Dr. Kiana Frank
Dr. Kiana Frank and the people in her lab at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at the University of Hawai’i Manoa work to better understand the complex role that microorganisms play in biogeochemical cycling. They focus on describing the microbial community structure, functional capacity and rates of metabolic activity in the context of the physico-chemical environment. Dr. Frank’s science is deeply rooted in Native Hawaiian community and cultural values. Her lab website describes this in the following way:
“Pono*science for Hawaii
Science for community
Science with cultural values“
Dr. Kiana Frank recorded a video for this project, but unfortunately, there was a problem with the sound making it impossible to hear. Until we are able to re-record an interview, I would like to introduce Dr. Frank to you through a variety of media available online.
I met Kiana in graduate school while in The Girguis Lab together, and she happens to be one of my best friends. She integrates outreach, education, research, and community in unique and engaging ways, one of which involves dance. The video below is a recap of the first season of her #BOSSdancefriends videos where she uses dance rooted in place to communicate science. The full videos are available on YouTube and Instagram.
Dr. Frank also teaches introductory biology using Hawaiian biomes as a framework and has developed an award-winning innovative ʻāina** -based curriculum in microbiology.
How would you like to learn biology like this?
For an explanation of the interdisciplinary, collaborative, place-based appriach that Dr. Frank takes to studying microbial communities, please explore the C-MĀIKI (Center for Microbiome Analysis through Island Knowledge & Investigation) website or read the short article in mSystems called “Synergy among Microbiota and Their Hosts: Leveraging the Hawaiian Archipelago and Local Collaborative Networks To Address Pressing Questions in Microbiome Research“
* Pono is a Hawaiian word often translated as “righteousness”.
** ‘Aina is a Hawaiian word often translated as “land”, but that definition is an oversimplification. “The ‘aina (land) is not just soil, sand or dirt. The ‘aina is a heart issue for Hawaiians. The very word ‘aina brings forth deep emotion evolved from ancestral times when people lived in nature as an integral part of it. Mankind and nature were considered siblings born to the same parents at the beginning of time.” This quote is part of a longer explanation available here.