Beth is a photographer who became a computer expert during the early days of digital photography. She has worked at Harvard for more than 30 years, wearing many different hats. Beth transitioned from the HMS IT Client Services Group to HMS IT Research Computing. A key part of her job is advising scientists about communicating with visual data.

What are the best and worst parts of your work?
Worst part of my job is not an issue, recently: it was the commute. I used to bike to work, but when my dog got a job at Children’s Hospital, I had to start driving. I couldn’t get him to sit still in my handlebar basket, and it was tough to see the road beyond his anvil-sized head. Even though it is a mere six miles, the ride was awful!

The best part of the job is everything else. As a socially skilled introvert, I can say that I take much delight in most everyone I’ve met. The brilliance, kindness, inquisitiveness, humor, and even humility of nearly everyone at HMS inspires me. I like the small town feel of the LMA. I get my bagels from Ever; Lisa deposits my checks at the credit union; Simon reminds me where I parked in the garage; I volunteer next door at Children’s; we take strolls in the urban wilds of the Emerald Necklace; we grab a beer at the Pig. It’s a great community to be a part of.

What drew you to research computing?
I got my first camera on July 20, 1969. I was hired at HMS on July 20, 1987. I’ve always been framing my world through a view finder, even before my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic 124. After working as a radio disc jockey and then a special event electrician, I was hired at HMS as a photographer and media specialist.

For the first few years at HMS, we exclusively shot to this stuff called “film.” My space over in TMEC at one time was the morgue, but it had been renovated the year I arrived to include three darkrooms and a very large photo studio (it was meant to be a video studio, but the ventilation was a noisy racket that couldn’t be mitigated). Besides providing presentation equipment to instructors teaching medical students, I photographed flat art for those instructors to use in 35mm slide projectors. I shot tons of events and lots of portraits. I also did plenty of my own personal photo studio work and darkroom printing after hours. It was hard to forget, during many solo hours printing and hearing strange noises, that the space had been a morgue. At 2 a.m., things did get a little spooky.

By 1990, digital cameras were starting to emerge as a viable option for professional photographers. The early days of digital photography were challenging, ultimately leading me to become a skilled computer user: those first personal computers didn’t play nicely with peripheral devices like scanners, cameras, or even external storage. I’m guessing that I spent as much time troubleshooting my computer and its long chain of plugged in devices as I did producing actual images.

So, your passion for photography led you to computers?
Yes. I left the Program of Medical Education, where I did the photography job, in 2000 and became an imaging specialist within the nascent Research Computing group in IT, helping researchers work with their images to communicate their science. I develop efficient strategies for scientists to get the job done by writing guides, creating seminars, and consulting. I also do freelance scientific and engineering illustration. With the collapse of the global economy in 2008, and with my job in the crosshairs, I broadened my job skills to include desktop computer troubleshooting (after all, I’d been breaking computers at HMS for 18 years!).

What brings you joy?
I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction with the work I do within the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers (HUCTW). I am a local union representative and I am also a member of the union’s executive board. Back when I was shooting film for HMS, there wasn’t a union, so it’s rewarding to see the work that went into building an organization that didn’t even exist, into a vital part of the Harvard community. I love seeing how the work that the union has done over the years has translated into a better place to work for everyone, regardless of membership. I hope that I can be a productive resource for the HMS community to come to with any concerns about the work that they do here.

When I’m not volunteering, I spend a lot of time in nature, wandering around (yes, with a camera). These days I’ve retired from professional photo work, and just shoot for myself. I’ve also stopped my studio work and taken up a more spontaneous and abstract approach to image-making, which is liberating!

Read more about Beth Beighlie on HM News.

Pronouns: he, him, his

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
During a training course for managers at Harvard a few years ago, I learned that I was introverted, which was quite a revelation for me. I'm still an introvert, but I have, and still am, learning how to be more outgoing and talk about things other than the weather.

What was the path to your current role?
I started at HMS in 1996 as a client services representative in the Information Technology department. Since then, I became a team lead, left HMS in 2005 for a short while, came back as a client services rep, and, finally, became an IT manager for a team that develops new tools for managing computers and keeping campus systems secure.

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
The people of HMS have shaped my time here. Over 27 years, they’ve become good friends (and commuting buddies). They’ve helped me become less introverted and more knowledgeable; they’ve helped me realize I’ve made an impact on the lives of those in the community and, indirectly through my work here, on the lives of those around the world.

What is your least favorite sound or noise?
My least favorite sound is the siren of a nearby emergency response vehicle, which means that something is taking place in the Longwood Medical Area.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
Over the years, I have gained the confidence and abilities required to manage a wide array of situations that can arise on campus.

What's your favorite spot or sight on the HMS campus?
Gordon Hall has always been a big part of my life. The view of the building and its flag waving in the wind directly ahead of you as you approach from Avenue Louis Pasteur is something I recall as a youngster with my family, through my high school and college years, and, for more than a quarter of a century, as an employee at HMS since 1996!

What motivates your work at HMS?
While I work in an administrative capacity, negotiating agreements for research, the resulting research alleviates suffering and improves health and well-being. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from the alignment of my abilities towards pursuing good health for all.

What is your motto?
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in a letter to his daughter:

“Finish each day and be done with it. ... Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin as serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What do you do at HMS?
I research and write speeches for Dean George Daley. I also draft many of his emails to the community, and I occasionally contribute articles to Harvard Medicine magazine.

What was your path to HMS?
After graduating from Hamilton College, where I studied comparative literature and physics, I landed a job at the PBS science documentary series NOVA. I started out managing NOVA’s social media, and eventually became a full-time science reporter, covering everything from climate change to mental health.

I transitioned to MIT’s central development office, drafting personalized correspondence from President Rafael Reif to major philanthropists. I enjoyed ghostwriting but missed the science content. Enter HMS!

I've been in the executive communications manager role since July 2021 and have loved every minute of it.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
This position is perfectly tailored to my skills and interests, combining my love of science with the opportunity to strategize and do big-picture thinking about how best to convey HMS’ institutional vision and goals.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What activities or experiences, outside of your job, inform who you are in your role at HMS?
I run a palliative care program at a retirement village. As part of that program, I have the honor of playing music at the bedsides of people at the end of life, which I've been doing for 30 years. Being with people who are on the precipice of mystery has inspired me to explore my own beliefs about an afterlife.

What's your favorite spot or sight on the HMS campus?
The view of the Quad and Boston from the steps of Gordon Hall. At the end of each workday as I leave campus, I always stop, take a breath, and look out at the view, feeling part of this remarkable place.

What is your favorite place on the HMS campus?
I love the Quad lawn. When the weather is nice, I want to relax there all afternoon. I also like to think that I become smarter by osmosis when I spend time there.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is my family: my amazing wife Maureen and my three beautiful children, Logan, Avery, and Luke.

What is your favorite word?
Hootenanny.

What is your favorite sound?
My children’s laughter.

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
My AAD colleagues are among the most hardworking people I have ever met. They’re visionaries, able to think five steps ahead: They motivate me to strive for excellence and work efficiently. I am so blessed to work with them every day.

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
I have an HMS windbreaker that was gifted to me on my first day in the office last December. I had been working for HMS remotely, but this was a heart-warming gift for my first day in the office on a very cold winter day.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What are you currently reading or, what is your favorite book of all time?
I just finished reading Paul Farmer's book, "Pathologies of Power," which was our the book club choice for the month for our office. Learning about global health from Farmer’s lens was very impactful and made me feel more connected to HMS and our priorities.

What was the path to your current role?
I started my career in the TV/film industry as a video editor and assistant editor. I’ve always loved storytelling through technology, but moving into marketing for HMS has allowed me to use my communications expertise for a greater purpose, toward our shared mission of alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What was your path to your current role?
Although I’m a native Bostonian, I fell in love with the study of marine biodiversity as an undergrad at Earlham College in Indiana. After college, I was an intern and then staff at the New England Aquarium. Next, I transitioned to research aquatics in Cliff Tabin’s lab in the HMS genetics department, working with a large colony of blind cavefish, as well as the talented facility manager, Brian Martineau. Currently, I provide animal care for the Xenopus (clawed frog) colonies in the HMS systems biology department. The support from my department and the opportunities to contribute to research have made this a much more rewarding career than I might have ever imagined.

What is your favorite person, place, or thing on or around the HMS campus or wherever you spend most of your time?
I really enjoy attending talks at HMS. If there’s a positive to come from the pandemic, Zoom has made it easier for me to attend almost every event that catches my interest, even when I don't have time to join in person. Learning about the diverse and interesting work taking place at HMS helps to maintain my own enthusiasm. I usually listen from the frog facility. So far, the frogs have no complaints.

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
Joining lab operations in systems biology was transformative. I am part of an amazing team of support staff. Through their constant support and assistance, I have been able to pursue opportunities to contribute to science intellectually, and in ways that I would have never thought possible.

How would you describe your role to someone unfamiliar with what you do?
My role has a few different dimensions: I manage the youth programming that is run through DICP. COVID-19 drastically impacted these programs, so this year we are focused on reestablishing our in-person learning and youth employment programs. I am also identifying areas where we can potentially expand efforts and forge new partnerships to create more equitable opportunities for young people in Boston and Cambridge.

The community engagement aspect of my position begins with creating opportunities for the HMS community to better understand the assets and aspirations of residents in our local communities. From there we can create bridges where HMS faculty and staff can contribute their expertise and enthusiasm. I would describe it as an ‘inside-outside’ role, and there is tremendous potential to contribute to long-term change. Working collaboratively with departments across the HMS and Harvard community is key in this role.

What do you like best about your job and working at HMS?
My position at HMS engages three things I’m passionate about: education and career development opportunities for young people underrepresented in the STEM fields; engaging community members and organizations in shaping strategies to create the conditions for more equitable health outcomes; and ongoing learning and innovation.

On a personal note, I have found people who work at HMS and our hospital affiliates to be extremely welcoming and very enthusiastic about engaging with issues that are very important to our local communities — issues such as economic mobility and inclusion, housing instability, and mental and behavioral health. I welcome hearing from others at HMS and the wider Harvard community about what we can do together.

If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?
This is tricky for me, as I have become more of a nonfiction reader. Mimi Ma in Richard Powers’ The Overstory, and Hiram Walker in The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, are two powerful characters who experience deep pain in their life and manifest it into power and compassion and a forge a new way of being in the world. They also both tap into a deep well of spiritual power and their ancestral wisdom. Both are great books —check them out!

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
I love to read, play video games, and take my dog on hikes.

What movie, television show, play/musical would you recommend to others?
I love adventure movies like “Indiana Jones” and “Jurassic Park,” and TV shows like “X-Files” and “What We Do in the Shadows.” The best musical I've ever seen is “Bat Boy” — hilarious from start to finish!

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt and/or what did originally want to be when you grew up?
Before HMS, I worked as a zookeeper, which was a lot of fun. I've done field work in both biology and archaeology. Next, I'd like to try paleontology.

What are you currently reading or, what is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book of all time is “Of Mice and Men,” and I'm currently reading “Lost City of the Monkey God.” I enjoy fiction novels, but if I'm reading non-fiction, I prefer stories about expeditions and exploration.

Pronouns: he, him, his

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
I like running through the woods with a map and compass.

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
My work is motivated by knowing my work helps HMS's mission of alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all.

What are you currently reading or, what is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book is Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth." I discover something new with each read.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite sound or noise?
My favorite sound is water running under a frozen stream on a cold, sunny, quiet winter's day.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What was your path to your current role?
My career in higher education began while I was still in college at Quinnipiac University. I was an RA during my time as a college student, and I decided I always wanted to work with students. I loved the atmosphere and the ever-changing environment.

In my current role, I help MD students with research funding opportunities, applying for Honors in a Special Field, and their scholarly project requirements. I truly enjoy working with the students at HMS.

What’s your favorite sight on the HMS campus?
The enormous graduation tent that is installed on the Quad every May. Class Day is my favorite day of the year. I work with many MD students in their last year of medical school, so it is very exciting to see them celebrate their amazing achievements!

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
Going to the Cape every summer with my husband and sons, Luke (11) and Joel (9).

What was the path to your current role at HMS?
My path started more than a decade ago when I first joined the Office for Sponsored Programs as a Financial Analyst. As a central administrator, I enjoyed working collaboratively with departments in post award management. This lead to joining the department of genetics as a senior grants manager. I loved working with the faculty, postdocs, grad students, and all the lab members. We are like a one big family.

What is your favorite place on or near the HMS campus?
My favorite spot is the quad lawn. When I need to decompress after a long day, I love sitting on the bench to enjoy the sight of the Gordon Hall. It makes me appreciate the beautiful HMS campus and all the amazing research we are doing at our school.

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
My favorite way to relax and unwind is to cook up some delicious food and have a family meal with my kids.

What is the most fulfilling part of your role here at HMS?
I’m motivated by our volunteers and by the members of the Greater Boston community who utilize our services on The Family Van mobile clinic. Many of our clients are in tough circumstances and don’t have access to health care resources, but they trust us to provide health information. They look forward to seeing us. They remind me why I am doing this work and inspire me to do my part to help.

What activities or experiences outside of your job inform who you are in your role at HMS?
I am originally from Brazil; I am queer; I am an immigrant; and I am a woman of color. My background helps me put myself in others’ shoes. On The Family Van, I see many people like me come through the door. I empathize with their challenges and use that understanding to do my best to serve their needs.

What is your motto?
“To be a leader is to serve.” When people look up to you, it is your job to serve them — to meet them where they are and to do your best to help them. When I am helping others, I know I am being a good leader.

Pronouns: he, him, his

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
My work as part of the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd) is fundamentally about empowering people to share and learn about forefront science issues. I believe strongly that the work of science must be engaged with the interests, values, and priorities of humanity at large — and particularly with those communities that have been marginalized, excluded, or harmed by the impacts of science and technology.

What was your path to your current role?
My academic background is in primate behavior and ecology. I studied wild chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania for many years before transitioning to public engagement with science. For six years, I led a project to support science engagement between scientific and religious communities at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). I'm very excited to bring what I learned through that project into the work of the pgEd program.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What is your favorite book?
Abraham Vergese’s Cutting for Stone! I fell in love with this book, and it is one of my favorite works of fiction.

Who motivates your work at HMS?
The patrons who attend Countway programs. I love getting to know the students, staff, and faculty here on campus. COVID put a major damper on this, and I am excited to see more people coming back to campus.

What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
I was going to be a social worker. I was working at the library while I was an undergraduate and left the library to work in the mental health field. I soon realized I was not emotionally ready to do what I thought I wanted to do and realized I missed working in the library.

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
Being in nature! My boyfriend and I love to travel around New England to hike and connect with something greater than ourselves. My favorite spot so far is Acadia National Park; we go at least twice a year.

What was your path to your current role?
I believe we never truly know what we want to do; we do what feels right at the moment. Accordingly, my career path has been nontraditional, to say the least. I use my own path as an example with students I work with to show that all experiences are transferrable; that it takes time to understand yourself and how your talents can be maximized and appreciated.

I started my career in student services as a residence hall director at Cornell University; networked my way to Boston, leading programs and leadership development for students, faculty, and staff at a charter high school; pivoted to career education for the City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development and Chegg, Inc.; became a professor at a private college on the North Shore; and finally joined HMS.

I’ve never worked in an environment quite like the HMS Office for Graduate Education, where I feel authentic, celebrated, and utilized. We collaborate, support one another, and champion the personal and professional development of our colleagues.

What is your favorite sound?
The pure quiet in the forest, when you can hear the trees rustle, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore that embodies the power and life of our oceans.

What activities or experiences outside of your job inform who you are in your role at HMS?
Service to others has always been a thread of the experiences I do outside of work. Most recently, my work with Multiplying Good has brought together my skillsets and my core values in a way that allows me to engage with youth and communities throughout Greater Boston.

What activities or experiences outside of your job inform who you are in your role at HMS?
I teach Zumba dancing weekly at a local Chinese community center, and I sing in a Chinese singing club. During the holidays, I host events at senior centers with my singing and dancing folks. I think the happiness I’m able to bring others gives me energy I can bring to my role at HMS.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’ve always wanted to be a professional musician, or a business owner, so I could create business opportunities in my community.

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
Dancing, singing, yoga, comedy shows, and laughing.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
Before interviewing at HMS and Global Health and Social Medicine, I didn’t realize how mission-focused I was. But I was impressed by the work being done by the students in the Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery program. Now that I’m in the global health flow, I can’t imagine doing a job that isn’t tied in some way to the mission of reducing human suffering.

In 2023, I joined the new Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health program, intending to focus on the loneliness epidemic. As I started to dive into the literature, I found that LGBTQ+ communities were at higher risk of loneliness, and bisexual people faced even higher rates. From there, I started deep diving into bisexual health and was astonished by the disparities. Now, my capstone project is about bisexual erasure and biphobia, I’ve engaged in the bisexual advocacy space, and my entire career outlook is different.

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
My Global Health and Social Medicine mug commemorating the department’s 150th anniversary. It holds the perfect amount of tea or coffee and stays hot long enough for me to drink it all.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
In less than a year, I published a book, graduated from HMS, worked two or three jobs — depending on the day — and got married. I absolutely do not recommend anyone doing all these things at once if they can avoid it.

What is your motto?
Drop by drop, the bucket is filled.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What was the path to your current role?
I started working for Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education right out of my undergraduate degree program, before transitioning to Postgraduate Medical Education at HMS. Between 2019 and 2022, I worked full-time with postgraduate medical education certificate students while also working toward my Master of Education in Higher Education Administration. Most recently, I joined the Center for Bioethics as an education program administrator working with graduate students and fellows.

What activities or experiences, outside of your job, inform who you are in your role at HMS?
Outside of work, you can typically find me traveling to new countries, hiking in the White Mountains with friends, and taking pottery classes through the Office for the Arts at Harvard.

What movie, television show, play/musical would you recommend to others?
Some recent TV recommendations: Succession, The White Lotus, Parks and Recreation, and Insecure. They’re all so good, there’s no way I could pick a favorite.

Pronouns: he, him, his

What do you do at HMS?
I work with many of the 750 HMS PhD students to apply for and manage fellowships.

What motivates your work at HMS?
I come from a Harvard family but, what really motivates me are the amazing students and the mission of HMS.

What is your motto?
“As you think, so shall you be.” -William James. (So, think and be awesome!)

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
Curiosity has shaped my time at HMS, learning about the work others do and how this work impacts the world and communities around us has fueled my passion to continue creating event experiences that highlight these projects and efforts.

What/who are your favorite people, places, or things on or around the HMS campus?
My favorite people are the comms/events/admin team at Wyss. Their positivity and can-do energy are unparalleled by none, and it's always exciting to collaborate on projects with them. My other favorite activity is seeing events coming to life and seeing the attendees' satisfaction during the event.

What is your motto?
My motto is that there's a wealth of possibilities when you look at problems with the right mindset and invite others to help you solve them.

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
I enjoy spending time with friends and family. It’s a bonus if we’re out in nature, and the beach is my holy grail.

What activities or experiences, outside of your job, inform who you are in your role at HMS?
I'm a travel and event planner consultant outside my job at the Wyss. Helping clients craft their dream vacation or event informs how I approach my role at HMS and the Wyss.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What activities or experiences inform who you are in your role at HMS?
As a child of parents who are true nomads at heart, I grew up in many places and in diverse environments. This led to my work with refugee and disadvantaged communities in southwest Ohio and as the former U.S. ambassador of humanitarian affairs to the United Nations. I’ve learned over these past few years that health care does not yet protect everyone and that is why I want to be a physician.

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
Being a teaching fellow at Harvard has been a transformative experience. My students have taught me more than I ever thought possible. Witnessing their growth and success has been truly inspiring.

Our discussions on disparities and the intersectionality of gender, race, and COVID have shown me the impact of policy and human behavior. Together, we explored how we can be at the frontline of the change we want.

What is your motto?
Be your unfiltered self and surround yourself with people that fill your heart.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I am the vice president of operations for SONA Global, a non-profit founded during my time at Harvard to expand production of a low-cost negative pressure wound therapy vacuum prototype that typically costs $30,000 in low-income countries. With this tech, we've responded to crises in Ukraine, Cameroon, Haiti, and we’re quickly expanding globally.

For this work, I was awarded the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge $25,000 prize in Health and Life Sciences and the HMS Martin Prince Scholarship for Student Innovation.

What are you currently reading or, what is your favorite book of all time?
I love the book "All About Love" by Bell Hooks because it talks about love and relationships in the most expansive way and as a practice that requires intention, commitment, and hard work. A very close second is "Secrets of Divine Love" because it offers a fresh perspective on the nature of love and provides practical guidance for cultivating a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Who motivates your work at HMS?
The late and great Paul Farmer. With his vision for praxis and ideals of expert mercy and compassion, Paul not only dreamed of a better world; he showed us how it can be realized, experientially and pragmatically. Now, more than ever, I feel an obligation to serve and to help my fellow human beings flourish.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
I have learned — and I’m still learning — humility. Also, through the Master of Science in Bioethics program, we are learning how to reflect on our practice, to weigh ethical principles in the face of conflicts, to seek equilibrium between morally competing courses of action, and to provide care while respecting a patient’s autonomy, beliefs, and needs.

What is your motto?
I live by “EY ZHN,” translated from Ancient Greek as “well life,” or the art of living well in pursuit of eudaemonia. Alexander the Great used to say that he owes ΖHN (“

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Developing a continuum of care for adolescents struggling with suicidal and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Since 2007, we have worked with more than 5,000 patients and their families from all over the world.

What is your motto?
Don’t suffer twice.

Who is the most influential person in your life?
My mother.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I consider my greatest achievement to be the birth of my son, though my wife deserves the lion’s share of credit. Second on the list would be my humble contributions to our collective knowledge of biology.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book of all time would probably be “The Stars My Destination” by Alfred Bester.

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
I spent the last 12 years researching – at the Center for the History of Medicine in the Countway Library and in the archives of HMS’s affiliate hospitals – the rise and development of orthopedics in Boston. My work culminated in publication of “Birth of a Specialty: A History of Orthopaedics at Harvard and Its Teaching Hospitals.” The five-volume history chronicles the development of the collaborative mosaic of Harvard’s orthopedic departments in different hospitals which became the basis for the modern juggernaut of orthopedics in Boston.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
Medical education is a passion of mine, and I thoroughly enjoy teaching at HMS. The beauty of this work lies in the opportunity to play a small yet significant role supporting medical students in the long and arduous journey of becoming a medical professional. It is always my humble honor to be able to offer any assistance.

What is your motto?
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What was the path to your current role?
As a child of immigrant parents who respected learning but lacked even an elementary school education, the path to my current role was unformed and unplanned. I watched as my peers pursued diverse careers, and even my sisters headed into the arts and law. I carved my own path in my teens, guided by an inner voice that steered me toward neuroscience.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
I have learned the meaning of resolve when pursuing an academic career: daunting tasks of grantsmanship, shepherding a multidisciplinary research team, writing manuscripts, teaching, reviewing, patents — all while simultaneously caring for children.

What experiences have shaped your time at HMS?
The quality, excellence, and kindness of faculty members and administrators and the brilliance of students has fostered my optimistic viewpoint.

What activities or experiences, outside of your job, inform who you are in your role at HMS?
Two appointments of service in the White House were formative. They provided in-depth understanding of the structure and function of federal government agencies; processes by which specific decisions are made in Washington; strategies one can devise to implement evidence-based public health programs; Americans’ diversity of views; how to listen and learn from a broader range of views than experienced in academia; and the challenges in speaking to the media.

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
The 2022 licensing of my invention by a company 30 years after I had presented the data and received a rejection in 1992.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

What is your motto?
Never give up!

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
The opportunity to work and study alongside the many smart people of HMS.

Who is the most influential person in your life?
My four-year-old son, who is already designing his own experiments!

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
If I wasn't a neuroscientist, I would like to have been an astronaut.

Pronouns: she/her

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
As an obstetric anesthesiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess, I had the privilege of being part of the lives of my patients and their families at a most powerful and personal time. Being both a witness and a participant in these moments shaped how I understand, appreciate, and celebrate our imperfect humanity. The lessons I learned on Labor and Delivery shaped who I am and my work as a dean, educator, and social entrepreneur.

What is your motto?
“Ben Hei Hei said:
Effort is its own reward.
We are here to do.
And through doing to learn;
and through learning to know;
and through knowing to experience wonder;
and through wonder to attain wisdom;
and through wisdom to find simplicity;
and through simplicity to give attention;
and through attention
to see what needs to be done. …”

Profile courtesy of the Harvard Brain Science Initiative and Humans of HBI.

Image: Anna Olivella

Carlos Ponce’s lab, which studies visual recognition, came to HMS from Washington University in St. Louis. Ponce received his MD-PhD from Harvard Medical School and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah. He is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico.

How would you describe your work for someone who is not a neuroscientist?
I study visual recognition: how neurons in the brain allow the recognition of objects in the world, like faces and cars. This is an exciting time to be studying vision because there are new tools in machine learning and artificial intelligence that we can use to advance our understanding of the brain.

For example, you might have seen so-called ‘deepfakes’ on the internet. These are fascinating videos where you can see individuals saying words and using the exact same speech pattern being transposed and enacted on the faces of famous folks like President Obama. You can say anything and have the avatar repeat those words. That new type of technology is based on so-called generative networks, which are basically image generators: learned neural networks that can create images that look a lot like those in the real world.

One of the things that we can now do in neuroscience is use that technology to extract information encoded in the brain. We can pair these generators in a closed loop with neurons in the brain of an animal. The generators are guided by neuronal activity, using an algorithm, into creating images that simulate information the neuron has learned to encode about the world. That tells us which types of information the brain finds most important in the world, a kind of internal model. That will help us identify or develop better automated systems for visual recognition.

What did you want to be when you were a child?
I grew up on a farm in Mexico. I had no understanding of the kind of academic and medical careers that might one day become available to me. I knew that I loved animals. Once my family moved to the United States and I started high school, I knew that biology was going to sustain my attention and passion.

What do you do for fun?
Science is what I do for fun! During the pandemic, I rediscovered hiking and how easy it is to find animals and insects out there in the world. When I lived in Utah, friends would try to get me to go hiking and I thought, “That’s just walking outside.” If only someone had pitched it in terms of discovering animals or hiking for fossils — oh my gosh!

Profile courtesy of the Harvard Brain Science Initiative and Humans of HBI.
Image: Celia Muto

I work to make STEM education more inclusive and equitable to support the success of all trainees. In my role, I lead educational programs to promote diversity in STEM; I teach and mentor students ranging from high school through graduate and medical school; and I work with colleagues to establish policies and implement practices that promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the Harvard neuroscience and graduate education communities.

What has been one of the most exciting or surprising moments in your career so far?
I love experiencing the “aha” moments of my students in the classroom and celebrating successes with my mentees (such as when they get into their dream graduate program). When one of my students or mentees succeeds or experiences fresh inspiration to pursue a career in STEM, I feel particularly lucky to have a job that allows me to play a small part in these trainees’ amazing journeys.

What are some of your interests outside the lab or office?
I absolutely love being out in nature, especially doing anything in the forest. I enjoy hiking, camping, and orienteering, the competitive sport of navigating the woods with a map and compass. My favorite forest pastime, though, is trail running, and I love challenging myself with ultramarathons, which are races that are typically 50 km or longer. Ultrarunning has a lot of parallels to experimental science: you must troubleshoot many variables and do “experiments” during your training to determine the optimal strategies and gear for race day. It might not come as a surprise that scientists, engineers, physicians, and other problem-solvers are overrepresented in the trail running community.

What motivates your work at HMS?
My research focuses on ultra-rare diseases. To me, there is no greater motivation than knowing that my research has palpable benefits for children and their families.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Mentorship. Seeing students grow and become scientists is a very rewarding experience.

Looking forward, what are you most excited about this year?
Through my role in the Harvard Medical School Postdoc Association, I'm excited to continue the work of building an inclusive community in which postdocs are empowered and supported in their current and future endeavors.

What was the path to your current role?
My undergraduate teachers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali provided me with skills, hope, and freedom to be myself. My master’s thesis advisor took me under her wing and helped me realize my academic potential.

I then pursued my PhD at the University of Tübingen in Germany. I focused on cell division plane orientation in Arabidopsis thaliana, using single-molecule biophysics and in planta imaging to decipher how plants utilize these motor proteins to align their division plane.

Finally, my interest in morphogenesis, biomechanics, and zebrafish led me to the HMS Department of Systems Biology as a postdoc fellow in Sean Megason’s lab.

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
Mental health has been a struggle through the pandemic. I’ve been fortunate to have a support system — my PI, lab colleagues, the department, and the HMS community — that has helped tremendously.

As chair of the Harvard Medical Postdoc Association (HMPA), it has been my privilege to start initiatives that drive dialogue and policy reforms to retain postdocs and early career researchers, especially those from historically marginalized groups. The HMPA has connected me with outstanding postdocs, faculty, staff, and other leaders at Harvard who share my commitment to making necessary changes in our academic system.

What are your favorite persons, places, or things around the HMS campus?
I love sunsets over Gordon Hall, the HMS Quad, Countway Cuddles, Countway Café (special shoutout to barista Clara for making the café so welcoming), and the Systems Biology Happy Hour (Fridays at 4 p.m. if anyone wants to swing by).

What motivates your work at HMS?
I truly believe that a diverse scientific community broadens scientific innovation. As Outreach Committee Chair of the Harvard Medical Postdoc Association, my role is to build bridges between communities. In collaboration with the MGH Postdoc Association, MGH Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Bunker Hill Community College, I founded the Pathways to Science and Medicine initiative to connect community college students with faculty and fellows at Harvard-affiliated hospitals through workshops and a mentoring program. Community colleges provide education to students who are low income, first-generation college students, immigrants, and underrepresented minorities. My goal is to make science and medicine accessible and to even out the playing field for more students — bringing more people into the scientific and medical fields. To build a diverse scientific community, we need to make everybody feel they belong.

Pronouns: she, her

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
I am inspired every day by the community at HMS. This year I have embarked on new challenges and embraced myself for who I am. I work in the Van Vactor Lab, using fruit flies as a model organism to study neurodegenerative disorders. Every time I look at these flies under the microscope, I can't help but marvel at how cool these organisms are and how much biology we can learn from them.

What is your favorite way to relax, unwind, and recharge?
I am starting to enjoy biking in Boston and learning to love this city a little more every day.

Pronouns: he, him, his

What movie, television show, play/musical would you recommend to others?
“Succession.” It’s a masterfully written and acted show about a fictional multimedia conglomerate that covers everything from family drama to corporate politics in a very Shakespearean way. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a little insight into a dysfunctional family and the business world, which is a nice break from medicine sometimes.

What are your favorite and/or least favorite words?
Favorite: borborygmus
Least favorite: prognostication

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
I’ve learned to love quiet time alone. I sneak away from my lab at lunch, when I can, to sit on the Quad and enjoy the quiet rustling of the trees (not in winter obviously).

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
An HMS mug I won by singing karaoke at the fall HMS postdoc party. “Don't Stop Me Now” by Queen never fails!

What is your most treasured possession or HMS memento?
One memento that holds a special place in my heart is a group photo I took with colleagues at an HMS retreat. As an Asian-Malaysian student, I struggled to express myself in an unfamiliar academic environment, but HMS friendships made me feel comfortable. This photo captures not just smiling faces but reflects the warmth, diversity, and inclusivity I found at HMS. I am proud to be part of this community and grateful for the experiences that have shaped me.

Who is the most influential person in your life?
My late younger sister, Evelyn Khoo Xiling. She bravely battled breast cancer from age 29 to 34, remaining resilient, compassionate, and selfless until the end. Her grace and strength inspire me still. I'm grateful for the time we had and the lessons she taught me. Her influence shapes me today. She will always hold a special place in my heart.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at HMS?
I am passionate about disaster medicine, and although the path that led me to this point has been long and at times challenging, it has also been filled with excitement, support, and personal growth.

What's your favorite spot or sight on the HMS campus?
Nothing quite beats sitting on the lawn in the Quad on a warm spring day. The grandeur of the beautiful buildings leaves me in awe, and being a part of this institution, so rich in history, feels like a dream come true.

Who or what motivates your work at HMS?
The world of disaster medicine is where the most vulnerable need the best of standards in the worst of times. My colleagues and peers consistently inspire me to exceed expectations, as we collectively strive to provide the highest level of care for those who need us the most.

What experience has shaped your time at HMS?
I graduated from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and the competition for residency positions in the U.S. is notoriously fierce. As an international medical graduate, the hurdles are multiplied. Thankfully, my program believed in me and granted me a life-changing opportunity to train with some of the world’s leading medical experts at Mass General. This is a true celebration of the culture of diversity, acceptance, and inclusion that HMS embraces.

What’s your favorite spot at Harvard?
My favorite place is Harvard Yard. The iconic red brick buildings, historical entrances, and lush greenery create a serene and picturesque atmosphere that is perfect for relaxation and reflection.