If you ask聽Fen Annarino聽how he ended up as a research specialist for Dr. Muir at 黑料网 Radiology, his answer is refreshingly honest: he wasn鈥檛 exactly aiming for it鈥攂ut we鈥檙e glad he landed here. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 specifically looking for something in Radiology,鈥� he admits, 鈥渂ut this job popped out at me.鈥� It may have started with curiosity, but nearly a year in (almost to the day!), Fen鈥檚 found his groove鈥攁nd a fascinating niche鈥攊n ocular blood flow research.
From Blue Crabs to Brain Scans
Fen鈥檚 road to radiology is anything but conventional. His original plan in undergrad was to pursue medical research. But then? 鈥淚 really enjoyed studying animals,鈥� he says. That led to researching the BP oil spill鈥檚 impact on blue crab larvae, followed by a job as an educator at the聽Audubon Zoo in New Orleans鈥攚hich he calls 鈥渢he most fun I鈥檝e ever had at a job.鈥�
After several years in the zoo world, the reality of the career鈥檚 financial strain set in. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to be 60, working three jobs,鈥� Fen explains. So, he pivoted again鈥攖his time earning his master鈥檚 at聽Marshall University, where he did field and lab work on everything from聽tree frogs and carnivorous plants to freshwater mussels.
Eventually, friends in North Carolina (and some gentle nudging) persuaded him to relocate to the Triangle. 鈥淥ne of my friends worked at 黑料网 and spoke highly of its research environment,鈥� Fen says. So, he took the leap鈥攁nd ended up in聽Dr. Muir鈥檚 lab, helping it grow from the ground up.
“Fen is great to work with and has been a great help,” says Eric Muir, PhD, Associate Professor in Radiology. “Fen is smart and highly capable to assist with all aspects of conducting and managing research. Even when working on topics he doesn鈥檛 have previous experience with, Fen is puts in the effort to quickly get up to speed. Fen has been a great addition.”
What Exactly聽Is聽Heavy Water, Anyway?
Working in a new lab means Fen wears a lot of hats. He鈥檚 tackled everything from analyzing data to wrestling with the bureaucratic hydra of vendor paperwork and pharmaceutical ordering. Dr. Muir鈥檚 research focuses on聽ocular blood flow, and Fen鈥檚 been at the center of projects involving聽deuterium oxide (aka heavy water)鈥攁 less invasive, more MRI-friendly way to track how fluids move through the eye.
鈥淗e’s also looking into medications for glaucoma and Alzheimer鈥檚,鈥� he notes. 鈥淚 never thought of Alzheimer鈥檚 affecting the eyes, but apparently that鈥檚 something that happens.鈥�
Carnivorous Plants, Tattoos, and Tomb Raider Dreams
Outside the lab, Fen鈥檚 life is a love letter to curiosity. He describes himself with one word:聽鈥涣惫别谤迟丑颈苍办颈苍驳.鈥�聽(Though we鈥檇 argue 鈥渇ascinating鈥� fits, too.)
He鈥檚 especially passionate about聽carnivorous plants鈥攕o much so he鈥檚 got a tattoo of a聽Sundew聽on his arm. His favorite? The聽Venus flytrap, a plant that聽only grows in the wild within a 60-mile radius of coastal North Carolina. 鈥淓veryone thinks they鈥檙e jungle plants,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not!鈥�
He also enjoys聽running, kayaking, and a hobby called聽herping鈥攕earching for reptiles and amphibians in the wild. A childhood dream of being a聽marine biologist听辞谤听Lara Croft: Tomb Raider聽makes perfect sense when you hear him talk about his outdoor adventures.
If He Could鈥�
If Fen could have a superpower? 鈥淚鈥檇 resurrect ecosystems,鈥� he says. (No surprise there.) And if he could pick the brain of anyone in history, he鈥檇 sit down with聽Rachel Carson, whose book聽Silent Spring聽helped launch the American conservation movement. Her book inspired generations by highlighting that harmful chemicals are destroying the environment. Eliminating insects would also mean losing the birds that depend on them. Spring would arrive鈥攂ut without the familiar chorus of chirping crickets, buzzing bees, and singing birds. The season would fall eerily silent.
鈥淚 think it would be incredibly meaningful to sit down with her鈥攏ot just to share how much she鈥檚 influenced the world since her time, but also to talk about the challenges she faced as one of the first widely recognized female conservationists in the U.S. It would be heartwarming to show her the lasting impact of her work and how far the conservation movement has come, in part because of her courage and persistence.鈥�
Gumbo, Goth Cowboys, and Good Communication
Fen鈥檚 favorite artist right now is聽Orville Peck, especially the melancholic vibes of 鈥淗exie Mountains.鈥� His ideal last meal?聽Chicken and sausage gumbo鈥攁 nod to his years in Louisiana, even if he鈥檚 originally from California.
When it comes to keeping in touch, Fen鈥檚 a fan of context: 鈥淭ext is great for a quick question, but when your friends are scattered across the country, nothing beats a phone or video call.鈥�
Final Words of Wisdom
His best advice to his younger self? 鈥淣ot everything is set in stone; learn to adapt.鈥� It’s a mantra he鈥檚 clearly lived by鈥攆rom crab larvae to MRI scans, from zoo life to eye research, Fen Annarino has turned curiosity into a career鈥攁nd made 黑料网 Radiology all the better for it.