Alisa Newton, a Pennsylvania-born veterinarian and head of Aquatic Health for the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, wants to dispel the negative perception of sharks, writes Melanie Grayce West for The Wall Street Journal.

“They are not the mindless eating machines they are made out to be,” said Newton.

Instead, she said, they are cool and docile with their own personalities and quirks. They even like massages near their dorsal fin, similar to belly rubs for golden retrievers.

Newton spends nearly 12 hours a day at the recently revamped New York Aquarium. She usually finishes her shifts by patting the resident sharks at the edge of the massive tanks.

As part of her job, she has to ensure the zoo and aquarium animals are healthy and conduct research on sea creatures in the wild. This can cover everything from tagging sharks to spending weeks aboard a research vessel off the Atlantic Coast.

For her work, she collaborates with other experts, but they agree that Newton is a leader in the field.

“She’s a go-to person in that area,” said Gregory Lewbart, professor at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Read more about Alisa Newton in The Wall Street Journal by clicking here.