NSGConnect Spark!
This monthly email is sent to NSGConnect members to inspire self-reflection and discussions with colleagues relating to professional development topics including leadership, self-care, research, and many more. As a member of NSGConnect, add your thoughts to the NSGConnect Discussion Forum and visit the NSGConnect community page to find out other ways you can engage with the program! You can also utilize the NSGConnect Library for additional resources. Tell us what you think and send us feedback and comments to project leader, Shannon Wieloch at s7m6w@yahoo.com .
Importance of Research
"The best insurance policy for the future of an industry is research, which will help it to foresee future lines of development, to solve its immediate problems, and to improve and cheapen its products." - Sir Harold Hartley
TEDtalk Spotlight
Sharon Terry: "Science didn't understand my kids' rare disease until I decided to study it
Meet Sharon Terry, a former college chaplain and stay-at-home mom who took the medical research world by storm when her two young children were diagnosed with a rare disease known as pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). In this knockout talk, Terry explains how she and her husband became citizen scientists, working midnight shifts at the lab to find the gene behind PXE and establishing mandates that require researchers to share biological samples and work together.
Self Reflection/Discussion
- What gaps in knowledge have you noticed in the field of genetic counseling?
- Why is research important in the field of genetic counseling?
- What are ways genetic counselors can participate in research?
- How do your existing skills as a genetic counselor prepare you to participate in research?
- Who might you partner with to explore and further your research interests?
4 Tips to Keep Up with the Scientific Literature
(adapted from https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/11/how-keep-scientific-literature Note that our very own Jehannine Austin was interviewed for this article!)
- Set up regular, systematic literature searches using available tools, subscribe to RSS feeds of relevant journals, and scan table of contents (TOC) of your favorite journals.
- Dedicate time each week (and block the time in your schedule) to look at the output of your literature search tools.
- Skim titles and abstracts, and be selective about which articles to read extensively.
- Follow researchers with similar interests on Twitter. Try tweeting and/or blogging about articles to motivate you to read articles while building a brand.
Additional Resources