Alongside her research, Heemstra is a science communicator and writes a regular column for Chemical & Engineering News.

[3] She was an undergraduate researcher with James Nowick, where she studied the folding of beta sheets and became interested in supramolecular chemistry.

[1] On the day of her doctoral defense, Heemstra received a phone call from her proposed postdoctoral advisor who was concerned that she would become pregnant during her research position, which would result in her taking time out of the laboratory.

Heemstra is working on new approaches to monitor RNA editing, through the use of fluorescence labelling, as well as ways to manipulate these modifications for genetic engineering.

[7] She has worked on threose nucleic acids (TNAs) which can be used to confer genetic information and in the detection of small molecule toxins.

[9][10] Heemstra is a science communicator who writes a regular column Office Hours for Chemical & Engineering News.