A letter to the entering class — by Suzanne Pfeffer, November 2011
What if every ASBMB member selected a mentee (a student, postdoc or junior faculty member) and gave him or her the gift of an ASBMB membership? I decided to do that for the 12 graduate students who began training this semester in the department of biochemistry at Stanford University. I don’t expect many ASBMB members to gift 12 memberships in one year, but I cannot think of a better way to welcome young scientists into our discipline. I should have been doing this for years now, for all of my students, to help them understand from the outset that they are part of a much larger community of scientists. So with that, I share with you a letter to the entering class.
Awards in biochemistry — by Suzanne Pfeffer, October 2011
Of all the responsibilities assigned to an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology president, presenting awards is probably the most fun.
The importance of mentorship — by Suzanne Pfeffer, September 2011
Scientists become scientists by apprenticeship. We learn how to identify a question, design an experiment, publish and present our findings, write a grant application and lead a team. We learn how to get a job, keep a job and get promoted. We learn how to manage people and hopefully how to inspire them. We learn how to deal with ethical issues, and we learn about our responsibilities as scientists. Apprentices need mentors to teach them all these things, and different kinds of mentors are needed at each stage of our careers. It seems obvious that junior scientists need mentors; senior scientists need them, too.
The best in bench-to-bedside research: honoring Cindy Parseghian — by Suzanne Pfeffer, August 2011
Imagine a scenario in which a group of scientists with a common goal agree to meet every year at a lovely location to share their results and to discuss the most important next steps needed to move that science forward. The group would work under the presumption that all results, reagents and information would be shared openly and all members would collaborate wherever possible to help the group achieve its shared goal.
The challenge of reviewing grant applications — by Suzanne Pfeffer, July 2011
Given the status of the U.S. budget deficit, it is unlikely that the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation can expect to see significant increases in funding any time soon. Indeed, the NIH has just enacted across-the-board budget cuts, and the percentage of grants that will be able to be funded is approaching a dangerously low level.
Roy Vagelos: forging links between academia and industry — by Suzanne Pfeffer, June 2011
This month I write to honor Dr.
Roy Vagelos, a long-term member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology who helped us create the
ASBMB Earl and Thressa Stadtman Distinguished Scientist Award after Earl Stadtman died in 2008.
International biochemistry and molecular biology —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
May 2011
One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to visit scientists in other countries and share our recent research findings with them. Last year I visited Sapporo, Japan; Prague, Czech Republic; and Hamburg, Germany. This year I get to visit Potrero de los Funes, Argentina; Geneva, Switzerland and Heidelberg, Germany.
Budget challenges in biomedical sciences —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
April 2011
There has never been a more exciting time in biomedical research. Given all of the tools and information currently available, questions can be tackled in ways that simply were unthinkable in the not-too-distant past. Yet many researchers are more frustrated than ever and stymied in their ability to carry out exciting and important research.
Drug discovery: major challenges —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
March 2011
Last year, in the United States, more than 1.5 million new cancer cases were identified, with lung, prostate and breast cancer at the top of the list. Cancer was the cause of more than 500,000 deaths, 28 percent due to lung cancer.
The Yamamoto Plan —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
February 2011
Last month I wrote about the importance of explaining the significance of our research at every opportunity: in papers, in talks and in research proposals. Keith Yamamoto, executive vice dean of the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, has played an incredibly important, behind-the-scenes role in steering the evaluation of U.S. science toward impact.
Impact factors -- what the H? — by Suzanne Pfeffer,
January 2011
In many parts of the world, faculty appointments, promotions and grant evaluations are based on the number of papers a scientist has published combined with the impact factor of the journals in which the work appeared.
Tennis in Biochemistry — by Suzanne Pfeffer,
December 2010
About three years ago, I took up competitive tennis. I had never played any competitive sports as a kid and wanted to return to tennis after a 20-year break. Immediately apparent was the fact that my opponents were much more competitive than me. How was that possible? The world of science can seem like a very competitive place, and I am not usually thought of as a shrinking violet.
Honoring Jeremy Berg —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
November 2010
On Sept. 20, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology presented the 2011 Howard K. Schachman Public Service Award to Jeremy Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Time to Degree: Are Changes in Publishing to Blame? —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
October 2010
Today, most doctoral students in biomedical sciences will not pursue a career as a research university faculty member. Instead, they are moving on to wonderful roles in biotech, teaching, science museums, consulting, law, advocacy, writing, policy and so on. Yet, our graduate-training programs seem to be stuck in a time warp, setting universal expectations commensurate with eventual faculty positions at top Ivy League institutions.
Too Many Ph.D. Trainees? —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
September 2010 This year, overall biomedical research funding is sadly flat, and university growth has reached a plateau. State budgets are in crisis, and university endowments are still recovering from deep losses suffered during the economic downturn. Given the current circumstances, it would be impossible for all of our current Ph.D. students to move on to academic positions.
Payback Time —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
August 2010 What if every National Institutes of Health grant recipient was required to donate one hour per year to communicate science to the general public?
New President's First Message to Society —
by Suzanne Pfeffer,
July 2010
Goal: addressing the needs of the society's youngest members.