Meet Christine: 49ers cheerleader and biomedical engineer
Dr. John here… After a great interview with San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader Erica, (and as part of our continuing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes and inspire young women to consider careers in science) I thought we’d make it an all-49ers week here on Science Cheerleader!
I’d like to introduce you to Christine, a biomedical engineer and a first-year member of the 49ers Gold Rush squad. Christine has a Masters in biomedical engineering from Arizona State and is currently pursing a PhD in the Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.
As you’ll discover in the interview below, Christine is a master at bridging the seemingly different worlds of cheerleading and engineering. Not only is she thrashing stereotypes en route to a career designing new, minimally invasive therapies for cancer patients, but she’s also managed to cheer for two rival NFL teams — the NFC West’s Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers — and the Phoenix Suns. Talk about someone who isn’t afraid to examine the world from different perspectives!
Thanks again to the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush for giving us the opportunity to learn from Christine.
Who or what experience turned you on to science and engineering?
I can’t pinpoint one specific event that made me decide to study bioengineering. I think that there were many hints along the way. When I was little I had a set of children’s books with the biographies of people like Alexander Fleming, Marie Curie, and Helen Keller. I was really inspired by the ones about the famous scientists. I also loved the science museum and excelled more in mathematics and science subjects than other subjects.
For a very long time, I thought that I should be a physician because I wanted to help people and was very interested in medicine. Naturally, I did all the typical premed activities. I went to Tijuana to work in a clinic and volunteered in the pediatric emergency department in a county hospital. To my surprise, I was not thinking of how badly I wanted to be a physician like my friends that went on to medical school, but I was thinking scientist and engineers need to design more affordable, assessable medical therapies and devices.
The experience that finally changed my mind for good was when I volunteered in a Hospice. I saw the patients’ suffering in a new way. I realized that the technology for treatment and knowledge about these patients’ diseases were insufficient. Developing technology and innovation for this group of patients was something that I could spend the rest of my life working on. Bioengineering is a unique engineering discipline in that it is deeply altruistic with a genuine goal of improving the society by fighting disease and suffering making it was the perfect career path for me.
Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream associated with beauty or physique (like cheerleading) and pursuing a science and engineering career usually associated with, well, geeks?
First, I’d like to point out that true beauty is on the inside. External beauty fades, and it is important to nurture other aspects of ourselves outside of our appearance. Although, I do think it is very important to eat well and exercise regularly for our health. Who we are in on the inside is what is most important, and it always shines through. When you stop trying to be someone you are not that’s when life is really the most wonderful and people will see your real beauty.
Being a NFL cheerleader is about so much more than just physical appearance. I tried out for the 49ers because I wanted to contribute to my community, make lasting friendships, and dance on the best stage there is, the NFL. Gold Rush has given me all of those things plus more. Outside of that I just love dancing. I’ll quote Vicki Baum when I say, “there are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” I might not be the best dancer but I certainly have heart. If something makes you happy you should just go for it.
In the real world, professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers are by no means “geeks”. Doctors, engineers and scientists are well respected in our society and have very successful lives. I have never once been asked on a date or been invited to a party and then informed them that I was an engineer and had them decide I was too geeky to go. Actually it has been exactly the opposite. Plus I get to have twice as many friends, my dance friends and my engineering friends who push me in different ways to be my best self. I feel like it is a great balance.
My last point is that I think that everyone should find what makes them happy and pursue it, whether it is art, teaching or anything. Life is short and we only get one shot at it. So you might as well live it up. If by chance that something that makes you happy is science or engineering, you shouldn’t let something silly like a geeky stereotype that is not even true persuade you against it.



















