By Nicole Garneau, PhD
Is it any coincidence that the last time I was at a science
conference it was in Melbourne (Australian Society for
Microbiology) , and today, after landing in Tampa Bay and hitching
a ride to the hotel via Super Shuttle, the lyrics "I come from a
land down under…" started beating from the speakers of the van?Men
At Work: Down Under (worth a click, but only if the song is already
stuck in your head!)I think it was fate telling me I was right to
get back in the research saddle- and that the Denver Museum of
Nature & Science was making its way to the premier meeting of
taste and smell scientists worldwide.
So here I am, 11 pm EST, reporting live from the Association for
Chemoreception Sciences.
In the six hours I've been in St. Petes (FLA) I've learned first
and foremost that AChemS is pronounced A-chems (and not A-Chem-S)
whoops!
Second, and this is likely because I'm by my lonesome- don't be
shy. So even after only a day, I've made some great connections
with both educational and scientific potential collaborators
representing states from Michigan to California, from Mass to
Tennessee, and even my old stomping grounds of New Jersey. So far,
folks have been really receptive to the idea of public access to
authentic research, and have nothing but praise for what we do in
Lab Central every day.
So far so good, but maybe you're asking yourself why I'm here by
myself in the first place? Well, I'll give you one guess…
Dr. Bridget Coughlin, fellow curator of human health, was to be my
partner in crime here at AChemS. However a quick turnaround trip to
Germany to secure a specimen for Expedition Health has turned into
almost a two week sojourn in Berlin. She, like many other
unfortunate folks who were to be attendees, is grounded. Who knew a
little ash could be so obtrusive to the progress of
science?
But speaking of attendees, I have some late breaking news for all
you Coloradoans. Our very own Marco Tizzano from the Rocky Mountain
Taste and Smell Center (UCHSC Aurora) has been awarded the Polak
Young Investigators Award. I introduced myself to Marco after the
ceremony to congratulate him. In a soft Italian accent he said, "I
always thought my work was important, but it's good to hear it from
others."
Signing off,
- Nicole
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