WELCOME, EVERYBODY, A SPECIAL
WELCOME TO SHARON MILGRAM AND
JOCELYNE RIVERA.
TWO WOMEN OF OUR SERIES.
AND THIS IS THE WOMEN LEADERS IN
ACADEMIC RESEARCH, WHICH WAS
RENAMED THIS YEAR TO EMPOWERMENT
OF UNDERREPRESENTED RESEARCHERS.
IT'S A MONTHLY SEARCH SERIES
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NIH CENTER
FOR COLLEGES.
>> TODAY'S SPEAKER IS DR. SHARON
MILGRAM, DIRECTOR OF THE NIH
OFFICE OF INTRAMURAL TRAINING
AND EDUCATION WHO WILL SHARE HOW
AN EAR WORM SHAPES MY LIFE AND
MY CAREER.
SO THE LECTURE IS FOR THIS TIME
IS LESSONS LEARNED FROM A CAREER
IN SCIENCE AND TRAINING
MENTORSHIP WITH A DISCUSSION OF
SOME OF THE ISSUES WE FACE IN
THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY.
HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES,
TOXIC ENVIRONMENTS,
MICRO-AGGRESSIONS AND
DISCRIMINATIONS.
THANK YOU, DR. MILLIGRAM FOR
JOINING US TODAY.
>> AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE IN A BIT
ABOUT SHARON.
SHE IS, AS I TOLD HER IN THE
BEGINNING, SHE IS THE EPIDEMY OF
WHAT THIS LECTURE SERIES IS
ABOUT AND WHAT WE STRIVE FOR IT
TO BE, AND SHE HAS A VOICE THAT
YOU'LL HEAR THAT IS TRULY
INSPIRATIONAL, MOTIVATIONAL.
SHE IS A FRUSTRATED PHILOSOPHER,
I THINK, LIKE MYSELF, AND SPEAKS
FROM THE HEART.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS
AND SHE IS AN ACCOMPLISHED
LEADER.
NIH IS TRULY LUCKY TO HAVE HER
HERE.
HER PRESENCE SHEAR NOTICEABLE,
PALPABLE.
WE KNOW SHE IS HERE AT THE HELM
LEADING THE EDUCATIONAL
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SHE RUNS AN
AMAZING TEAM.
SHE INCLUDES PHIL, KARL PARKS
TRICIA, A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT
ALL SHARE HER SAME PASSION.
SHE IS A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR
TRAINEES AND FOR MENTORS ALIKE
HERE.
SHE IS A PROBLEM-SOLVER.
YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT OF
HER PHILOSOPHY TODAY.
I CALL HER THE NIH WELLNESS
OFFICER AND CHIEF.
SHE HAS ALL OF OUR INTERNETS AT
HEART AND SHE INSTITUTED A
SEMINAR SERIES FOCUSED ON THE
WELL-BEING OF TRAINEES AND
MENTEES ALIKE WITH THEIR
MENTORS, ALSO.
IT'S A TOP-TO-BOTTOM SOUP TO
NUTS APPROACH TOWARDS HER ROLE.
SHE DOESN'T STOP WHERE YOU MIGHT
THINK IT STOPS.
SHE TAKES IT A BIT FURTHER AND
JUST MAKES SURE THAT THINGS ARE
HUMMING AND SMOOTH AND WE'RE
REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER.
HER HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
HER INTELLECT IS PRESENT TO
MAKER A REAL CHAMPION WHO IS
VERY IMPACTFUL FORWARDS QUALITY
EDUCATION.
AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO BENEFIT
FROM HER PASSION, HER DEDICATION
AND HER SKILL SET AND HEAR A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT HER TODAY.
A WORD ON SOME OF OUR PARTNERS
SERIES, AS A CAREER DEVELOPMENT
SEMINAR COMING UP IN A FEW DAYS.
AND WE'LL MOVE ON AS IS USUAL.
WE WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
PHILOSOPHY IN THE BEGINNING AND
WE'LL BOUNCE BACK-AND-FORTH ON
THIS.
>> SO OUR MENTOR ALLOWS TO YOU
SEE THE HOPE INSIDE YOURSELF.
A MENTOR IS SOMEONE WHO ALLUSE
YOU TO KNOW THAT NO MATTER HOW
DARK THE NIGHT, IN THE MORNING,
JOY WILL COME.
A MENTOR IS SOMEONE WHO ALLOWS
YOU TO SEE THE HIGHER PART OF
YOURSELF WHEN SOMETIMES IT
BECOMES HIDDEN TO YOUR OWN VIEW.
BY OPRAH WINFREY.
>> JOHN F. KENNEDY SAID, ONE
PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND
EVERYONE SHOULD TRY IT.
>> MENTORING IS ALL ABOUT
LISTENING TO PEOPLE, HELPING
THEM GO OVER WHAT THE ISSUES ARE
AND HOW TO CLARIFY WAYS TO DEAL
WITH ANY PROBLEMS THAT MAY
ARISE,.
>> BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID, TELL
ME, I FORGOT R. GET, TEACH ME I
MIGHT REMEMBER AND INVOLVE ME I
LEARN.
>> WHEN ONE PERSON MENTORS TWO
LIVES ARE CHANGED.
>> WINSTON CHURCHILL.
WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET,
WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE.
>> IN THE END WE WILL REMEMBER
NOT THE WORDS OF OUR ENEMIES BUT
THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS BY
MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. SO THE
TITLE OF TODAY'S LECTURE IS HOW
AN EAR WORM SHAPES MY LIFE AND
MY CAREER.
AND THE LECTURE AND LESSONS
LEARNED FROM OUR CAREER IN
SCIENCE AND TRAINING MENTORSHIP
WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE SOME OF
THE ISSUES WE FACE IN THE
RESEARCH COMMUNITY, HEALTH,
MENTAL ISSUES, TOXIC
ENVIRONMENTS, MICRO-AGGRESSIONS
AND DISCRIMINATION.
>> A WORD ON THE LECTURE SERIES
YOU PROBABLY HEARD BEFORE, BUT
VERY BRIEFLY, THE LECTURE IS
AIMED AT COUNTER
UNDERREPRESENTATION IN SCIENCE,
ACADEMICS AND RESEARCH BY
FOSTERING AND EMPOWERING ROLE
MODELING, AND TEAM SCIENCE AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT BY
HIGHLIGHTING SOLUTIONS AT THE
INTERFACE OF ACADEMIA.
WE HONOR WOMEN USING STORIES TO
CHALLENGE THE IMPLICIT BIZES
THAT WE ALL CARRY.
AND TRICIA RAY WILL GIVE US A
BRIEF BIO.
>> THANK YOU, JOCELYN AND
DR. LYNNE.
I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR
AMAZING SPEAKER FOR TODAY,
DR. SHARON MILGRAM.
SHE RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE DEGREE FROM TEMPLE
UNIVERSITY AND A PH.D. IN CELL
BIOLOGY FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY.
SHE COMPLETED POSTDOCTORAL
TRAINING AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY BEFORE JOINING THE
FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL.
THERE SHE ROSE TO A RANK OF FULL
PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY.
DR. MILLIGRAM SERVED AS THE
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE
MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING
PROGRAM, DIRECTOR OF THE
INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES GRADUATE PROGRAM AND
THE DIRECTOR OF THE SUMMER
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
EXPERIENCE.
IN 2007, SHE JOINED THE NIH
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR AS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
INTRAMURAL TRAINING AND
EDUCATION WHERE SHE DIRECTS A
TRANS-NIH OFFICE DEDICATED TO
THE CAREER ADVANCEMENT OF OVER
5000 TRAINEES.
DR. MILLIGRAM LECTURES WIDELY ON
CAREER, MENTORSHIP, LEADERSHIP
AND MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENTS.
SHE LIVES IN TAKOMA PARK
MARYLAND WITH HER WIFE AND SON.
WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE
WITH US TODAY.
PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: THANK
YOU, JOCELYN AND TRISHA AND BRAD
FOR THE INVITATION AND ALL OF
YOU WHO ARE HERE.
I AM LISTENING TO THAT
INTRODUCTION, REALIZED TIME HAS
PASSED.
OUR SON MOVED AWAY.
HE LIVES IN L.A., AND WE MISS
HIM.
IF I GET A CHANCE TO GET OUT TO
THE WEST COAST IT'S ALWAYS A BIG
THING TO GET TO SEE HIM.
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT EAR WORMS.
YOU PROBABLY, ALL OF YOU, HAVE
EXPERIENCED.
THAT'S NOT SOME MUSIC OR A
PHRASE, A POEM THAT GETS CAUGHT
IN OUR HEAD.
AND NO MATTER WHAT WE DO IT JUST
KEEPS GOING ON AND ON AND ON AND
ON.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF LITERATURE
ON WHAT CAUSES EAR WORMS AND
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'M GOING
TO TALK ABOUT AN EAR WORM THAT I
HAVE TRIED REALLY HARD TO GET
RID OF AND I NOW APPRECIATE IT'S
LIKE A PART OF WHO I AM.
AND IS DRIVING IMPORTANT THINGS
IN MY LIFE.
BUT TO EXPLAIN THAT EAR WORM, I
NEED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
WHERE I COME FROM.
SO I WAS RAISED AS AN
ORTHODOX JEW.
IN HOUR COMMUNITY WE WOULD SAY,
WE COME FROM THE ASHEAVISH WING,
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK AT THIS
IN A PICTURE OF ME IN THE
CLOTHING THAT I'M WARING AND SAY
HA SEEDIC WING.
IT WAS A PRETTY STRICT
UPBRINGING.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ONLY
PICTURES I HAVE AND ONE OF THE
LAST BEFORE I CHOSE TO LEAVE
THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME IN
ISRAEL.
AND MANY OF THE EAR WORMS THAT I
HAVE EXPERIENCED HAPPEN IN
HEBREW AND COME FROM THAT
CHILDHOOD.
AND HERE I'M GOING TO SHARE THE
ONE EAR WORM THAT I HAVE NEVER
BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF.
SO I ACTUALLY HAD A NUMBER OF
EAR WORMS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT
THEM WITH OTHERS.
I SPEND TIME EXPLORING SOME OF
THEM IN THERAPY.
I SPEND TIME WITH SOME OF THEM
REALLY TRYING TO EMBRACE THE
MESSAGE BEHIND.
AND THAT IS THIS ONE.
AND SOME OF YOU MIGHT READ
HEBREW.
AND MIGHT BE ABLE TO READ THIS.
I'LL HELP YOU ALL THROUGH THIS.
SO IT SAYS AND I'M GOING TO BE
HONEST AND TELL YOU MY
TRANSLATION IS CLOSE BUT NOT
EXACT.
BUT IT'S THE TRANSLATION THAT'S
RELEVANT TO ME.
SO --
[ SPEAKING HEBREW ]
YOU DON'T HAVE TO FINISH THE
WORK.
[ SPEAKING HEBREW ]
BUT YOU ARE NOT FREE TO IGNORE
IT.
IE, YOU MIGHT TAKE ON A BIG TASK
AND IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T
SOLVTHE PROBLEM, BUT REASON TO .
NOW I'M GOING TO LEAVE A
DISCUSSION OF THE SECOND PART
FOR LATER.
I'LL JUST READ IT AND TRANSLATE
IT AND PUT IT IN HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU.
THIS IS A SONG.
SO, IT ACTUALLY IS A PRETTY
CATCHY TUNE AND IT HAPPENS TO BE
A GREAT TUNE THAT FITS THE
CADENCE OF MY RUNNING STYLE.
SO WHEN I'M OUT RUNNING AND
FEELING REALLY GOOD, AND I
HAVE -- SORT OF HIT THE
ENDORPHIN HIGH, THIS SONG,
ESPECIALLY IF I'M KEEPING UP A
PRETTY GOOD PACE, WILL COME INTO
MY MIND.
AND THE SECOND PART, AFTER THIS
IDEA THAT WE HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO TACKLE
PROBLEMS, IS.
[ SPEAKING HEBREW ]
WE WILL REBUILD THE TEMPLE IN
OUR TIME SOON.
IN JEWISH HISTORY THERE ARE TWO
TIMES WHEN THE HOLY TEMPLE IS
DESTROYED.
THERE IS THIS IDEA IN ORTHODOX
JUDAISM, THAT SOME DAY IT WILL
BE REBUILT.
SO THIS IS REALLY A SONG ABOUT
THE BEHAVIORS THAT SHOULD DRIVE
THIS EVENTUAL REBUILDING.
AND THE WHOLE THING FOR ME IS
JUST THIS INTENSE EAR WORM.
AND I'M GOING TO JUST PARK THAT
FOR A MOMENT TO TELL YOU A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY CAREER AND
MYSELF AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO
ME AND THEN I'M GOING TO CIRCLE
BACK TO THIS EAR WORM.
BECAUSE WHAT I REALLY COME TO
REALIZE IS THAT MY CAREER AS A
SCIENTIST AND AS A MENTOR, MY
CAREER AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AND
TEACHER AND MENTOR IS REALLY
ALL, IN SOME WAY, DRIVEN BY THIS
EAR WORM.
EVERY OTHER EAR WORM THAT I HAVE
DEALT WITH, IT'S LIKE I CAN JUST
SAY, JUST STOP.
BUT THIS ONE, IT'S ALWAYS THERE.
SO I ALREADY SHOWED YOU THIS
PICTURE.
THIS IS ME IN ABOUT 1979
IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
I WENT TO STUDY RELIGIOUS
STUDIES.
I HAD SOME VAGUE IDEA THAT
PERHAPS AT SOME POINT I MIGHT GO
TO COLLEGE, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT,
IT WASN'T A VERY, VERY PRESSING
THING FOR ME.
I DID EVENTUALLY DECIDE TO GO TO
COLLEGE.
I PICKED PHYSICAL THERAPY AS MY
MAJOR.
I WAS ONE OF THE LOST CLASSES OF
PEOPLE WHO COULD GET A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PHYSICAL
THERAPY.
IT'S NOW A DOCTORAL DEGREE AND
TAKES A LOT MORE YEARS.
I WORKED AT A REHABILITATION
HOSPITAL.
THIS IS MY ID.
IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHIP IN IT,
RIGHT?
I DIDN'T SLAP IT ON ANY DOOR TO
GET IN.
I WORKED WITH HEAD INJURY AND
YOUNG ADULT STROKE PATIENTS.
AND MY EXPERIENCE IN PHYSICAL
THERAPY DROVE ME TO GO TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL.
I REALIZED AS I WAS TREATING
PATIENTS, THAT WHAT I REALLY
WANTED TO DO WAS TEACH.
THAT I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN
ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE, BUT I WAS
MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN TEACHING
THEM AND TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT
THE NEUROSCIENCE BEHIND THE
STORY AND EXPLAINING TO FAMILY
MEMBERS WHY THEIR LOVED ONE
EXHIBITED THESE SYMPTOMS VERSUS
THE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS IN
ANOTHER STROKE PATIENT.
SO I WAS PLANNING TO GO TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL TO STUDY
SOMETHING RELATED TO
REHABILITATION AND TO GO BACK TO
PHYSICAL THERAPY.
THIS IS ME IN GRADUATE SCHOOL.
THAT IS AN ANGLERFISH, OR MONK
FISH.
THAT IS A REALLY UGLY FISH.
ANGLERFISH HAVE THE MOST UNIQUE
PANCREATIC ISLET OUT THERE.
THE PANCREAS IS VERY LARGE AND
EASY TO ISOLATE IN MAMMALS IT'S
THE OTHER WAY.
THE PANCREAS ISUGE AND THE
HIGHLIGHTS ARE SCATTERED ALL
AROUND.
I WANTED TO STUDY REHAB.
SO WHAT AM I DOING PULLING OUT
THE PANCREATIC ISLETS FROM
ANGLERFISH.
THIS IS AT THE MARINE BIOLOGY
LABS.
WHAT I WAS DOING THERE?
WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IN MY FIRST
YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOOL, I TOOK
A BIOCHEMISTRY CLASS.
THERE WAS A 45-MINUTE LECTURE
YOU ON INSULIN BIOSYNTHESIS AND
I WAS COMPLETELY TAKEN BY THE
IDEA OF STUDYING END VINOLOGY,
BIOSYNTHESIS, THE SECRETORY
PATHWAY.
I TOTALLY CHANGED MY INTERESTS
BASED ON A 45-MINUTE LECTURE.
WHAT IS SO IRONIC ABOUT THAT IS
FOR ME, THAT EXPERIENCE IN THAT
BIOCHEMISTRY CLASS WAS TRANSF
TRANSFORMATIVE THE PROFESSOR
SAID IF YOU NEVER HAD BIOKENNEL
INDUSTRY BEFORE YOU ARE LIKELY
TO STRUGGLE AND I SHRUNK UNDER
MY SEAT BECAUSE I ASSUMED
EVERYBODY ELSE HAD A
BIOCHEMISTRY COURSE.
MANY OF THEM DID IN FACT, AND
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I
APPRECIATED WHAT IMPOSTER FEARS
WERE.
AND THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT
THING FOR ME TO LOOK BACK ON
THIS.
AS I STARTED DOING MUCH MORE
TEACHING, AND ADMINISTRATION AND
THE WORK I DO AT NIH.
I WANT TO SAY ONE REALLY
IMPORTANT THING ABOUT ALL OF
THIS EXPERIENCE AND THAT IS HOW
MUCH I STRUGGLED.
IN UNDERGRADUATE FOR NOT DEALING
WITH ALL OF THE TOUGH ISSUES
THAT COME WITH MY EXPLORATION OF
MY LACK OF DESIRE TO BE AN
ORTHODOX JEW.
SO I STRUGGLED A LOT WITH NOT
SEEKING SUPPORT, NOT GETTING
RESOURCES AND SELF MEDICATING
WITH ALCOHOL.
I BROUGHT SOME OF THOSE HARD
MOMENTS WITH ME TO GRAD SCHOOL,
AND ON TOP OF JUST THE ISSUES
THAT I NEEDED TO DEAL WITH IN MY
LIFE, CAME THE ISSUES OF FEELING
LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF AN
IMPOSTER.
AND I KNOW SO MANY OF YOU TALK
WITH ME ABOUT IMPOSTER FEARS.
AND IT REALLY DOES RESONATE FOR
ME.
AND I REALLY GO BACK TO THIS
CRAZY LONG-HAIRED PERSON POPPING
PANCREATIC ISLETS OUT OF
ANGLERFISH.
NOW I FULLY INTENDED AFTER
GRADUATE SCHOOL TO GO BACK TO
PHYSICAL THERAPY.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, PANCREATIC
ILIT HORMONE SECRETION WAS NOT
VIEWED AS GREAT PREPARATION FOR
FACULTY POSITION IN PHYSICAL
THERAPY OR TO GO BACK AND TREAT
PATIENTS.
BY THEN I JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE
IT.
SO I DECIDED TO DO A
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP.
I WENT TO A LAB AT JOHNS
HOPKINS.
WE CALLED OURSELVES THE
NEUROPEPTIDE LAB.
AND IT REALLY FELT A LOT LIKE
THIS.
THIS WAS US AT OUR ANNUAL TEAM
BUILDING EVENT.
BUT TO BE HONEST, I FELT LIKE WE
WERE IN WHITE WATER RAPIDS A LOT
OF THE TIME.
IT WAS INCREDIBLY EXCITING LIKE
WHITE WATER RAPIDS ARE, AND
INCREDIBLY INTENSE LIKE THEY
ALSO ARE.
IRONICALLY RIGHT HERE IS A
COLLEAGUE WHO WAS A POSTDOC WITH
ME AND WE JUST RECONNECTED.
SHE WAS AT SOME WEBINAR I WAS
GIVING.
SHE IS AN NIH PROGRAM OFFICER
NOW.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING -- WE
WERE HOPING TO GET-TOGETHER TO
CELEBRATE THE RETIREMENT OF THE
HEADS OF THE NEUROPEPTIDE LAB,
PANDEMIC GOT IN THE WAY.
FOR ME, THIS WAS A PIVOTAL
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE MOLECULAR
BIOLOGY WAS JUST STARTING.
YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S HARD TO
BELIEVE THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY
HARD TO DO SITE-DIRECTED
MUTAGENESIS OR TO LOCATE A GENE.
WE HAVE SO MANY TOOLS.
BUT THIS WAS KETTING EDGE AT
THIS TIME.
AND I LEARNED A COUPLE OF REALLY
IMPORTANT THINGS HERE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE
NEUROPEPTIDE LAB WAS RUN BY TWO
PEOPLE, BETTY OWNERSHIPPER AND
DICK MANES, WHO WERE HUSBAND AND
WIFE OUTSIDE OF SCIENCE.
BETTY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
REALLY STRONG FEMALE ROLE MODELS
THAT I HAD.
THERE WERE NOT VERY MANY FEMALE
FACULTY AT EMORY WHEN I WAS A
GRADUATE STUDENT.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF ROLE
MODELS IN MY PERSONAL LIFE
BECAUSE THE PRESSURE ON ORTHODOX
GIRLS IS TO QUICKLY GET MARRIED,
START A FAMILY AND WHILE WE TALK
MORE NOW IN THAT COMMUNITY ABOUT
EDUCATION FOR GIRLS, IT WASN'T A
BIG PART OF MY GROWING UP.
SO NUMBER 1, I STARTED TO SEE
THAT YOU COULD BE A REALLY
POWERFUL WOMAN.
NUMBER 2, IS I LEARNED THE POWER
OF MENTORING.
SO THIS IS A GUY NAMED FRED WHO
I HAD NOT HEARD FROM OR HAD ANY
AWARENESS OF WHERE HE WAS FOR
YEARS.
FRED KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF OUR
LAB AND HE SAID, I NEED A PLACE
TO DO AN INTERNSHIP AND I'M JUST
LOOKING.
IT'S NOT WORKING OUT SO I'M
KNOCKING ON DOORS AND I CAN
START TOMORROW.
AND I DON'T KNOW, FOR WHATEVER
REASON I SAID, YES.
SO FRED AND I WORKED TOGETHER
FOR A LONG TIME.
WE JUST RECONNECTED.
HE IS A PSYCHIATRIST AT JOHNS
HOPKINS AND I WAS LOOKING FOR
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT
PARKINSON'S AND COGNITIVE MENTAL
HEALTH AND COGNITIVE DECLINE AND
HIS NAME CAME UP.
AND HE STILL LOOKS SHOCKINGLY
THE SAME.
THE THIRD THING THAT I LEARNED,
PROBABLY THE THIRD MOST
IMPORTANT THING WAS THE POWER OF
BEING WILLING TO ASK FOR HELP.
SO DOWN HERE IS RICH JOHNSON WHO
WAS OUR RESIDENT AND MOLEC
LABILEGIST.
MUTAGENESIS WAS DIFFICULT, DNA
SEQUENCING WAS DIFFICULT.
THESE WERE ALL TECHNIQUES THAT
WERE HAPPENING BUT STILL HARD TO
DO AND FOR ME, AS A PHYSICAL
THERAPIST, CELL BIOLOGIST THEN
TRAINING IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY,
THE WILLINGNESS TO ASK FOR HELP
AND HOW GRACIOUSLY HE GAVE HELP
REALLY MATTERED A LOT.
THIS IS AT SOMEBODY'S GOODBYE
PARTY.
SO, MY POSTDOC WAS A TIME WHEN I
REALLY CAME TO APPRECIATE THAT I
MIGHT NOT BE GOING BACK TO
PHYSICAL THERAPY.
IN FACT, I APPLIED FOR A JOB
THAT WAS A JOINT APPOINTMENT
BETWEEN THE ANATOMY DEPARTMENT
AND A PHYSICAL THERAPY
DEPARTMENT.
AND I THOUGHT, THIS JOB IS FOR
ME.
THE ONLY PERSON THEY WANT TO
APPLY IS ME.
SO MUCH SO THAT I SPENT MONEY ON
A FED-EX BECAUSE WE DIDN'T APPLY
ON LINE BACK THEN.
I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN E-MAIL
ADDRESS.
I WAS CERTAIN I WAS GOING TO
FED-EX IT AND THEY WERE GOING TO
OPEN IT AND THEY WERE GOING TO
CALL ME.
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?
CRICKETS.
NOTHING HAND.
I DIDN'T GET A CALL BECAUSE I
ACTUALLY SORT OF DRIFTED VERY,
VERY FAR AWAY FROM PHYSICAL
THERAPY.
SO I DIDN'T END UP ACTUALLY
GOING BACK TO A PHYSICAL THERAPY
PROGRAM.
I ENDED UP BEING A FACULTY
MEMBER AT UNC CHAPEL HILL.
THIS IS MY VERY FIRST LAB.
THIS IS THE VERY FIRST PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT I BOUGHT.
THIS IS AGAIN NOT FANCY AT THIS
POINT BUT THIS IS A TABLE TOP
ULTRACENTRIFUGE.
IT COST MORE MONEY THAN I EVER
IMAGINED HAVING IN MY LIFE.
AND I HUGGED IT ON MY FIRST DAY.
THERE IS ACTUALLY A PICTURE OF
ME HUGGING IT.
NOW DURING MY POSTDOC, IN
LEARNING ABOUT THE POWER OF
MENTORING AND THE POWER OF
LEARNING FROM OTHERS, WHAT JUST
COMES NATURALLY THERE IS THE
POWER OF COLLABORATION.
AND I THINK THE REASON WHY I WAS
SUCCESSFUL, I AM NOT YOUR
PICTURE-PERFECT SCIENTIST
HEADING TOWARDS AN ACADEMIC
CAREER.
I STARTED BEHIND.
I STAYED BEHIND.
I STRUGGLED THROUGH GRADUATE
SCHOOL.
I TOOK MY QUALIFYING EXAM TWICE.
I APPLIED FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL
TWICE FOR THAT MATTER.
I REALLY WASN'T -- THE PICTURE
ON THE WHEATIES BOX OF WHO WAS
GOING TO SUCCEED IN SCIENCE.
BUT IT WAS THIS, THE POWER OF
COLLABORATION.
SO I HAD 10 PAPERS, 40% WERE
COLLABORATIVE PAPERS WITH OTHER
POSTDOCS WITH GRAD STUDENTS,
WITH FRED.
HE ENDED UP IN A NEIGHBORING LAB
BUT WORKING WITH US.
AND THEN THROUGH OTHER KINDS OF
COLLABORATIONS.
AND THAT FOLLOWED ME INTO MY
FACULTY POSITION.
EARLY ON IN MY TIME AT U IN.
C, SOMEBODY WAS CHATTING WITH ME
OUTSIDE -- UNC.
I GUESS SHE WAS WAITING ON THE
CENTRIFUGE OR WAITING TO USING
THE BALANCE, AND I WAS TALKING
ABOUT MY INTEREST IN HOW
PROTEINS MOVE THROUGH CELLS AND
SHE WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT
TALKING ABOUT HER INTERESTS, AND
THEN SHE SAID SOMETHING I'M NOT
QUITE SURE EXACTLY WHAT LED TO
WHAT, BUT SHE SAID, YOU SHOULD
MEET MY DAD.
AND I SAID, OH, WHO IS HE?
SHE SAID HE WORKS AT THE UNC
CYSTIC FIBROSIS CENTER.
AND MY OPENNESS TO COLLABORATION
AS WELL AS THEIR OPENNESS TO
COLLABORATION LED TO 13 YEARS,
AMAZING SET OF COLLABORATIONS
WITH CLINICIANS AND BASIC
SCIENTISTS AT THE UNC CYSTIC
FIBROSIS CENTER.
I HAD NEVER WORKED ON CYSTIC
FIBROSIS BEFORE.
I HAD TO READ ABOUT WHAT IT WAS.
SO AND THAT IS A THEME, RIGHT?
I TOOK A CLASS.
SOMEBODY TALKED ABOUT INSULIN
AND I CHANGED MY DIRECTION.
I MET SOMEBODY.
I TALKED ABOUT CYSTIC FIBROSIS,
I READ ABOUT IT, LEARNED ABOUT
IT AND CHANGED DIRECTION.
I THINK IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT MAKES ME LOVE SCIENCE SO
MUCH.
I CONTINUE COLLABORATING AS A
FACULTY MEMBER.
OVER HALF OF MY PUBLICATIONS
WERE SUBSTANTIAL COLLABORATIONS
WITH NEIGHBORING LABS, WITH
COLLEAGUES AT OTHER U.S.
INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE.
MANY OF THEM LED BY MY STUDENTS
AND POSTDOCS.
YOU HAVE REMARKABLE POWER TO
DRIVE YOUR PI OR YOUR FACULTY
MENTOR IN NEW DIRECTIONS.
SOME OF THESE WERE
TRANSFORMATIVE FOR ME.
BUT IT WAS ALL DRIVEN BY
COLLABORATION.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT I LEARNED AS
A FACULTY MEMBER WAS THAT MY
MOOD OFTEN DROVE THE MOOD OF THE
LAB.
THAT WHEN I WAS ON TOP OF MY
GAME, WHEN I WAS CALMLY
RESPONDING TO THINGS, SO WERE
PEOPLE IN MY GROUP.
AND THESE ARE SOME FOLKS IN MY
GROUP, VARIOUS TRADITIONS WE
DEVELOPED IN OUR LAB.
ONE WAS CELEBRATING PAPERS BY A
TRIP TO BEN & JERRY'S.
SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW DR. YOI,
THIS IS HER IN HER EARLY DAYS.
I WAS HONORED TO HAVE HER AS A
ROTATION STUDENT WHEN SHE
STARTED HER MDP HAD.
D PROGRAM.
SHE IS AN NCI FACULTY MEMBER NOW
YOU.
WE STARTED DOING A SUMMER
ACTIVITY TOGETHER.
THIS WAS A CRAZY ONE WHERE WE
WENT TO LAKE JORDAN.
WE WOULD HOST STUDENTS FROM
VARIOUS COLLEGES.
THIS WAS CELEBRATING FORT LEWIS
COLLEGE, A COLLEGE IN DURANGO
COLORADO.
MOST OF US HERE ARE WEARING FORT
LEWIS T-SHIRTS WE HAD A GREAT
IMPORTANT TRADITION THAT THE
GR STUDENTS MADE A CAKE
FOR THE GRADUATE STUDENT WHO
DEFENDED.
THIS IS THE EPITHELIAL SODIUM
CHANNEL.
HERE IS THE PORT.
IT HAS MULTIPLE SUBUNITS.
AND ALL OF OUR CAKES HAD TO BE
SCIENCE-THEMED.
THIS WAS A TIME WHEN I REALIZED
THAT WHEN I WAS TOO DRIVEN, I
WASN'T THE BEST OF BOSSES OR
MENTORS.
THIS IS REALLY WHEN I GAINED AN
APPRECIATION FOR THE POWER OF
WHAT IT MEANS TO MODEL GOOD
BEHAVIOR.
WHAT IT MEANS TO LEARN TO
SUPPORT OTHERS IN THE GROUP.
I FIND IT UNBELIEVABLE THAT I
HAD NEVER HAD A SINGLE
MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP AND I WAS
RUNNING A GROUP.
THESE ARE LIKE PEOPLE WHO
MATTER, RIGHT?
AND WHEN I BEHAVE POORLY, THAT
POOR BEHAVIOR RUNS DOWNHILL.
AND SO, THIS WAS A
TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE
BECAUSE I CAME TO NIH WITH A
DESIRE TO CHANGE THIS.
I CAME TO NIH IN 2007.
I WORK IN THE OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR.
I ANSWER DIRECTLY TO THE DEPUTY
DIRECTOR FOR INTRAMURAL
RESEARCH.
I CAME WITH MY LAB, MY LAB WAS
HOUSED IN NHLBI AND NHGRI.
I CLOSED MY LAB AFTER SOME HARD
INTROSPECTION REALIZING I WAS
NOT AS GOOD OF A SCIENTIST AS I
USED TO BE BECAUSE MY ATTENTION
WAS SPLIT TOO MUCH.
AND I HAD ALWAYS SAID, IF I
COULDN'T DO SCIENCE AT THE LEVEL
I WANTED TO DO IT, THEN I'M
GOING TO WALK AWAY.
AND SO I DECIDED TO CLOSE MY LAB
AND DEDICATE MYSELF FULLY TO THE
OITE.
I HAVE TWO REALLY IMPORTANT
HIDDEN IDENTITIES THAT SHAPE IN
SOME WAYS MY WORK HERE.
AND THE FIRST IS THAT I AM ONE
OF THE MANY MILLIONS OF LGBTQ
AMERICANS OR MEMBERS OF THE
GLOBAL LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
THAT IS MY WIFE.
HER NAME, BY THE WAYZ, IS ALSO
SHARON.
SO SHE THANKFULLY GOES BY THE
NICKNAME WREN.
BUT IT'S CONVENIENCE BECAUSE OUR
FRIENDS CAN SAY THEY ARE GOING
TO GET-TOGETHER WITH THE
SHARONS.
THIS PROBABLY IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT OF MY HIDDEN
IDENTITIES.
SO I'M THE WHITE PRIVILEGED
MOTHER OF A BLACK MAN.
THIS IS HIM A LOT YOUNGER.
HE HAS GROWN AND AS I SAID
EARLIER, HE HAS MOVED AWAY RIGHT
AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.
TO BE A PERSON WHO CARRIES A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WHITE
PRIVILEGE AND TO LOVE SO DEEPLY,
A BLACK PERSON, IS FOR ME, A
DRIVER EVERY DAY.
I JUST CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW
MUCH AWARENESS THIS GIVES ME
ABOUT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO
BETTER IN THIS WORLD.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT WONDER.
HIS NAME IS WONDER.
AND YES, HE IS A WONDER.
I LOOK AT WONDER AND I SEE
INFINITE POSSIBILITY BUT I'M
WELL AWARE THAT NOT EVERYBODY
DOES.
AND I THINK THAT OF EVERYTHING
THAT I DO IN MY WORK, IT IS
BEING AN ALLY FOR MEMBERS OF
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT
MATTERS THE MOST.
I BENEFIT GREATLY FROM ALLIES.
THE REASON GAY MARRIAGE EXISTS
IN THIS COUNTRY IS BECAUSE OF
THE WORK OF ALLIES.
AND SO, I BENEFIT GREATLY FROM
THE WORK OF ALLIES AND I HAVE AN
INTENSE RESPONSIBILITY TO BE A
GOOD ALLY.
HERE AT NIH I DO A LOT, MORE
THAN I EVER IMAGINED I DO.
A HUGE AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRATIVE
WORK.
NOT MY FAVORITE PART.
I TEACH A LOT.
I USED TO GO TO MEETINGS AND
RECRUIT IN PERSON.
I HELP RUN PROGRAMS.
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH
TRAINEES.
THIS IS ME WITH A GROUP OF
POSTBACS AT THE -- WHICH MUSEUM?
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY WE USED TO
DO A TRICK ONCE A YEAR TO
EXPLORE IDENTITY THROUGH ART AT
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY.
HERE, BY THE WAY, IS A MEMBER OF
FRED'S GROUP AND AMEN TEE THAT
I'M PROUD TO ALSO CALL ONE OF MY
MENTORS.
HERE IS JOSE.
MANY OF YOU KNOW HIM.
I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
DURING THE PANDEMIC ON LINE,
WITH VARIOUS GROUPS -- THIS IS
OUR DOG.
WE HAVE A DOG AND A CAT.
SO I'LL GIVE HIM SOME TREATS.
SO MY JOB IS EVERYTHING FROM
DEALING WITH ISSUES FOR AN
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT, TO LOOKING
AT SYSTEMS AND SAYING, WHAT IS
WRONG WITH THIS?
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO WHAT IS
MY -- THE THING THAT I HAVE TO
KEEP WORKING ON?
SO I CAME TO DECIDE THAT THE
REASON THAT I COULDN'T LET GO OF
THIS EAR WORM IS THAT IT'S
TELLING ME SOMETHING.
ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT
BEING RAISED AS A ORTHODOX JEW
IS YOU LEARN THIS IDEA ABOUT
INTERPRETING ANCIENT TEXT, WHICH
IS, WE EACH IN TERNITY IT WITHIN
THE CONTEXT OF THE RELIGION --
INTERPRET IT -- WE ALSO GET TO
INTERPRET IT WITHIN OUR OWN
MEANING.
I HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS EAR
WORM IS DRIVING FOR ME, THE
THING THAT I HAVE TO KEEP
WORKING ON.
AND THAT COMES BACK TO SOME OF
THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE OF
APPRECIATING THE IMPORTANCE OF
MENTORING, THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING A TEACHER, BUT ALSO BEING
A LIFELONG LEARNER.
AND SOME OF IT IS TIED TO THESE
HEADLINES, WHICH TO ME, ARE
REALLY DEVASTATING.
WE OWE STUDENTS BETTER THAN
THIS.
YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FACE
BURNOUT AND MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS TO BE IN THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH FIELD.
RESEARCHERS FACE SHOCKING LEVELS
OF STRESS, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF
THOSE WHO TOOK PART HAD
WITNESSED BULLYING OR
HARASSMENT.
THAT WAS A SURVEY OUT OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION.
ADDRESSING RACISM AND
DISPARITIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT DIVERSITY
FOR SO LONG, YET WE STILL HAVE
ISSUES WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND FINALLY, THESE DATA FROM
SOME OF THESE ARTICLES SHOW A
6-FOLD HIGHER RATE OF ANXIETY
AND DEPRESSION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THE BASE OF THIS, IS
DRIVING THIS EAR WORM FOR ME, IS
THAT I NEED TO HELP CHANGE THAT.
AND IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
REALLY QUICKLY BUT I DON'T HAVE
THE RIGHT TO WALK AWAY.
THAT IS THE EAR WORM.
LET'S BE HONEST.
WE WORK IN A VERY DIFFICULT
SYSTEM.
IT'S HIGH KNOWLEDGE, HIGH
INTENSITY, HIGH STRESS.
IT'S FULL OF SETBACK.
EVEN WHEN WE GET A GRANT OR WE
GET A PAPER ACCEPTED, THERE IS
ALL KINDS OF CRITICISM IN IT.
NOBODY EVER SAYS, GOD, I LOVE
THIS PAPER.
THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING IT!
PUBLISHED!
WE FACE HEARING CRITICISM ALL
THE TIME.
WE FACE DISAPPOINTMENTS ALL THE
TIME.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, THIS MODEL
WAS SET UP LONG AGO.
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK
ANYMORE.
IT'S TOO HIERARCHAL.
ONE PERSON HOLDS TOO MUCH POWER
FOR SOMEBODY'S PROGRESSION
THROUGH THIS FIELD.
AND WE HEAR ALL KINDS OF
MESSAGES.
FISH DON'T SEE WATER.
SO WE DON'T EVEN NOTICE SOME OF
THESE MESSAGES.
WE SORT OF DON'T HEAR THEM BUT
THEY SEEP IN.
PUBLISH OR PARISH, CRANE RISES
TO THE -- CREAM RISES TO THE
TOP.
GOOD SCIENTISTS ALWAYS THINK
ABOUT SCIENCE.
WE WORK IN A REALLY DIFFICULT
SYSTEM.
AND HERE AT NIH, THERE ARE A LOT
OF SILOS AND A LOT -- IT CAN BE
HARD TO FIND RESOURCES.
NOW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHY IT
IS THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH BULLYING
AND HARASSMENT AND
DISCRIMINATION, WHY PEOPLE ARE
ON THE RECEIVING END OF
MICRO-AGGRESSIONS, WE HAVE TO
APPRECIATE THAT WITHIN A
RESEARCH GROUP, THE PI PLAYS A
MAJOR ROLE.
IF WE LINE THEM ALL UP, WE GET
ALL THE WAY FROM REALLY GREAT
MENTORS TO TOUR MENTORS, PEOPLE
WHO REALLY BEAT THE LOVE OF
SCIENCE OUT OF YOU.
AND ALL OF US HAVE OUR GOOD DAYS
AND OUR BAD DAYS BUT THERE ARE
PEOPLE, REALLY STRIVING AND
TRYING, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
AREN'T.
NOW IT'S NOT JUST THE PI.
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY MATTERS.
HOW EACH AND EVERY PERSON IN A
GROUP TREATS THE OTHERS MATTERS.
HOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US
WORKS ON OUR OWN BIASES, WORKS
ON OUR OWN DISCOMFORTS, WORKS ON
TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES BUT
ALSO TAKING CARE OF OTHERS.
SO IT ISN'T JUST THE PI.
IF WE WISH TO CHANGE THE CULTURE
OF SCIENCE, EACH AND EVERY ONE
OF US, FROM THE HIGHEST LEADER
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVERY
INDIVIDUAL IN THE COMMUNITY
NEEDS TO EMBRACE CULTURE CHANGE.
NEEDS TO EMBRACE CARING ABOUT
EACH OTHER.
NEEDS TO EMBRACE WELL-BEING.
NEEDS TO EMBRACE TRAINING AROUND
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT.
AROUND ANGER MANAGEMENT.
AROUND HOW WE ENGAGE WITH EACH
OTHER EVERY DAY.
CULTURE CHANGE REQUIRES WORK AT
EVERY LEVEL.
A LOT OF SELF REFLECTION, A LOT
OF GROUP REFLECTION.
WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT
ARE OUR ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS
IS HELPFUL AND WHAT OF OUR
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ARE NOT
HELPFUL AND NEED TO BE
RE-LEARNED?
WE NEED MAKE AGREEMENTS WITH
EACH OTHER.
WE NEED TO SHOW UP FOR OURSELVES
AND FOR OTHERS.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO EMBRACE
THE IDEA THAT WE ARE NOT HANDS
WITH PIPETTES OR KEYBOARDS.
WE ARE NOT JUST IDEA GENERATORS.
WE ARE WHOLE PEOPLE.
AND IF WE WANT TO WORK WITHIN A
FIELD, THAT IS NURTURING AND
SUSTAINING, THAT DOESN'T HAVE
BULLYING AND HARASSMENT
PERVASIVE THROUGHOUT.
IF WE WANT TO WORK WITH THAT
KIND OF FIELD, WE NEED TO REALLY
LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.
AND YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO THINK OF
TRAINING NOW AS A TABLE.
THERE ARE FOUR LEGS.
ON TOP OF IT IS A STUDENT
LEARNING SOME SCIENCE.
SOME HEALTH CARE HOW TO BE,
WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO
BE.
BUT EACH OF THE LEGS OF THE
TABLE HAS TO BE REALLY STRONG
FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
TRAINING.
IT'S AFFINITY GROUPS AND
TRAINING AND DIVERSITY EQUITY
AND INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY.
IT'S ALLYSHIP TRAINING.
IT'S PAYING ATTENTION TO
WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH AND
RESILIENCE AND LEARNING THE
SCIENCE BEHIND THAT.
AND THE FOURTH LEG ARE CIVILITY
TRAINING.
CIVILITY PROGRAMS, MENTOR
TRAINING, MANAGING UP TRAINING.
HOW DO TRAINEES GET THE MOST OUT
OF THEIR BOSSES?
SO I THINK THAT BASED ON THIS
HERE, FOR ME AT LEAST S TO THINK
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
HOW DO WE EMPOWER STUDENTS TO
SPEAK UP?
HOW DO WE HELP PIs LET GO OF
OLD UNHELPFUL BELIEFS BEHAVIORS?
HONEST TRUTH IS, MANY OF US GREW
UP, MYSELF INCLUDED, AT A TIME
WHEN WE WERE NOT TOLD ANYTHING
ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE.
I DIDN'T HAVE MY FIRST
MANAGEMENT COURSE UNTIL I WAS
FAR INTO MY CAREER.
IT'S SHOCKING TO ME I WAS
ENTRUSTED WITH THE LIFE, CAREER
GOALS, ASPIRATIONS OF YOUNG
PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY TRAINING.
SO I THINK FOR ALL OF US, IT IS
SORT OF TO EMBRACE ALL OF THIS.
I LIKE TO ASK MYSELF A QUESTION
OF WHAT AM I DOING TODAY?
AND I LEAVE YOU WITH THE SAME
QUESTION.
WHAT AM I DOING TODAY TO
CONTRIBUTE TO MUCH-NEEDED
CULTURE CHANGE IN MY RESEARCH
COMMUNITY OR IN THE RESEARCH
COMMUNITY, MY GRADUATE PROGRAM
AND MY BRANCH.
SO THAT ALL MEMBERS CAN ENGAGE
AND CONTRIBUTE AND FLOURISH?
AND I REALLY, REALLY THINK THAT
FOR ME, IT SEEMS SO MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT THAN A LOT OF THE WORK
THAT I DO.
I THINK I'M GETTING OLD.
I ACTUALLY WILL HAVE LIKE A BIG
DECADE BIRTHDAY COMING UP SOON,
WHICH IS A CHALLENGE, BECAUSE IT
LEADS YOU TO ASK YOURSELF WHAT
YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS OR FOR ME,
WHAT IS THAT BASED ON -- WHAT IS
THAT EAR WORM DRIVING?
AND SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT I
LIKE ABOUT BEING AT NIH.
PEOPLE, LIKE BRAD AND JOCELYN
STEP UP AND SAY, I HAVE AN IDEA.
THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
A PI AND A TRAINEE.
OTHER TRAINEES ARE INVOLVED.
TRISH STEPPED UP AND IS INVOLVED
TODAY.
SO MANY I GET INVITATIONS FROM
TRAINEES, AT VARIOUS BRANCHES.
I LOVE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY IS
THAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO MAKE
CHANGE.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US IS A
DIFFERENT PERSON.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D WRAP UP AND
COME BACK TO ME FOR A MOMENT.
SO I HAVE SOME REAL FOUNDATIONAL
STRENGTHS, THINGS THAT HAVE
TAKEN ME THROUGH THAT, WHAT
SOMETIMES I LOOK BACK SEEMS LIKE
A CRAZY JOURNEY.
I WAS SO CLOSE TO FAILING OUT OF
UNDERGRAD AND HERE I AM.
AND I NEVER IMAGINED THAT I
WOULD HAVE SUCH A SATISFYING
CAREER.
AND I DID THAT ON SOME
STRENGTHS, FLEXIBILITY,
OPTIMISM, HUMOR.
I'M VERY OKAY WITH RE-DOS.
SECOND TIME AROUND, THIRD TIME
AROUND.
THAT IS OKAY WITH ME.
AND I REALLY LOVE LIFELONG
LEARNING.
BUT I COME TO APPRECIATE THAT
STRENGTHS OVERUSED BECOME
LIABILITIES.
AND I CAN BE TOO FLEXIBLE AND
NOT FINISH SOMETHING.
I CAN USE HUMOR AT THE WRONG
TIME.
I CAN BE TOO OPTIMISTIC AND NOT
ADDRESS AN ISSUE.
I THINK THAT IS A KEY THING FOR
ALL OF US TO REMEMBER.
I LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT MY WORK
MORE WHEN I SET FLEXIBLE
BOUNDARIES, WHEN I TAKE CARE OF
MYSELF.
I THINK A KEY THING THERE AND
THE REASON I MENTIONED SOME OF
MY STRUGGLES IN UNDERGRAD, I
THINK THAT A LOT OF US HAVE TO
DEAL WITH OLD BAGGAGE AND SHAME.
AND BEFORE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF
OURSELVES.
WE HAVE TO REALLY BELIEVE WE ARE
WORTH TAKING CARE OF.
AND IT WAS NO FUN TO DO THAT.
BUT I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT I
SPEND SOME TIME ON THAT.
I USED TO LOOK AT MY BACKGROUND
AS A LIABILITY.
AND NOW I VIEW IT AS A DRIVER, A
DRIVER OF THINGS THAT ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT TO ME.
I TALKED A LITTLE BIT IN THE
MIDDLE ABOUT COLLABORATIONED.
I WANT TO STRESS SOMETHING
REALLY KEY.
WE THINK COLLABORATIONS RELY ON
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE BUT
REALLY THEY ARE A LOT ABOUT
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT.
THEY ARE ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO
ENGAGE WITH OTHERS.
IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BLAME
THINGS ON OTHERS BUT I FIND IT
MUCH MORE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT
MYSELF AND MY ROLE TO ASK WHAT
AM I DOING AND NOT DOING TO
CONTRIBUTE THIS?
AND FINALLY, WE ALL REALLY NEED
TO DEVELOP OUR EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.
WE ARE SO IN OUR HEADS.
WE ARE TRAINED TO BE THAT WAY AS
SCIENTISTS.
BUT EMOTIONS ARE DATA.
EMOTIONS DRIVE US IN HELPFUL OR
UNHELPFUL WAYS.
WE MIGHT AS WELL LEARN TO HAVE
THEM DRIVE US IN HELPFUL WAYS.
SO I THINK ABOUT MY LIFE AS I'M
AT A CERTAIN PLACE.
I HAVE THIS INTERNAL LANDSCAPE
OF WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR ME.
I HAVE MENTORS AND LEARNING
COMMUNITIES, MANY OF THE
TRAINEES I INTERACT WITH ARE
PART OF MY MENTORING AND
LEARNING COMMUNITY.
IT'S REALLY JUST COMBINATION OF
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL THAT
DRIVES ME TOWARDS PLACES I WANT
TO GO.
I THINK EACH OF US IS IN A NOW
AND WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS A
LATER.
AND I THINK IT MEANS SPENDING
TIME INWARD AND OUTWARD.
I DON'T THINK WE TALK ENOUGH
ABOUT WELL-BEING IN SCIENCE.
SO I'M GOING TO CHALLENGE EACH
OF YOU TO MAKE WHAT I CALL A
WELLNESS COLLAGE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TAKEN THE
RESILIENCE SCIENTIST SERIES ARE
PROBABLY TIRED OF SEEING THIS.
BUT EACH OF US HAS THINGS THAT
MAKE US FEEL GOOD.
THEY MAKE US FEEL CONNECTED TO
THE WORLD.
THEY MAKE US FEEL HEALTHY.
THEY MAKE US ABLE TO DEAL WITH
THE SHIT AT WORK.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, THERE IS
SOME OF THAT.
FOR ME, IT'S SPORTS, IT'S
FAMILY, IT'S ATTAR.
THIS IS ME -- THESE ARE
PRE-PANDEMIC, HENCE NO MASK.
IT'S TRAVEL AND NATURE AND I AM
AN AVID COOK AND HERE I AM
TAKING SOME COOKING LESSONS.
IF I EVER NEED TO FEEL GOOD, I
GET INTO THE KITCHEN.
IT'S FRIENDS, IT'S LITTLE
PEOPLE.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LITTLE NEME
MY LIFE SO I BORROWED THEM AT
TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORKDAY.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS A
WELLNESS COLLAGE.
AND WE HIDE THEM.
WE ARE EM BEAR SYSTEMED TO TALK
ABOUT THEM.
-- EMBARRASSED.
WE THINK SCIENCE IS FOCUSED ON
SCIENCE ALL THE TIME BUT A PART
OF WHY WE ARE IN THE PLACE WE
ARE IN, I REALLY ASSEMBLE A LACK
OF WELL-BEING.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO
THANK ALL OF YOU.
I ALSO, FOR THOSE OF YOU AT NIH
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING FROM
OTHER PLACES, WE HOPE TO WELCOME
YOU TO NIH AT SOME POINT IN YOUR
CAREER AND IF NOT, WE WELCOME
YOU INTO THE BROADER NIH
COMMUNITY THAT IS VIRTUAL AND
INCLUDES EVERYONE.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD END BY
TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS HEARING
WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
THERE ARE LOTS OF ELEPHANTS IN
THE ROOM WHEN I TALK ABOUT
FINDING TIME TO TAKE CARE OF
YOURSELF.
SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE
ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM OR
ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO
TALK ABOUT.
I REALLY -- THERE IS NOT A
QUESTION I WON'T ANSWER.
SO JUST ASK.
SO THANK YOU.
>> FANTASTIC, SHARON.
AS I CAN DO ON THE VIRTUAL
SCREEN ONLY, REALLY AMAZING
TALK.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT I KNOW YOU
BETTER THAN I DID BEFORE, WHICH
IS PROBABLY THE BEST MEASURE OF
A GREAT TALK.
AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT --
WHILE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR
THOUGHTS TOGETHER, I'M SURE
THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS.
I USUALLY WRAP UP WITH A SUMMARY
OF NOTES, SUMMARIZING THINGS.
I'M GOING TAKE ABOUT 60 SECONDS
AND WE'LL SWITCH TO SECONDS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO FINISH THE
WORK BUT YOU'RE NOT FREE TO
IGNORE T YOU WILL REBUILD A TEMP
NEL OUR OWN TIME SOON.
RESPONSIBILITY, RESPONSIBILITY,
RESPONSIBILITY.
INSTRUCTINGEL.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
PIVOTAL EXPERIENCES.
THE SMALL THINGS CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
ROLE MODELS.
MENTORING.
POWER OF ASKING FOR HELP.
THE POWER OF COLLABORATION.
OPENING DOORS COME FROM MULTIPLE
PLACES.
TEAM BUILDING.
PAUSE TO APPRECIATE.
EPITHELIAL SODIUM CHANNEL CAKE.
ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
BEHAVIOR IS CONTAGIOUS FROM A PI
OR TRAINEE.
HIDDEN IDENTITIES.
WHITE PRIVILEGE LOVING DEEPLY A
BLACK SON NAMED WONDER.
RESPONSIBILITY.
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BEING A
DRIVER AND ALLY.
THE DOG.
WHAT IS OUR LIFELONG LEARNING
LESSONS?
DON'T BE AFRAID TO NOTICE
BURNOUT, MALE PROBLEMS, BULLYING
HARASSMENT, DIVERSITY OR THE
LACK SHOULD OF.
CHANGE.
WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO WALK AWAY.
THE SYSTEM IS DIFFICULT.
FISH DON'T SEE WATER.
WE LIVE AMONG SILOS.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE BIASES,
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND
OTHERS IS IMPORTANT.
EMBRACE CULTURE CHANGE.
WELL-BEING, ANGER MANAGEMENT,
SELF REFLECTION.
SHOW UP FOR YOU AND FOR OTHERS.
EMBRACE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE ALL
PEOPLE.
WE ARE A WHOLE PERSON.
THINK BROADLY.
I LOVE YOUR 4 LEGS OF BEING A
HUMAN IN A TRAINEE SYSTEM.
RESILIENCE, AFFINITY AND ALLY
SHOULD HAVE.
MENTOR TRAINING AND CIVILITY
PROGRAM AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S NOT ANY ONE OF THOSE ALONE.
ENTRUST THE AGES OPERATIONS OF
YOUNG PEOPLE.
-- AGES OPERATIONS.
IT'S A SPONSE -- ASPIRATIONS.
WHAT AM I TODAY?
ASK EACH OF YOUR -- HOW AM I
GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO CULTURE
CHANGE IF WHAT AM I DOING TO
CONTRIBUTE?
HOW CAN I BE A PART OF THE
SOLUTION?
STRENGTHS AROUSE BECOME
LIABILITIES.
WE ALL DEVELOP FLEXIBLE
BOUNDARIES, LET'S KEEP THEM
FLEXIBLE.
RECOGNIZE YOUR OLD BAGGAGE AND
TAKE CARE OF IT.
DECIDE WHAT CAN YOU DO?
LOOK WITHIN WITH DOES EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.
DECIDE WHAT IS NOW AND WHAT WILL
BE LATE AND WHERE YOU FIT IN AND
HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
DON'T IG 94 YOUR OWN WELL-BEING.
HAVE A WELLNESS COLLAGE AND
REMEMBER THE LITTLE PEOPLE.
I HAD TO -- I REALLY THAT IS
THE -- I USUALLY TAKE A COUPLE
OF NOTES.
YOU REALLY ARE MOTIVATIONAL AND
YOU SPEAK TO ME.
>> I'M GROWN AWAY.
OKAY?
THANK YOU FOR THAT SUMMARY.
>> AND BEING A GOOD ACADEMIC I
AM, I NEED TO SHUT UP BECAUSE I
HAVE THE AUDIENCE AND YOU
LISTENING AND I HAD TO TALK.
IT'S A PROBLEM.
IT'S A LIABILITY.
MY OWN LIABILITY SO I'M GOING TO
SHUT UP AND LET JOCELYN TAKE
OVER.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND BRAD THAT WAS AMAZING.
HAVING A SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE
LECTURE IS AMAZING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT
TO ME AND I'M SURE LIKE FOR MANY
TRAINEES AS WELL IS THE WAY YOU
DEALT WITH IMPOSTER SYNDROME,
WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT OH, MY
GOD, IS SO DIFFICULT TO DEAL
WITH EVERY DAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW.
LIKE THE MORE I LEARN, THE MORE
I DEAL WITH IMPOSTER SYNDROME,
ME AND MANY OTHER TRAINEES LIKE
MYSELF.
SO THAT WAS INSPIRATIONAL.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WE
HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM
THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
BUT I WANTED TO JUST THANK YOU
PERSONALLY.
THIS WAS TRANSFORMATIVE.
THANK YOU.
>> IMPOSTER SYNDROME NEVER GOES
AWAY.
WE ALL SNEAK IN AND OUT OF IT
THROUGHOUT YOUR LIVES.
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT
WHAT NOBEL PRIZE YOU HAVE WON.
OR STATUS OR STATE OF LIFE.
>> I'D LIKE -- I'M SORRY, BRAD.
I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT.
I REALLY WISH WE COULD ALL WORK
ON REFRAMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME
TO IMPOSTER FEARS.
SO FEARS ARE A NORMAL HEALTHY
EMOTION.
IT'S ADAPTIVE OTHERWISE WE
WOULDN'T FEEL IT.
EVOLUTION, RIGHT?
IT TELLS US THAT IT IS ADAPTIVE.
FEAR TELLS US WE ARE AT RISKY.
I THINK WHEN YOU ARE A STUDENT
IN A REALLY INTENSE ENVIRONMENT
AND YOU ARE LEARNING NEW THINGS,
IT IS TOTALLY APPROPRIATE TO BE
A LITTLE BIT WORRIED THAT YOU
MIGHT NOT BE AT YOUR TOP GAME.
WHEN YOU'RE BRAD WOOD WHO IS
EXPECTED TO PERFORM AT A SUPER
HIGH LEVEL AND YOU HAVE YOUR UPS
AND DOWNS AND DISTRACTIONS AND
SINNEDLY YOU'RE ASKED TO BE A
BRANCH CHIEF OR A DIRECTOR OF
WHATEVER, IT'S REASONABLE TO SAY
WAIT A MINUTE.
I MIGHT LET PEOPLE DOWN.
I THINK FEAR NORMALIZES IT AND I
THINK THAT WAS THE SIMPLE CHANGE
I MADE.
AND THE REASON THAT HAPPENED WAS
A VERY FUNNY STORY WHICH I TELL
IN THE RESILIENCE SCIENTIST
SERIES.
I MADE A MATHEMATICAL CALL
FLATION A ROTATION AS A GRADUATE
STUDENT.
AND AS A RESULT, I GENERATEDDED
THIS MASSIVE EXOTHERMIC REACTION
AND ACRYL MIDE EXPLODED OUT
OF -- BECAUSE WE DIDN'T BAGELS.
WE MADE GELS.
THERE WAS ACRYL MIDE -- ALL OVER
THE LAB.
AND MY MENTOR WAS A LITTLE TAKEN
ABACK.
LIKE MY SECOND DAY OF THE
ROTATION.
I CANNOT BELIEVE HE LET ME COME
BACK THE NEXT DAY.
BUT I THINK THAT HE NORMALIZED
THAT MISTAKE.
HE IS LIKE, THIS COULD HAPPEN TO
ANYONE AND THE QUESTION IS, DO
YOU COME BACK TOMORROW WITH YOUR
HEAD UP HIGH OR NOT?
I COULDN'T LOOK AT HIM.
AND I THINK FOR ME, HE
NORMALIZED MISTAKES.
AND I THINK THE WAY I HAVE DEALT
WITH IMPOSTER FEARS IS TO REALLY
EMBRACE THE FACT THAT I MAKE
MISTAKES.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE IS A GREAT
LITERATURE FROM CAROL DECK, A
SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER
ON GROWTH MINDSET.
AND SHE SAYS IT WAY BETTER THAN
ME.
BUT I DO REALLY THINK THAT FOR
ME, THAT ONE PERSON WHO DIDN'T
SEND ME AWAY ME ME APPRECIATE
THAT RE-DOINGS
AND EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES.
FRANCIS COLLINS WHO IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT PERSON TO ME, ONCE I
POINTED SOMETHING OUT AND HE
RESPONDED BACK WITH AN APOLOGY.
NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING.
AND THAT WAS ANOTHER FOR ME,
TRANSFORMATIVE MOMENT WHERE IT
DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE AND
WHAT YOU DO.
I MEAN, HE REALLY IS JUST SUCH A
ROLE MODEL FOR ME.
AND HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE A MOMENT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE MADE A
MISTAKE.
AND SO I THINK THAT A BIG PART
OF THIS IS BEING KIND TO
YOURSELF.
I WISH I LEARNED IT IN EASIER
AND BETTER WAYS.
MEDITATION AND THERAPY AND
SPORTS AND TALKING TO FRIENDS
ARE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN SOME OF
THE REALLY MALADAPTIVE THINGS I
TRIED AT THE BEGINNING.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
WE HAVE DROP-IN RESILIENCE
GROUPS AND MEDITATION GROUPS AND
JOURNALING GROUPS.
IS BECAUSE THERE ARE WAYS TO
DEAL WITH THIS.
I WANT TO TRY TO GET TO SOME
QUESTIONS.
THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW I
DEALT WITH THE UNCERTAINTY AFTER
I DECIDED TO CLOSE MY LAB.
SO LET ME JUST SAY, THAT I AM
GOING TO GO FIRST TO LEAVING
UNC.
I WENT ON SABBATICAL RIGHT AFTER
I GOT TENURE BECAUSE I WAS DOING
A WHOLE LOT OF ADMINISTRATION
BUT I ALSO WAS DOING SCIENCE.
AND I WAS GETTING A MESSAGE FROM
SOME OF MY CONSEQUENCE
COLLEAGUES THAT ADMINISTRATION
WAS GETTING IN THE WAY.
YOU COULD BE A MEMBER OF THE
NATIONAL ACADEMY BUT YOU'RE
DOING TOO MANY SERVICE THINGS.
ALSO SOME REALLY GENDER THINGS
LIKE WOMEN DO SERVICE THINGS.
AND IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO
DECIDE WHETHER I WAS A SCIENTIST
WHO DID A LITTLE BIT OF
ADMINISTRATION OR ADMINISTRATOR
WHO WAS GOING TO DO SCIENCE.
THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I
DECIDED TO CLOSED MY LAB HERE.
I HAD THIS HUGE, WHAT WILL
PEOPLE THINK OF ME?
AND THEN, I DECIDED WHAT WILL I
THINK OF ME?
AND HONEST TRUTH IS, AND
ACTUALLY EVEN WHAT WILL MY WIFE
THINK OF ME?
BECAUSE I'M SO STRESSED AND
SPREAD SO THIN AND TRYING TO DO
SO MUCH.
AND I ASKED HER TO PICK UP AND
MOVE HERE.
I ASKED HER TO PUT MY CAREER
FIRST AND HERE I AM E-MAILING AT
7:00, I'M NOT COMING HOME YET.
OR I'M GOING IN ON THE WEEKEND.
SO I REALLY JUST STARTED TO PUT
ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE, THEY
ARE LIKE IN THE STANDS OUT IN
LEFT FIELD, FAR AWAY.
ANALOGY FOR ME.O BASEBALL IS AN
THERE ARE LIKE SOME PEOPLE RIGHT
UP THERE AND THERE ARE PEOPLE IN
THE STANDS.
AND SO I DEALT WITH THAT.
BY GETTING SUPPORT AND TALKING
ABOUT IT.
THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO
I DEAL WITH MENTOR MENTEE
RELATIONSHIPS.
THAT WARRANT A GOOD FIT.
THE HONEST TRUTH IS THAT I
LEARNED THE HARD WAY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL ABOUT ME
AND THAT IF I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
SOMEBODY WOULD THRIVE BETTER
SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT IT WOULD
REFLECT POORLY ON ME.
BUT I CAME TO APPRECIATE THAT IT
ISN'T A MATTER OF WHETHER IT'S A
GOOD FIT OR NOT.
IT'S A MATTER OF HOW KIND I AM.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE CHANGE
YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO BE KIND TO
YOURSELF.
AND YOU HAVE TO EXTEND THAT
KINDNESS TO OTHERS.
AND SO, I DEALT WITH THE ISSUES
OF MY OWN, WHEN I WAS RUNNING A
LAB ALSO IN THE OFFICE.
AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE JOBS, BY
TRYING TO ASK MYSELF, IS THERE
SOME BIAS GOING ON HERE?
NOT SO MUCH -- I MEAN I
ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE IMPLICIT
BIAS.
I HAVE BIAS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY.
THE BIAS I WORRY ABOUT MOST IS
CONFIRMATION BIAS.
SO SOMEBODY EARLY ON DOES
SOMETHING THAT IRRITATES ME AND
I JUST LET THAT ASSUMPTION DRIVE
EVERYTHING.
WHEREAS IF SOMEBODY DOES
SOMETHING EARLY ON THAT
IMPRESSES ME, I JUST ALWAYS,
THEY HAD A BAD DAY BECAUSE THEY
WERE SO IMPRESSIVE.
AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER
THINGS THAT I DO AROUND BAD FITS
IS ASK MYSELF, IS THERE
CONFIRMATION BIAS HAPPENING HERE
AND DO I OWE SOMEONE A
CONVERSATION?
THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION -- SO
LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING
REMARKABLE THERE.
SOMEONE FROM THE NEURO57 TIED
LAB HERE WHO JOINED AFTER ME, I
AM ECSTATIC.
SO YOU REACH OUT AND YOU'RE
GOING TO GET-TOGETHER.
I REALLY GROUP UP IN DICK AND
BETTY'S LAB.
THEY WERE AMAZING MENTORS FOR ME
AND I NEVER IMAGINED THAT I
WOULD DO SCIENCE AT SUCH A -- IN
SUCH A SATISFYING WAY.
AND I THINK SO MUCH OF IT WAS
THEM.
SO IT'S EXCITING TO HAVE
SOMEBODY HERE.
>> JOCELYN: I WANTED TO MEET YOU
AND I WILL E-MAIL YOU BUT IN
REGARD OF THAT LECTURE, I AM THE
ONE FROM THAT NEUROPEPTIDE LAB.
AND I WILL REACH OUT TO YOU BUT
I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU AND TO
THE AUDIENCE, I'M CURRENTLY
SENIOR SCIENTISTS AT LABELS
BIOMEDICAL.
I LOVE MY JOB.
I GET TO WORK WITH MDs AND
STAFF AND HERE ACADEMIA AND
FREDRICK.
I LOVE MY JOB AND THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO EVERY GRADUATE
STUDENT IN THE FIELD THAT YOU
HAVE TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO EVERY
DAY, NO MATTER WHAT.
AND YOU CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING
COMES YOUR WAY.
THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO
MENTION IS, I DON'T THINK NIH
WOULD HAVE FIND A BETTER PERSON
THAN SHARON.
BECAUSE SHARON, I NEVER MET YOU.
BUT PLEASE KNOW BACK THEN, IN 93
WHEN I WAS IN FRANCE AND STARTED
MY PH.D., YOU WERE MY GHOST
MENTOR.
WITH YOUR PUBLICATIONS.
I KNEW OF YOU AS A HARD WORKER
IN BETTY AND DICK'S LAB AND I
JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO
PUBLISH IN THE FIELD AS MUCH AS
YOU DID.
YOU WERE VERY GOOD MENTOR.
HARD WORKER.
CAME TO DO A POSTDOC WITH THEM
AND YES, BETTY WAS A ROLE MODEL
FOR ME AS A WOMAN IN THE FIELD.
I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HER.
SO THE KEY THING IS MENTORING.
KEY IN MY CAREER AND LOVING MOO
I JOB.
WHAT I DO EVERY DAY SINCE GRAD
SCHOOL.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU DO,
YOU WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL.
THANK YOU.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU.
>> BRAD: SHARON HAS HAD MANY
GHOST MENTORSHIPS SHE DOESN'T
KNOW THE EFFECTS OF.
THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF HER
AWARENESS AND THAT EVEN SMALL
ACTS OF KINDNESS MATTER EVEN
SMALL ACTS OF AWARENESS MATTER.
AND WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND LITTLE THINGS MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS
MATTER -- YOU DON'T SEE THE
TRAINING THAT GOES OFF WHO IS IN
SOMEBODY ELSE'S LAB AND YOU HAVE
A CONVERSATION THAT WAS REALLY
TO THE HEART OR TOUGH LOVE.
YOU DON'T -- THOSE ARE THE
THINGS THAT MAKE THIS PLACE
CLICK AND MAKES YOUR IMPACT HERE
SUPER IMPORTANT.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: AND I
WOULD STRESS THAT I THINK MOST
OF US ARE BOAST MENTORS.
WE HAVE INTERACTIONS THAT REALLY
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THERE IS A QUESTION -- I WOULD
LOVE TO TRY TO ADDRESS A LITTLE
BIT.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN
UNJUSTIFIED AND POSTER FEARS AND
CORRECT JUDGMENT?
BOTH AS BEING ON THE RECEIVING
END OR A VICTIM OR AS A MENTOR
TRYING TO HELP A MENTEE IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION BOOSTING
CONFIDENCE VERSUS ADDRESSING
POTENTIAL NEED TO CHANGE.
AND I THINK THE ANSWER REALLY,
REALLY IS IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ENOUGH.
THAT SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE
WE'RE IN THE WRONG FIELD AND
IT'S RIGHT.
LIKE PHYSICAL THERAPY WAS -- I
MEAN THERE IS A REASON WHY I
CHOSE IT AND IT'S A REALLY NEAR
TO MY HEART REASON BUT IT WAS
WRONG.
AND I COULD STILL BE DOING THIS,
RIGHT?
AND SO, THE WAY WE DISTINGUISH
IS WE SIT WITH THE DISCOMFORT OF
A CONVERSATION WITH OURSELVES
AND WITH OTHERS.
THAT WE APPRECIATE THAT WE WILL
NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THOSE
UNTIL WE DO SOME HARD WORK.
NOW FOR ME, SOME PEOPLE ARE
GREAT AT JOURNALING.
I JOURNAL WHEN I'M REALLY
STRESSED OR DEALING WITH A BIG
THING.
AND THEN IT FALLS AWAY.
SO I CONTINUE TO MEET AT SOME
SEMI FREQUENT BASIS WITH EITHER
A COACH OR SOMETIMES I USE A
THERAPIST.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES I HAVE TO SIT
AND REALLY -- EVEN ABOUT
MANAGEMENT THINGS.
BUT SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT ME.
IS MY PERCEPTION OF THIS RIGHT
OR WRONG?
SOME PEOPLE DEAL WITH THAT.
THEY HAVE SORT OF PEER MENTORING
CIRCLELESS.
I HAVE TRIED THAT SUMMIT AT NIH.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY
WITH THE PANDEMIC, I'M TRYING TO
DO THAT EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SIT
WITH THAT DISCOMFORT OF SAYING,
WHICH INTERPRETATION HERE IS THE
ACCURATE ONE?
AND FURTHERMORE, IS THERE A
THIRD AND FOURTH INTERPRETATION?
BECAUSE USUALLY WE SEE IT AS A
OR B WHEN IT'S REALLY ABC OR D.
AND SO I HAVE LEARNED TO TRY TO
SLOW THINGS DOWN AND TAKE THE
TIME TO ASK.
AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE ON BOTH
SIDES.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO STOP AND
SAY, WHY ARE WE SO STUCK ON
THIS?
WHERE MIGHT WE BE HAVING THE
WRONG LENSE?
SO --
>> BRAD.
AND OUR BIASES ARE DANGEROUSLY
CLOSE TO OUR BAGGAGE.
AND YOU NEED TO OPEN UP AND LOOK
INSIDE INSTEAD OF POINTING
FINGERS AND THINKING ABOUT THE
PROBLEMS.
LOOK AT THE COMMUNICATION ISSUES
THAT YOU HAVE CONTROL OF.
LOOK INSIDE OUR OWN BEHAVIORS.
IT'S ALL INTERRELATED.
IT'S A REAL POWERFUL WORDS EVER
WISDOM TODAY, SHARON.
REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE AS SUZANNE
PUT IT IN HER CHAT.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: THANK
YOU.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION,
DR. MILLIGRAM.
AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH
A LONG ACADEMIC JOURNEY MYSELF,
BECAUSE OF WHERE I GREW UP AND
NO EXPOSURE, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS
FAR AS JUST THE STATE OF SCIENCE
HOW IT HAS CHANGED AND THE
POSSIBILITY TO LIKE HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO PIVOT NOW,
THE EXPECTATIONS TO BOTH IN
ACADEMICS, TO PURSUE SOMETHING
ELSE, THE RAT RACE SO TO SPEAK
TO GET INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL, MED
SCHOOL, ALL THESE THINGS, AND
THEN ONCE YOU'RE OUT, IF YOU
WANT TO RUN YOUR OWN RESEARCH,
YOU HAVE TO HIT THE GROUND
RUNNING, RIGHT?
THE FIRST RO1 IS IN THE 40s
AND THE FUNDING FOLLOWED THE
SAME GENERATION THROUGHOUT AND
SCIENCE IS CHANGING BUT THIS
PUBLISHER PARISH IN ORDER TO
KEEP WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO
KEEP RUNNING THE RACE AND THERE
IS NOT NECESSARILY THAT
INTELLECTUAL VARIETY THEY MIGHT
BE NEEDED FOR FUTURE INNOVATION.
I'M CURIOUS LIKE, WHAT YOU SEE
AS POSSIBLE -- WHAT ARE SOME
IDEAS AND HYPOTHESES TO IMPROVE
THAT MOVING FORWARD TO ALLOW FOR
THAT ABILITY TO PIVOT AND THAT
BREATH OF INTELLECTUAL
EXPERIENCE TO ULTIMATELY HELP
LEAD TO SOMETHING SOME DAY.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: A FEW
THINGS.
SOME CULTURE CHANGES TO PEOPLE
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
I WAS AT A MEETING RECENTLY AND
PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME
PROBLEMS IN SCIENCE.
AND SOMEBODY WENT TO THE MIC AND
SAID, WE ARE SCIENCE.
IF WE WANT TO CHANGE SCIENCE, WE
HAVE TO CHANGE SCIENCE.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME
CLAPPING AND -- THIS WAS MY
FIRST IN-PERSON DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
AND SO THE MEETING WAS
OVERWHELMING ANYWAY.
BUT THAT MOMENT FOR ME, WAS
OVERWHELMING.
THERE IS A TRUTH THAT SOME
CULTURE CHANGE WILL HAPPEN FROM
WITHIN.
BUT SOME THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE
HOW PEER REVIEW WILL WORK, HOW
TENURE WILL WORK, INSTITUTIONS
NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGE THERE.
INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS NEED TO
GET OUT ON A LIMB AND BE A
LITTLE BIT BRAVE.
AND I'M SEEING SOME OF THAT.
I AM SEEING PLACES THAT ARE
REALLY SAYING WHAT CAN WE DO TO
SUPPORT EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS?
WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT
INNOVATION?
FUNDING AGENCIES HAVE TO DO
THAT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I THINK -- AND THE REASON I
LEFT IN THE POWER OF
COLLABORATION, I DIDN'T WANT TO
TAKE TOO LONG.
THOSE OF YOU WHO COME TO MY
WEBINARS KNOW I ALWAYS TAKE TOO
LONG.
I THINK THAT IS ONE WAY THAT
ALLOWS US TO HAVE THOSE
SERENDIPITY MOMENTS.
THE MORE WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH
OTHERS TO STRETCH AND EXPAND,
THE MORE I THINK WE HAVE THAT
CREATIVE ENERGY AND SPACE.
SO, I THINK WHEN FUNDING
AGENCIES PROMOTE COLLABORATION,
WHEN THEY GIVE MONEY
SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE TO WORK
TOGETHER, IT FREES SOME OF US UP
A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN I WAS UP FOR TENURE, I
ACTUALLY HAD TO SIT WITH
SOMEBODY AND GO OVER EACH PAPER.
THE PERSON WHO HEADS THE CF
CENTER, RICK BUR SHAY, IT WAS
HIS DAUGHTER I MET OUTSIDE OF
THE REAGENT ROOM.
HE WAS -- ONE OF THE TOP FIVE
PEOPLE FUNDED BY NIH.
IT WAS FAIR FOR PEOPLE TO ASK
WHAT DID YOU DO AND WHAT DID HE
DO AND WHAT DID JACK DO?
BUT I WAS SO OFFENDED.
IT WAS LIKE SO DENYING MY
ABILITY TO ADD TO A PROJECT.
IN LOOKING AT THAT, I REALIZED
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF
INSTITUTIONAL THINGS THAT NEED
TO CHANGE.
MAYBE A PART OF TENURE PACKAGES
SHOULD BE EXPLAINING EACH THING.
I SAW IT AS GENDERED.
THESE WERE ALL BIG POWERFUL MEN.
THEY ARE ASKING THE ONE WOMAN TO
DEFEND HERSELF.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN IT AS
GENDERED IF IT WAS JUST A PART
OF THE STANDARD WAY.
I THINK THAT COLLABORATION IS A
DRIVER OF CREATIVITY AND
INTELLECTUAL BREATH AND DEPTH.
WE REALLY NEED SOME BREATH.
A LOT OF US HAVE DEPTH.
AND SOME PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE TO
GO DEEPER THAN ME.
I USED TO JOKE I NEVER FOUND A
GRANT I WANTED TO REFUND.
IT WAS JUST A ONE-TIME -- GRANTS
WERE A ONE-TIME THING AND THEN I
WOULD WRITE ANOTHER ONE.
DO NOT ASK ME HOW -- I LOVE
WRITING GRANTS.
THAT WAS A PART OF IT.
I THINK WE ALL NEED SOME BREATH.
I THINK INSTITUTIONS CAN DRIVE
THAT BY NOT ASKING OR NOT DOING
U IN.
C DID IN THAT MOMENT -- UNC.
BY ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION BY
HAVING A SET WAY, FUNDING
AGENCIES, THE MEETING I WENT TO,
IT WAS A MENTOR AND A NEW
FACULTY MEMBER AND THE MONEY WAS
GIVEN TO THE NEW FACULTY MEMBER
TO DRIVE COLLABORATIONED.
NOSE KINDS OF INSTITUTIONAL AND
FUNDER-DRIVEN INITIATIVES WILL
HELP WITH SOME OF THAT.
WHY IT TAKES SO LONG, I MEAN,
AND WHY IT IS SO MUCH HARDER, IF
YOU'RE A PERSON OF COLOR, WHY DO
WOMEN HAVE FEWER PUBLICATIONS
THAN MEN?
SO MUCH SO THAT IS ROLLOUTED IN
ISSUES WITHIN OUR WORLD AND OUR
COUNTRY.
THEY HAVE TO BE TACKLED WITHIN
OUR COMMUNITY BUT ALSO MORE
BROADLY.
WHEN WE STARTED PUTTING IN PLACE
ADMISSIONS CRITERIA TO MITIGATE
BIAS, WE HAD MORE DIVERSE
COHORTS IN OUR PROGRAMS.
WE HAVE TO DO THE SAME AND PUT
THINGS INTO PLACE TO MITIGATE
BIAS IN PUBLICATIONS, BIAS IN
GRANTS AND THOSE THINGS ARE BIG
TOP-DOWN THINGS.
AND I FRUSTRATE PEOPLE BECAUSE I
TALK ABOUT THE BOTTOM-UP STUFF.
WHAT CAN WE EACH DO?
AND THE HONEST TRUTH IS IT NEEDS
TO BELIEVE MET BY TOP-DOWN AND I
HOPE THE NEW NIH DIRECTOR AND
NSF DIRECTOR AS LEADERS IN OUR
COUNTRY, LEADERS IN SCIENCE, I
HOPE THAT THEY ALL CONTINUE TO
APPRECIATE THAT THEY ARE A PART
OF THE PROBLEM AND A PART OF THE
SOLUTION.
SO THEY TOO SHOULD HAVE THIS EAR
WORM.
>> BRAD: THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
FROM THE BOTTOM UP AND THE TOP
DOWN AND THE SILOS DON'T BREAK
ON THEIR OWN WITH ALL THE GOOD
INTENTIONS AND GOOD HEARTS AND
THE WORLD.
YOU NEED TO INCENTIVIZE AND
CROSS-FERTILIZE AND FOLLOW THE
MONEY IN TERMS OF MAKING MORE
ROBUST COLLABORATION PLANS LIKE
THAT.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
MAKING IT HAPPEN, ANOTHER
QUESTION.
BUT WE CAN START WITH THE IDEA.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: YES.
WELL SAID.
PERFECT WAY TO WRAP UP.
>> BRAD: THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
ANYWAY BUT I DON'T WANT TO CUT
ANYBODY OFF WHO HAS -- SOMEBODY
SAYS -- THEY HAVE ALREADY ASKED
THE QUESTION.
SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME, SHARON.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR
LISTENING IN.
THANK YOU JOCELYN FOR DRIVING
HERE.
AND A LOT OF GOOD FLOSS FEE AND
GOOD LESSONS AND I FEEL BETTER
KNOWING YOU'RE IN OUR MIDST AND
ABLE TO BE THE POWER OF CHANGE
THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AND BE AN
ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHT THINGS
THAT YOU ARE.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: THANK
YOU.
>> BRAD: THANK YOU.
>> DR. SHARON MILGRAM: I
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.