Open AccessmSphere of Influence: a Sphere of Influence beyond the Bench Can Help Shape the Future of U.S. Research
Author(s) -
Megan E. Spurgeon
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
msphere
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.749
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2379-5042
DOI - 10.1128/msphere.00318-19
Subject(s) - field (mathematics) , bench to bedside , management , art history , sociology , engineering , art , medicine , economics , mathematics , medical physics , pure mathematics
Megan E. Spurgeon works in the field of viral oncology. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper "Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws" by Bruce Alberts, Marc W. Kirschner, Shirley Tilghman, and Harold Varmus (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:5773-5777, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404402111) made an impact on her by influencing her research and career outlook. The way researchers think about their science is shaped by a variety of factors, and these often include research articles that influence their technical or experimental approaches and interpretations. However, it is rare that an article influences the broader career and research perspectives of scientists by compelling them to look beyond the bench. The article highlighted in this commentary prompted the realization that a sphere of influence beyond our routine scientific focus can create a scientific community that is better equipped to address the systemic threats facing the larger research ecosystem to which we all belong.