Jotham "Joe" Austin

Jotham Austin, II, Ph.D. is a research scientist and author whose work blends science, identity,  and the supernatural. As a research professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and Director of the Advanced Electron Microscopy Facility at the University of  Chicago, he advances methods in cellular electron microscopy, and author of dozens of academic research articles. Since 2005, he has led the development of Volume Electron  Microscopy to map the connectomics of the brain and other biological systems, cryo-Single Particle Analysis to solve the atomic structure of proteins , and cryo-Electron Tomography to resolve the molecular machinery that makes up cells. These techniques  together help visualize cellular architecture across resolution scales for basic knowledge,  human health, drug and therapeutic discoveries. 

As a fiction author, his debut novel, Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?, a sci-fi  psychological thriller explores memory, identity, and transformation. His short story “Lives Matter,” explores inherited generational trauma through horror, appears in Red Line: Chicago  Horror Stories. He is active in the writing community and serves on the board of the Chicago  Writers Association, where he oversees the CWA Book of the Year contest.

Jotham is passionate about STEM outreach, especially for adults. He has giving public talks like  “The Cell Biology of Zombies,” blending science communication and genre fiction/pop-culture, making complex science accessible and compelling for general audiences. Jotham has also  appeared as a moderator and panelist at MarsCon, as well as an Attending Professional at Dragon Con.

Jotham’s push for science literacy lead him to create and co-host the Rabbit Hole of Research  Podcast (also a newsletter and zines), exploring science through the lens of sci-fi, pop culture, horror, and fantasy. And when not writing, letterpress printing, or in the Basement Studio  recording, you can find him in the garden by a fire enjoying a craft beer.