Aimee Pugh Bernard, PhD. In 2022 Aimee received the University of Colorado Chase Faculty Community Service Award for founding and running Think Like a Scientist (TLaS) as well as her pro-science and vaccine advocacy. In 2023, Aimee received the CU Anschutz Women in STEM Outstanding Community Service Award for founding and running TLaS.

TLaS Founder and Faculty Director 2018-present

Aimee Pugh Bernard, PhD

Aimee is an immunologist – a scientist who studies the immune system, the cells and organs in our body that defend and protect us from germs, like the flu, measles, and chickenpox. The immune system is the military of the body. Just like the military, our immune system has a bunch of different cells with different jobs that work together to kill germs to keep us healthy. Aimee founded TLaS in 2018 to build connections with the community surrounding the CU AMC and to inspire the next generation of scientists!

TLaS Community Outreach Director 2021-present

April Fineberg

April is a researcher in a neuroscience pediatric lab, which just means she studies kids brains! Our brains help us do all the things we love, like eating candy and playing with our friends, through cells called neurons. These neurons make up a huge network throughout our bodies and talk to each other all the time. April is interested in finding a way to help damaged neurons recover after they get hurt due to injury. April coordinates outreach 'pop-up' science events at local libraries to inspire kids across Colorado to become scientists!

TLaS Program Lead Teacher 2022-present

Zoe Van De Voorde

Zoë is a clinical research monitor—a scientist who acts as an inspector of scientific research. When doctors want to try out new drugs or ways of treating you when you get sick, a monitor helps to make sure that everything is safe and we get the best data possible. Zoë used to teach science to middle school students and has taken on the role of Lead Teacher to continue to do what she loves and teach kids about science!

TLaS Graduate Student Director 2024-present

Cassandra 'Cassie' Minne

Cassie is a PhD candidate (aka 'graduate student') in Molecular Biology. She studies how changes in genes affect the development of cells, specifically cells that affect formation of the mouth. Cassie's research is related to one of the most common birth defects called cleft lip or cleft palate. Cassie helps to coordinate 'pop-up' outreach events at libraries and science fairs, multi-week programs at elementary schools, and behind-the-scenes activities related to dissemination of this work in scholarly publications.

TLaS Medical Student Director, REACH 2024-2027

David Chen, CUSOM (Class of 2027)

David is a medical student interested in the human body and anatomy. All our organs constantly communicate with each other to keep us running like a well-oiled machine! David hopes to understand all these processes so that he can treat his future patients to the best of his ability. Outside of school, David loves to run on trails and explore nature! David will help to run a second program offered by TLaS called REACH (Raising Environmental Awareness for Community Health) at local elementary schools and libraries.

TLaS Medical Student Director, REACH 2024-2026

Ariyani Challapalli, CUSOM (Class of 2026)

Ariyani is a medical student particularly interested in the connection between the environment and human health. She studied environmental science in college and loves getting involved in advocacy to improve air pollution and address rising temperatures. Ariyani plans to go into internal medicine, which is a type of doctor that can treat many different body systems. Environmental issues affect so many organs, from the heart to the lungs to the brain. For example, air pollution can make it hard to breathe and increase rates of asthma, especially in kids! Ariyani developed a second program offered by TLaS called REACH (Raising Environmental Awareness for Community Health) and will continue to offer REACH at local elementary schools and libraries.

TLaS Medical Student Director, Spanish 2024-2027

Becca Altshuler, CUSOM (Class of 2027)

Becca is a medical student studying to be a doctor. She loves learning about all the different parts of the body and thinks that the brain is the coolest! She hopes to one day become a neurologist, a type of doctor that studies people’s brains and helps them feel better. She also really likes radiology, which is when doctors can use special machines to take pictures of the parts of our bodies that we can’t see from the outside, including the brain! Becca writes and speaks fluent Spanish and is in charge of Spanish translation for TLaS.

TLaS PA Student Director 2024-2027

Mahima Varghese, CHAPA (Class of 2027)

Mahima is a Physician Assistant (PA) student who loves learning about the human body and the complex functions it can perform. She is especially interested in the brain and spinal cord, which connects your brain to the rest of the body using nerves. Nerves are the 'wires' that carry information to and from the brain!
Mahima plans to become a neurosurgery PA, which is a specialty that focuses on conditions that affect the brain and spine, such as back pain and epilepsy, and treating them with surgery to make them feel better. Mahima will help with TLaS with supply management for all the cool experiments we do!

TLaS Medical Student Director, Coding 2024-2026

Daniel Chien, CUSOM (Class of 2026)

Daniel is currently a medical student who loves to camp, especially in Joshua Tree National Park. He studied bioengineering in college and loves learning about technologies in medicine, such as ultrasound and imaging, that can improve the way doctors care for patients. He enjoys teaching people about coding (check out his Scratch coding video on the TLaS YouTube channel) and plans to develop and run a mini coding course for TLaS students.

TLaS Medical Student Director 2024-2027

Ariel Davydov, CUSOM (Class of 2027)

Ariel is a medical student, which means she is studying to be a doctor! She loves learning about all the different ways the human body works. Being a doctor means that she wants to help make sure that peoples’ bodies are healthy and happy. Even though Ariel likes to learn about the whole body, she especially thinks the heart and brain are really cool. Did you know your brain makes enough electricity to light up a lightbulb? Ariel will help to develop and lead 'Career Exploration' panels for elementary and middle school students to inspire them into careers in science and healthcare.

TLaS Medical Student Director 2020-2024

Whitney Kelly, MD (Class of 2024)

Whitney is a medical student, studying to become a doctor and will receive her degree in May 2024! She loves all types of science and really likes learning about how the human body works and how to help people when they get sick. As a Medical Student Director, Whitney helped structure the TLaS Program and volunteered at many of the local elementary school and library events.

Camila Vargas - doughnut trophy_edited.jpg

TLaS Medical Student Director 2020-2024

Maria 'Camila' Vargas, MD (Class of 2024)

Camila is a medical student and will receive her degree in May 2024! Camila plans to become a children’s doctor in urology. She is excited to help kids stay healthy so they can pursue their dreams and maybe grow up to be doctors or scientists! As a Medical Student Director, Camila helped structure the TLaS Program and volunteered at many of the local elementary school and library events. Camila presented a talk about TLaS, 'TLaS: Reaching the Children,' at the 2024 UC San Diego Urology for Social Responsibility Conference on January 14, 2024. Congrats to Camila :)

TLaS Graduate Student Director 2020-2023

Gabriella 'Gabi' Albert

Gabi is studying to get her PhD in immunology. She studies how we can make a certain type of immune cell - called a T cell - better at seeing and attacking cancer cells in the body. As the Graduate Student Director, Gabi helped to coordinate and run the TLaS Program at several elementary schools in Aurora, CO.

TLaS Assistant Director 2018-2020

Zoe Gonzales O'Donoghue, PhD

Zoe was a post-doctoral fellow, studying how certain viruses were transmitted to people through mosquitoes. Zoe took on a AAAS Science & Technology Fellowship in Washington DC after leaving Colorado. As the Assistant Director, Zoe helped build infrastructure for the TLaS Program and coordinated and taught at many of the local elementary after-school programs.

TLaS Graduate Student Director, 2018-2020

Haider Manzer, PhD

Haider was a PhD candidate studying how certain bacteria that get into our body and make us sick make their way into the brain. After getting his PhD, Haider started a post-doctoral fellowship at a children's hospital to continue his important research! As a Graduate Student Director, Haider helped to coordinate and teach the TLaS Program at several elementary schools in Aurora, Colorado.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SCIENCE EDUCATION Think Like a Scientist (TLaS)

Meet the Leadership Team

COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SCIENCE EDUCATION
Think Like a Scientist (TLaS)