Lauren Koenig was raised in Valley Stream, New York where her love of animals developed from frequent trips to zoos and aquariums. After a school trip to Brazil, she became hooked on behavioral ecology and evaluating changes in the world through understanding animal behavior. Lauren wants to use animal behavior as a tool to shape conservation. One of her research projects involved understanding squirrel play behavior as an indicator of squirrel population movements in Colorado. Since high altitude mountains are drastically affected by climate change, being able to predict and understand animal movements in these ecosystems can help people manage the effects of climate change. Lauren is currently working towards a PhD in Integrative Biology at Michigan State University studying grasshopper mice and their superhero ability to eat toxic prey. In the meantime, she shares her love of science as co-editor-in-chief of the blog for the Scientista Foundation, a group devoted to connecting women in science.

My Scientific Name is a children's picture storybook developed in collaboration with female and minority scientists across many science fields. Each book is personalized using the letters of their name as a way of introducing them to many different STEM careers.