Today, Stanford is launching a digital series, called #NextGreatDiscovery, to share the stories of some of the scientists doing groundbreaking basic research here. Through photographs and short videos, followers will get a taste of the work of these grad students, postdocs and professors - in fields ranging from computational structural biology to genetics to immunology - and hear about how important it is that this work continues. After all, basic science not only advances knowledge but has the potential to lead to great biomedical innovations.
Our series comes at a time where national funding for research is critically low, and some investigators are opting to leave academia in favor of industry positions that may not support fundamental research. What would we lose if more of these great minds chose different paths? What would go undiscovered? It's something to keep in mind as you read this feature story, view our photos on Instagram, and follow #NextGreatDiscovery on Twitter.
Previously: The value of exploring jellyfish eyes: Scientist-penned book supports “curiosity-driven” research, Basic research underlies effort to thwart “greatest threat to face humanity” and Funding basic science leads to clinical discoveries, eventually
Photo by Peter van Agtmael/Magnum Photos
