{{short description|American biochemist}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Jessica Polka | image = | other_names = J. K. Polka | workplaces = Astera Institute<br/>ASAPbio<br/>[[Whitehead Institute]]<br/>[[Harvard Medical School]]0 | alma_mater = [[University of California, San Francisco]] (PhD)<br/>[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] ( (BS) | doctoral_advisor = [[Dyche Mullins]] | thesis_title = Diversity in the bacterial cytoskeleton: Assembly, structure, and cellular mechanisms of AlfA, a plasmid segregating actin from B. subtilis | thesis_year = 2015 | thesis_url = http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/868529373 | academic_advisors = [[Pamela Silver]] | awards = | website = {{URL|www.jessicapolka.com}} }}

'''Jessica Polka''' is a biochemist and the founding Executive Director of ASAPbio (Accelerating Science and Publication in biology), a non-profit initiative promoting innovation and transparency via [[preprint]]s and [[Open science|open peer review]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://asapbio.org/about-2|title=About ASAPbio|work=ASAPbio|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref> She was one of the organizers of the many meetings they held on [[scholarly communication]]. In February 2024, she left ASAPbio and currently serves as the Program Director for Open Science at Astera.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Open Science |url=https://astera.org/open-science/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |website=Astera Institute |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title=ASAPbio Announces New Executive Director, Board Leadership – ASAPbio |url=https://asapbio.org/asapbio-announces-new-executive-director-board-leadership/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Education== Polka received a BS in biology from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] in 2007. While there, she was a Morehead Scholar.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.moreheadcain.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2019%E2%80%932020-Year-in-Review.pdf |title=More-Cain Year in Review 2019 - 2020 |publisher=Morehead-Cain Foundation |year=2020 |pages=29 |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-20 |access-date=2022-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520233957/http://www.moreheadcain.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2019%E2%80%932020-Year-in-Review.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> She obtained a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the [[University of California, San Francisco]] under the supervision of Dyche Mullins in 2012.<ref name=":0" />

==Career== In 2013 Polka became a research fellow in the department of Systems Biology at [[Harvard Medical School]] with [[Pamela Silver]] as advisor.<ref name=":2" /> She was also held a visiting scholar at the [[Whitehead Institute]] in Massachusetts. Polka conducted research in the assembly, function, and applications of protein polymers in [[bacteria]], such as membrane-breaking protein needles called [[R bodies]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ibiology.org/speakers/jessica-polka/|title=Jessica Polka • iBiology|work=iBiology|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref> Polka's work on R bodies was discussed in the American magazine ''[[The Atlantic]],''<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/02/thanks-for-the-transforming-nano-spears-bacteria/463119/|title=Biologists Steal Nanospear Technology From Bacteria|last=Yong|first=Ed|date=2016-02-17|work=The Atlantic|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref> and covered by the [[American Chemical Society]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2016/acs-presspac-february-17-2016/punchy-proteins-could-help-advance-drug-delivery-mems-devices-video.html|title=Punchy proteins could help advance drug delivery, MEMS devices (video) - American Chemical Society|website=American Chemical Society|language=en|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref> Polka discovered that [[carboxysome]], a protein organelle in [[cyanobacteria]], grows like a crystal until it is coated by a layer of shell proteins.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.jccfund.org/fellows/jessica-polka/|title=Jessica Polka - Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund|work=Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> [[File:Extended R bodies.jpg|thumb|Negatively stained electron micrograph of purified R bodies in their extended (low pH) state, taken by Polka.]] Polka was co-chair of the [[American Society for Cell Biology]]'s COMPASS (Committee for Postdocs and Students) during 2013 and 2014.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://rescuingbiomedicalresearch.org/about/steering-committee-bios/bio-jessica-polka/|title=Bio: Jessica Polka - Rescuing Biomedical Research|work=Rescuing Biomedical Research|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Improving research culture === Polka is on the steering committee for Rescuing Biomedical Research, an initiative to discuss solutions to problems addressed in the April 2014 ''[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|PNAS]]'' article "Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Alberts|first1=Bruce|last2=Kirschner|first2=Marc W.|last3=Tilghman|first3=Shirley|last4=Varmus|first4=Harold|date=2014-04-22|title=Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws|pmc=4000813|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=111|issue=16|pages=5773–5777|bibcode=2014PNAS..111.5773A|doi=10.1073/pnas.1404402111|issn=0027-8424|pmid=24733905|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Polka is recognised as having insight into issues surrounding open peer review, preprint and early career progression, and has been quoted in numerous articles by ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' and ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' on these topics.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kayser |first=Jocelyn |date=15 December 2017 | title=NIH tweaks plan to award more grants to younger researchers |journal=Science | url=https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-tweaks-plan-award-more-grants-younger-researchers |doi=10.1126/science.aar7771|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=McKenzie|first=Lindsay|date=2017-06-16|title=Biologists debate how to license preprints|url=https://www.nature.com/news/biologists-debate-how-to-license-preprints-1.22161|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/nature.2017.22161|issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Benderly | first1=Beryl Lieff | title=New fellowship aims to increase diversity in the life sciences | journal=Science | date=2016 | doi=10.1126/science.caredit.a1600132 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Callaway|first=Ewen|date=2017-04-26|title=BioRxiv preprint server gets cash boost from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=545|issue=7652|pages=18|doi=10.1038/nature.2017.21894|issn=0028-0836|pmid=28470210|bibcode=2017Natur.545...18C|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Smaglik|first=Paul|date=2016-02-24|title=Activism: Frustrated postdocs rise up|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=530|issue=7591|pages=505–506|doi=10.1038/nj7591-505a|pmid=26918253|issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dolgin|first=Elie|date=2016-11-30|title=Big biology projects warm up to preprints|url=https://www.nature.com/news/big-biology-projects-warm-up-to-preprints-1.21074|journal=Nature|language=en|doi=10.1038/nature.2016.21074|s2cid=185520702|issn=1476-4687|url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{non-primary source needed|reason=Four examples of one and two of the other is not "numerous". These cites might be sufficient to say "several". Adding enough to support "numerous" would turn this into even more of a citation bomb. Better just use a secondary source that actually says this.|date=June 2019}} In 2015, Polka and Viviane Callier wrote an article for the careers column in ''Nature'' where they argue that funding agencies should support more than 16% of postdocs through fellowships. This would allow postdocs to "strike out away from the beaten path [and] will bring fresh ideas and approaches to the table".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Callier|first1=Viviane|last2=Polka|first2=Jessica|date=2015-12-02|title=Fellowships are the future|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=528|issue=7580|pages=155–156|doi=10.1038/nj7580-155a|issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==== Future of Research ==== Polka was one of the organisers of the first Future of Research Symposium in Boston in 2014. She was on the executive committee until she became president of the board of directors in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://futureofresearch.net/board-of-directors/|title=Board of Directors|date=2016-04-30|work=Future of Research|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref> Polka is involved in creating debate amongst early-career scientists about the financial, historical and political influences on academic research. Future of Research was awarded the People of the Year award in 2015 by [[Science (journal)|Science]] journal for their "efforts to empower early-career and aspiring scientists...".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/people-year-future-researchs-postdoc-activists|title=People of the Year: Future of Research's postdoc activists|date=2015-12-17|work=Science {{!}} AAAS|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en}}</ref>

==== ASAPbio ==== Polka was a founder of ASAPbio which began in 2015 after [[Ronald Vale|Ron Vale]] showed that [[University of California, San Francisco]] students were taking a long time to publish and proposed that [[preprint]]ing might mitigate the issue.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Vale |first1=Ronald D. |title=Accelerating scientific publication in biology |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=2015 |volume=112 |issue=44 |pages=13439–13446 |biorxiv=10.1101/022368|doi=10.1073/pnas.1511912112 |doi-access=free |pmid=26508643 |pmc=4640799 |arxiv=1509.03775 |bibcode=2015PNAS..11213439V }}</ref> Vale recruited Polka, [[Daniel Colon-Ramos]] and [[Harold Varmus]] which led to the first ASAPbio meeting in February 2016 attended by scientists, representatives from funding agencies, journals and preprint servers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://asapbio.org/meeting-information/attendees|title=Attendees (2016 preprint meeting)|work=ASAPbio|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref> The meeting Polka led was widely recognized as a turning point in scholarly communication<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/02/the-rainbow-unicorn-trying-real-hard-to-transform-biology-publishing/|title=Biologists are working on a replacement for slow, stodgy peer review. It's a rainbow unicorn.|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2018-08-15|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/science/asap-bio-biologists-published-to-the-internet.html|title=Handful of Biologists Went Rogue and Published Directly to Internet|last=Harmon|first=Amy|date=March 15, 2016|work=New York Times|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Callaway|first1=Ewen|last2=Powell|first2=Kendall|date=2016-02-16|title=Biologists urged to hug a preprint|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=530|issue=7590|pages=265|doi=10.1038/530265a|issn=0028-0836|pmid=26887471|bibcode=2016Natur.530..265C|doi-access=free}}</ref> and a catalyst moment in the so-called "preprint revolution" in biology and science more generally.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/are-preprints-future-biology-survival-guide-scientists|title=Are preprints the future of biology? A survival guide for scientists|date=2017-09-21|work=Science {{!}} AAAS|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en}}</ref> Polka began working full-time at ASAPbio in 2016 after funding was granted from the [[Simons Foundation]], [[Sloan Foundation]], [[Arnold Foundation]], and [[Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2016/06/20/foundations-announce-support-for-scientist-driven-effort-to-promote-use-of-preprints-in-the-life-sciences/|title=Foundations Announce Support for Scientist-Driven Effort to Promote Use of Preprints in the Life Sciences {{!}} Simons Foundation|website=www.simonsfoundation.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-15|date=2016-06-20}}</ref>

In 2016 Polka was described in the journal ''Nature'' as an "agent of change" for explaining how junior researchers can increase the impact of their work. For instance, ASAPbio encourages preprints within biology.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Gewin|first=Virginia|date=2016-10-26|title=Agents of change|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=538|issue=7626|pages=543–545|doi=10.1038/nj7626-543a|issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref> ASAPbio tries to mitigate the effect of lengthy waiting times before publications are reviewed and published, following the example of physics, computer science and maths, fields that have already adopted preprints. She has also taken an interest in strategies for preventing sexual harassment in the scientific community.<ref name="MedicineAffairs2018">{{cite book|title=Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyZnDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR12|date=1 September 2018|publisher=[[National Academies Press]]|isbn=978-0-309-47087-2|pages=xii,228 |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first1=Paula A. |editor-last2=Widnall |editor-first2=Sheila E. |editor-last3=Benya |editor-first3=Frazier F.}}</ref> In 2017, [[PLOS]]cast interviewed Polka about her work which contributes to the changing way that science is published.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.plos.org/plospodcasts/2017/10/24/episode26/|title=How ECRs like Jessica Polka are reinventing science publishing {{!}} PLOScast|date=2017-10-24|work=PLOScast|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

Since 2019, ASAPBio has begun to host open databases to collate information about academic publishing practices.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> ReimagineReview tracks the different peer review policies and models of academic journals, with a focus on experimental forms of peer review.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Noorden|first=Richard Van|date=2019-03-04|title=Peer-review experiments tracked in online repository|url=http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00777-8|journal=Nature|language=EN|doi=10.1038/d41586-019-00777-8|s2cid=86845470 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reimaginereview.asapbio.org/about/|title=About|last=|first=|date=|website=ReimagineReview|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asapbio.org/launching-reimaginereview|title=Launching ReimagineReview, a registry of peer review experiments|website=ASAPbio|date=4 March 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref> The Transpose database extends on this to cover journal policies including on peer review, co-reviewing, preprints, licensing, and versioning.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Woolston|first=Chris|date=2019-06-18|title=Unravelling the mysteries of preprints and peer review|url=http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01947-4|journal=Nature|language=EN|doi=10.1038/d41586-019-01947-4|pmid=32546808|s2cid=197826972 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asapbio.org/launching-transpose|title=Launching Transpose, a database of journal policies on preprinting & peer review|website=ASAPbio|date=13 June 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://transpose-publishing.github.io/#/|title=Transpose|last=|first=|date=|website=transpose-publishing.github.io|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref>

=== Awards and honors ===

*[[Beckman Coulter]] Distinguished Graduate Student Prize ([[American Society for Cell Biology]]) (2013)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ascb.org/ascb-post/the-5000-ascb-kaluza-prize-and-the-winner-is/|title=The $5,000 ASCB Kaluza Prize—And The Winner Is… - ASCB|date=2013-11-20|work=ASCB|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814232731/https://www.ascb.org/ascb-post/the-5000-ascb-kaluza-prize-and-the-winner-is/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * [[Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research|Jane Coffin Childs]] Fellowship (2013–2016)<ref name=":2"/>

== References == <references />

== External links == {{Commons category}} {{Scholia|author}} * {{Official website|http://jessicapolka.com/}} * [http://rescuingbiomedicalresearch.org/ Rescuing Biomedical Research] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222140646/http://rescuingbiomedicalresearch.org/ |date=2015-12-22 }} * [http://asapbio.org/ ASAPbio]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polka, Jessica}} [[Category:American systems biologists]] [[Category:Harvard Medical School faculty]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American molecular biologists]] [[Category:American women molecular biologists]] [[Category:University of California, San Francisco alumni]] [[Category:Synthetic biologists]] [[Category:Open content activists]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]] [[Category:21st-century American biochemists]] [[Category:21st-century American women biochemists]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]