From lab bench to stage lights: How one PhD student is reimagining science through drag

By Rachel Boutet

In the Faculty of Dentistry’s collaborative research space, PhD candidate Angelico Obille sports a white lab coat.

Onstage, however, their look includes a dress, pearls, heels, ample makeup and a fabulous wig. This is Kwaga Musselle, Obille’s alter ego during Science is a Drag live shows.

At bars, conferences and events including the Ontario Science Centre Pride in STEM at the Harbourfront Centre, Kwaga Musselle engages the audience with clear and often humourous explanations of the unique adhesive properties of quagga mussels, and how these abilities can be leveraged into new biomaterials for dentistry and whole-body medicine.

Toronto-based Science is a Drag considers itself the first and longest running science-themed drag show and features drag artists who work in STEM.

“I can be all of me...and people can see that and celebrate it”

This initiative was launched in 2019 by a team including U of T Temerty Faculty of Medicine alumni Samantha “Science Sam” Yammine and Geith Maal-Bared, as well as Shawn Hercules (also known as Rawbyn Diamonds), with support from Carrie Boyce at RCIScience. The Science is a Drag team, now including Daniel Celeste (or Ms. Medisin on stage), supported Obille in developing both their performance skills and their voice as a science communicator.

“I can be all of me,” says Obille, who is doing their PhD with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and the Faculty of Dentistry, of combining science and performing. “And people can see that and celebrate it.”

Obille first saw a Science is a Drag show in 2023, at a time when they struggled with imposter syndrome. As a queer Filipino scientist, they didn’t see many people like themselves in academic spaces. Even seemingly small decisions — like whether to bring their boyfriend to a lab barbecue — felt overwhelming.

“I often felt like I had to hide parts of myself in order to belong,” says Obille. “I didn’t always feel like my full self was welcome."

That began to shift with their first drag performance with the Toronto-based group in 2024. Now, excellence in science and science communicating are coming together as Obille is celebrating a published study in a prestigious journal and the upcoming defense of their PhD.

Obille’s research, under the supervision of professor Eli Sone, identified Dbfp7, a protein found in the freshwater quagga mussel, an invasive species that is able to cling stubbornly to surfaces underwater. Their work was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A better understanding of the chemistry of this protein has real-world implications. Particularly in medicine and dentistry, creating strong, reliable adhesives in the presence of moisture can mean the difference between success and failure.

Instead of starting from scratch to build a biomaterial that stays sticky in water, Obille took inspiration from animals who have been pulling off this feat for years.

“Nature is the world’s best engineer,” they say. “It’s had millions of years to develop innovative solutions. Why wouldn’t we learn from that?”

"I want queer scientists to see that they can be themselves in science"

Meanwhile, Obille has an important event coming up: on April 27, they will defend their thesis at the Baden Centre at U of T at an open PhD defense event — a culminating moment where they will share their rigorous research with a panel and an audience.

Looking ahead, they’re planning a career in science along with staying committed to Science is a Drag to continue fostering an inclusive science community. Hercules, whom Obille describes as their “drag mother,” helped them learn everything from makeup to stage presence, while also offering support through the challenges of their PhD. It’s the kind of mentorship they’d like to one day offer to others who feel they don’t fit in.

“I want queer scientists to see that they can be themselves in science,” they say. “We benefit from people asking questions that others might not think to ask. We need that diversity.”

To learn more about how to make U of T a safer and more inclusive workplace, visit Positive Space at U of T.

Top photo: Obille as Kwaga Musselle (Li Turone Snaps By Li)