Sperm Hat

Erica's microscope image of sperm fertilizing an egg.
The first chromosome division is shown in the upper portion of the egg (DNA is stained blue).

Erica posing with our
kickball championship trophy.
We are ballers!

This is the second hat in my thesis-themed hat series.  I made it for my good friend Erica who is an amazing scientist.  She defended her thesis today and I am so proud of her!  I am going to miss her so much when she moves to her post-doctoral position in San Diego.

For her thesis project, Erica studied diabetes and how it affects fertility.  Specifically, she studied how diabetes affects sperm development and function using mouse models of diabetes.  She investigated the role of insulin in sperm and how other hormones were altered in diabetes.  Her work is extremely cool, novel and very fun.

Here are some pictures of me modeling Erica's hat.  Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of her in the hat, but I hope to change that soon.  I topped off the hat with a sperm pom pom.  I am working on typing up the pattern and will post it online if you are dying to make this hat for your sperm loving friends.

My friends Erica (left), Beth (right), and myself (middle)
posing at a friend's wedding