Dr. Carol Greider
Distinguished Professor Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology at University of California, Santa Cruz
“There are surprising things that you learn- even little small things! I like finding things out! Even when you get a small thing to work, it's very satisfying! And the big things, like RNAi for biology, that when I was a graduate student we didn't know anything about! That's why I will be reading Science and Nature when I get home, on a Friday night! I try to read biology generally, not just my specific field.”
Read Dr. Carol’s full profile below
What do you do every day?
Days in my life are extremely varied! I don't have a regular day- which is nice. I will meet one on one with the researchers working in my lab and get all the nitty gritty experiment details- maybe six or seven meetings in a day, maybe once or twice a week. I teach large lecture classes as well as small groups. I spend time in administrative meetings- hiring and promotional meetings. The thing I love the best is meeting one on one with scientists- or our meetings where one scientist presents their work and we all brainstorm- or our meetings based on scientific literature where we critique current articles and really learn from other's work.
Why do you love it?
There are surprising things that you learn- even little small things! I like finding things out! Even when you get a small thing to work, it's very satisfying! And the big things, like RNAi for biology, that when I was a graduate student we didn't know anything about! That's why I will be reading Science and Nature when I get home, on a Friday night! I try to read biology generally, not just my specific field.
What were your moments of fear and challenges in your career?
One of the things I believe about science- the difference between science and politics is that in science you can always get something right- in politics you never can! I have always prided myself on being clear that we set out to test a hypothesis, not prove a hypothesis- but I also pride myself on being correct! There are times when we have published things that scientifically were wrong- but I felt very strongly that we had to publish the results that showed we were wrong too! If I believe science is self correcting, it is my duty to correct myself. There's pressure to spin things- but science doesn't move forward that way!
What are some of the latest innovations in science that you are most excited about?
Advances in genome sequencing- and what we can discover with the ease of genome sequencing today! Population migration etc. that come from genetics but uses it in a very new way.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Davis, California- it's an academic, university town.
What is your unique talent?
When I was in junior high and high school, I used to do vaulting on horseback! I taught horseback from age six to twelve as a teenager and was on a national team for it.
Tell us about your personal style.
Be who you are- present yourself in a real way, as a real person- and you'll find that people really listen.
Is there a current book or book you love?
I really liked "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout.
What is your favorite website or fun activity?
I visit PubMed everyday to see what's news in the field.
