Call for Nominations for 2013 SDB Elections - Society for ...

current trainees, all of whom have remained in scientific
careers).
I value the diversity of model, non-model and newlyemerging
organisms that are being used to inform an
understanding of developmental mechanisms and evolution.
SDB provides a powerful format to bring together this collective
wisdom and to share ideas and experimental methodologies to
enhance studies in all systems. The national and regional
meetings are vibrant venues that expand the opportunities for
communicating results, learning new approaches, and
networking with scientists at all career levels. I strongly applaud
the focus on early career researchers. One challenge that we
must address in this age of tightened lab budgets and far-flung
regions is maintaining the vibrancy and regional representation
at these meetings. Public outreach is also vital in this time of
shrinking financial resources and changing political and
educational climate. It is important that the voices of scientists
are heard in the debates and in public policy decisions. Much
can be gained by engaging the public and policy makers and
helping them to learn about how research in developmental
biology can uncover the mechanistic basis of birth defects and
cancer and lead to ideas for potential therapies, how we can
begin to understand the wonders of unexplored biodiversity
within our oceans and outside our back door, and the potential
for our studies to inform research in regenerative medicine. It is
an honor to be nominated for President of SDB and, if chosen to
serve, I am excited to represent SDB and Developmental
Biology within our community and to the public.
WEBSITE:
http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/niswander.html