The traveling scientist
My month on the road.
Dear readers,
Greetings from the London Heathrow airport. I’m here awaiting my flight back to Atlanta. What a week! What a month! I had high hopes to write more newsletter issues last week, but my tight schedule overtook every moment of free time I usually use for writing. This month has been busier than usual and I thought you might be interested in learning more about what I’ve been up to.
On campus, I’ve been teaching my Food, Health, and Society undergraduate course, running my research group team of 23, serving in my leadership role as Assistant Dean of Research Cores and planning for our upcoming research core retreat. On the side, I’ve been keeping up with interviews for the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writing this newsletter.
And then, there has been travel…
Week 1
I traveled to New Haven Connecticut to deliver a Visiting Professor Lecture to the Yale School of Medicine Department of Dermatology. I love these visits to give department seminars. Not only does it offer me the chance to share the latest in scientific breakthroughs coming from my lab with scientists and physicians, but it also offers a unique opportunity to network with and learn from others working in similar research fields.
Upon my return, I was proud to see my second PhD student successfully defend her doctoral dissertation and make the exciting transition from doctoral student to Dr. Cate!
Week 2
I traveled to New York City, NY, to take part in the WINGS Worldquest 20th Anniversary Celebration of 100 fellows and 100 flag carriers. WINGS is an organization that exclusively supports women explorers. I was so proud to carry the WINGS flag on my expedition in Egypt last winter and it was such a treat to pass on the flag to another flag carrier. There is nothing quite like these WINGS gatherings. This is my second time attending, and both times I left feeling filled up with inspiration and yet inadequate in all of the best ways. These extraordinary women are undertaking extreme discoveries at the edge of the world, from the Arctic to the oceans. Their work leaves me with a sense of awe and instills a drive for me to do more in service of human and planetary health.
Week 3
I kicked off the week with a photoshoot in my lab for a new Atlanta Magazine feature piece set to be published in the December issue.
Next, I traveled to Charleston, WV to deliver the opening keynote speech at the annual conference of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMAP) conference. It was such an honor to open up the meeting and I so enjoyed meeting scientists and students participating in the meeting.
Upon my return to Atlanta, I took part in a film shoot for a new documentary film project underway on the topic of microbes and innovation.
Week 4
I traveled to Brussels, Belgium to serve on a grant review panel for the Belgian public research council, known as The Research Foundation - Flanders. One of the more exciting things about being a scientist is the opportunity to not only present your work to others in conferences across the globe, but also to contribute to the scientific enterprise of different countries. In this case, I’m in my second term of chairing the Med1 Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medical Biochemistry Project panel.
Next stop, Cambridge, England via London! Cambridge is a beautiful university town. I was there for an annual editorial board meeting of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Natural Product Reports. Here, we discussed ideas for future special issues of the journal and scientists to recruit to write cutting-edge reviews on the state of the science in the field.
After the meeting, I took the weekend to share a little adventure of taking a punt (a small boat) along the river in Cambridge, followed by a lovely day of bicycling in the rolling hillsides of the Cotswolds. Getting that exercise in after days of sitting in meetings was a must do!
The Takeaway
It has been a busy and productive month! November will be much calmer and I look forward to spending more time in the lab with my students. My flight is boarding now and I’m off. Wishing you all a wonderful start to your November!
Yours in health,
Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.
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