#Startstruck by Scientists and Science-Related Writers

As a trainee in science, you often have the chance to attend talks and meetings where you see world-renowned experts in the field. Similar to a person who spots their favorite celebrity (movie/tv/music star) IRL, you can’t help but be #startstruck. Here are a few of my #startstruck moments when I got to see amazing researchers and science communicators:

1) Rebecca Skloot – I remember attending a talk by Rebecca Skloot, the author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” as an undergraduate at Hiram College. I was so excited to see an author who changed the way both scientists and the public think about medical ethics (including informed consent and patient privacy) and the history of cell culture. I can remember her talking about sitting in a biology class where she learned about HeLa cells, where she wondered, “Who did these cells come from?” She is one of my role models, since my career goal is to be a science writer.  

 2) Tracy Kidder – The common reading for Hiram College one year was the book, “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” which was written by Tracy Kidder. The book describes the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, who improved the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in under-served areas throughout the world. Based on the use of his book in the curriculum, Tracy Kidder came and gave the opening convocation. It was cool to have the chance to see a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and famous literary journalist in person. Looking back, I wish I had recorded his inspirational speech.

3) Peter Barnes, MD – As a graduate student studying inflammatory lung diseases, I remember reading a lot of reviews and manuscripts by Dr. Barnes. He is a respiratory researcher in the U.K. who is an expert in the areas of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The first time that I saw him was at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Annual Conference in Philadelphia, where he gave a talk about non-smokers with COPD. I can remember just being in awe of him since he is such a leader in the field. This past May, he actually introduced me at a conference. I may have looked calm and collected as I walked up to the podium, but I definitely did an internal #startstruck squeal.  

 4) Stephen Gordon, MD – I was able to attend great talks by Stephen Gordon at ATS conferences, and even got to meet him in person. He is a respiratory researcher who studies respiratory infectious diseases and the health effects of household air pollution from cooking fires. He is one of the world’s experts on lung diseases related to biomass smoke exposure and cookstove interventions in low-and-middle-income countries. He also received the World Lung Health Award from the ATS for his research and training efforts in Malawi.   

John Balmes, MD - I was able to meet Dr. Balmes at ATS conferences. He is a well-known respiratory researcher who studies outdoor air pollution, household air pollution, asthma, and cardiopulmonary diseases. He has received many awards throughout his career, including the ATS Public Service Award in Recognition of Outstanding Contributions in Public Health in the area of Respiratory Disease and Medicine, The John M. Peters Award in Appreciation of a Lifetime of Leadership, Research, and Devoted Service to the Pursuit of Respiratory Health from the ATS's Assembly on Environmental, Occupational and Population Health, Rutherford T. Johnstone Award for Exemplary Contributions to the Field of Occupational Medicine, and more. He also likes to support and promote trainees. I can remember feeling a good type of shock when he recognized me at an ATS assembly meeting.

5) Joe Palca, PhD – I took a graduate school course called “Careers in Science Communication.” Different speakers in science communication would come and tell us about their jobs. One week, Joe Palca, a science correspondent for NPR came to our class. He gave really good examples and tips about communicating science to the public. Later that evening, I was a part of a small group from the class who got to join him for dinner. It was a great experience to hang out with a nationally-recognized science journalist.  

6) Enid Neptune, MD - The keynote speaker for the University of Rochester's Lung Biology Research and Trainee Day in January 2017 was Dr. Enid Neptune. I was able to see her present her research on Marfan syndrome and inflammatory lung diseases, specifically COPD. I also had the opportunity to attend a career development round table with her, where she gave advice to graduate students, post-docs, and clinical fellows about planning for the future. I'll never forget that she said, "It's your life. You have to do what's right for you." It was helpful to learn the experiences and perspective of an important translation researcher in pulmonary medicine. 

7) Dinah Singer, PhD – As a science writing fellow, I was able to meet Dr. Singer, the director of the Division of Cancer Biology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She is also a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Molecular Regulation Section of the Experimental Immunology Branch of the NCI intramural research program. She is a well-known scientist, serves on various advisory and scientific boards/committees, and an important leader at NCI. As a woman in STEM, I look up to her as a role-model. Further, even though she is this amazing and accomplished researcher, she is very down to earth. For example, when I met her, I said, “Nice to meet you Dr. Singer.” She quickly replied, “You can call me Dinah.”

8) Douglas Lowy, MD – I was able to sit in during a meeting that was led by the (then) acting NCI director, Dr. Lowy. I was in the same room as one of the scientists who won the 2017 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. His research led to the development of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, which help prevent cervical cancer.  

9) Diana Galbadon, PhD – I was able to go to the National Book Festival this year with a lecture by Diana Galbadon. She is the author of the “Outlander” series, as well as a PhD in Quantitative Behavioral Ecology. I am a huge fan of the “Outlander” books and T.V. show, so it was a great chance to see her in person. Since I am interested in science communication, it was interesting to hear her perspective on science and writing during her talk. According to her, in both science and writing you are trying to draw out patterns from chaos. The only difference is that one is external (science) and one is internal (writing).  

Feel free to share your own science-related #startstruck moments in the comments!