How do we support the Katalin Karikó's?
There's a lot of reasonable outrage today around how Katalin Karikó was treated throughout her career (full disclosure: by my employer, UPenn). Obviously a number of someones made a huge mistake by not recognizing the brilliance and potential of her work - no question there!
What I've been thinking about and I'd love to get some scenius input on: how could we, as an academic community, do better?
Here's one summary of what happened:
https://billypenn.com/2020/12/29/university-pennsylvania-covid-vaccine-mrna-kariko-demoted-biontech-pfizer/
Taking seriously the notion that 1) we want to support the Katalin Karikó's, 2) high-risk, high-reward research takes time, and 3) everyone needs to go through a job evaluation at some point, here are a few ideas:
*) Better support to help geniuses communicate (and fund) their ideas.
*) More funding for high-risk, high-reward projects
*) A longer evaluation period for individuals engaged in high-risk/high-reward research
What would you add/change?
There's a lot of reasonable outrage today around how Katalin Karikó was treated throughout her career (full disclosure: by my employer, UPenn). Obviously a number of someones made a huge mistake by not recognizing the brilliance and potential of her work - no question there!
What I've been thinking about and I'd love to get some scenius input on: how could we, as an academic community, do better?
Here's one summary of what happened:
https://billypenn.com/2020/12/29/university-pennsylvania-covid-vaccine-mrna-kariko-demoted-biontech-pfizer/
Taking seriously the notion that 1) we want to support the Katalin Karikó's, 2) high-risk, high-reward research takes time, and 3) everyone needs to go through a job evaluation at some point, here are a few ideas:
*) Better support to help geniuses communicate (and fund) their ideas.
*) More funding for high-risk, high-reward projects
*) A longer evaluation period for individuals engaged in high-risk/high-reward research
What would you add/change?
Philly scientist behind COVID vaccine tech was demoted by UPenn, yet she persisted
Dismissed by many, Dr. Katalin Karikó remained passionate about mRNA therapeutics.Michaela Winberg (Billy Penn at WHYY)
This entry was edited (1 year ago)
Benjamin Geer
in reply to Nicole Rust • • •Katalin Karikó: «Women should have a career and a happy family»
Simon Maurer (smr) (Aargauer Zeitung)Albert Cardona
in reply to Benjamin Geer • • •And more child day care facilities please, at every academic institution. And less focus on papers and more on addressing research questions that advance our collective understanding. And more collaboration and less competition. I endorse every single statement. What a wonderful scientist and human being.
https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/leben/interview-top-scientist-katalin-kariko-women-should-have-a-career-and-a-happy-family-ld.2352504
#academia
Katalin Karikó: «Women should have a career and a happy family»
Simon Maurer (smr) (Aargauer Zeitung)