Deborah Ribardo, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist
Department of Microbiology 

First UTSW job: Postdoctoral Fellow. 

Best part about my job: It is a constantly shifting puzzle.

What energizes me at work: The results of an experiment – These will either confirm what we expected, and then we can expand our model, or will refute the hypothesis, and we rethink what went wrong and try again.

How co-workers describe me: Female MacGyver, because I’m always improvising.

Recipe for success: Persistence. Experiments don’t always work the first time, so you have to reevaluate what worked and what didn’t and change your strategy.

I wish I were an instant expert at: Too many to choose, although mind reading would be a useful skill.

Hobbies: Crafts, such as furniture refinishing and stained glass art.

Surprising fact: I’m a National Association of Scuba Diving Schools Certified Divemaster.