Senior scientist Michaela Hatch blends science, technology, mentorship, and motherhood at Recursion (Salt Lake City, UT), showing how diverse experiences—from AI-driven drug development to coaching volleyball—can expand impact and redefine leadership in STEM fields.
Michaela Hatch, a Recursion senior scientist and Women Tech Award Finalist, shares how AI-driven medicine, mentorship, and life beyond the lab shape inclusive leadership in STEM.
Salt Lake City, Utah - January 30, 2026
When she was younger, something unexpected happened: Michaela Shuler Hatch’s grandfather had a heart attack. That moment sparked her fascination with helping people and led her to pursue a career in health, with a focus on vascular health during college. She realized she could make an impact through laboratory work—a realization that eventually led her to Recursion.
At Recursion in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, Hatch serves as a Senior Scientist 3. Her work focuses on accelerating the delivery of impactful medicines to patients by improving scale and refining models. While her background is in vascular health, her work now affects patients across many disease areas. She has led programs in fibrosis, vascular biology, C. difficile, and oncology, and has helped develop treatments that are now in clinical trials.
Recursion is a TechBio (as opposed to a traditional biotech) pharmaceutical company that is reshaping how AI is used in medicine. Hatch explains, “We actually like to say that Recursion is a TechBio company. Often, when you think of biotech companies, they’re very biology-heavy. Here at Recursion, we’re really like 50/50. One of the really cool things about working at Recursion is that our mission is to radically decode biology to improve patient lives.”
At Recursion, AI is used throughout the drug development process. One of the most notable applications is data unification, which makes it easier to compare experiments and draw insights. This approach helps set Recursion apart from other pharmaceutical companies—but technology isn’t the only differentiator.
Another defining feature of Recursion is its commitment to inclusivity. One way the company fosters this culture is through the Women at Recursion ERG (Employee Resource Group).
Hatch cofounded the Women at Recursion ERG to help build women’s confidence within the company. The group creates space for women to share their stories and feel more comfortable putting their ideas forward. Hatch explains, “Science is often centered around crazy ideas, and sometimes it feels nerve-racking to put your ideas out there. So we’re trying to create a space where everybody feels like they could take that opportunity and be celebrated for it.” Her work with the ERG reflects her broader interest in inclusivity and led her to become involved with the Women Tech Council.
Hatch’s involvement with the Women Tech Council began when she was invited to Explorer Day. Being in a room filled with future technologists and scientists inspired her to share her story. Connecting with other finalists also left a strong impression. “It’s been really great to know not just that I’m good at what I do in my field, but that it’s applicable in other places,” she says. “There are shared experiences across industries—the challenges and struggles, but also the empowerment of what women are capable of accomplishing.”
Hatch was a 2025 Women Tech Award Finalist.
In addition to external organizations like the Women Tech Council, Recursion supports women through programs such as its Returnship program. Hatch was inspired by a friend from Recursion who stepped away from science to raise her children, then later returned to the field while they were in school. Hatch believes that when people who care deeply about their communities are given the opportunity to bring their best selves to science, society benefits. She also notes that few people are more determined to create change than mothers who have made sacrifices for their families.
She points to abilities like prioritization and patience, explaining that patience is especially valuable when working with people who think differently or approach problems from another perspective.
Motherhood isn’t the only influence that has shaped Hatch’s leadership style. Another major influence is volleyball. Hatch began playing volleyball at age 11, continued through high school and college, and now coaches as well. The sport has helped her strengthen her communication skills and taught her how to work effectively within a team.
She’s learned how to identify team strengths and weaknesses and apply a growth mindset—the belief that skills can always be improved. As a coach, Hatch encourages players to participate in “Lab time,” a portion of practice where they can try new techniques without worrying about the outcome.
Balancing a demanding role at Recursion with coaching requires strong planning and prioritization skills. She advises high school students to start building strong habits early, noting that she developed these skills during high school by planning ahead and communicating clearly with teachers.
Mentorship also played a key role in Hatch’s development. She credits a biology teacher who encouraged curiosity and new opportunities, a chemistry teacher who pushed her to explore biochemistry, and a coach who reminded her that even intense work should still be fun. Hatch encourages students to seek out mentors, noting that many are eager to help but often underutilized. “There is nothing more passionate than a woman in leadership who has made it and wants to see other women succeed,” she says.
Now in a mentoring role herself, Hatch offers advice to young girls: “Whatever you pursue in life, you should do it with as much passion as you can. If you find that you’re not passionate about something, it’s probably not worth pursuing. Life is short—you should live it to the fullest and give it your all. Find ways to make meaningful differences in the things that you care about.”
Learn more about Recursion.
Sunny Perez and Jenny Flores Perez (no relation) are 2025-26 SheTech Media Interns with the Women Tech Council and TechBuzz News.
Hailing from Ogden, Utah, Sunny Perez is a high school senior studying economics at Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering & Science (NUAMES), an early college public charter high school in Davis County, Utah, partnered with Weber State University that emphasizes STEM education
Jenny Flores Perez is a senior at Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah, with a strong interest in STEM, particularly engineering. Jenny enjoys understanding how things work, solving problems, and applying creativity to new ideas, especially hands on projects. She practices pottery, playing the viola, and enjoys working with infants and toddlers. Jenny hopes to pursue a career in engineering.
Sunny and Jenny will be joining thousands of young women at SheTech Explorer Day 2026 on February 24, a hands-on STEM conference for Utah high school girls, offering workshops, mentors, role models, career pathways, and collaborative tech challenges in an engaging, supportive environment.