Advocating for Science and Research - The Journey

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We continue our conversation with Dr. Adriana Bankston, founder and CEO, Bankston Policy Consulting LLC to learn more about her career path. Her journey of discovery started close to home, in a family filled with scientists–from her grandparents to her parents. As an undergraduate at Clemson University, she was introduced to the world of research through a summer program. From there her interests blossomed, and in graduate school, at Emory University, she conducted research in muscular dystrophy for her dissertation. This experience also allowed her to volunteer with patients and instilled the understanding of the social impact of science. “What you are doing actually impacts real people,” Adriana explains. As she completed graduate school, her attention grew to understanding the obscure world of postdoctoral salaries, how such positions are defined, and the policies behind the status quo. This initial project led her to the world of advocacy and finding strategic ways to solve these challenges within science. Along the way, Adriana has also had several inspiring mentors, starting with her graduate school advisor: one of two female researchers within the department. Peers were also very supportive in fostering her interests especially as Adriana transitioned away from bench work and needed to gain new skills in the policy world such as writing letters to legislators and understanding the workings of Capitol Hill. With her positive experience as a mentee, Adriana now dedicates her time to mentoring graduate students and others who are new to the world of advocacy and policy. Looking to the future, she is excited about starting as an inaugural AAAS Congressional Policy Fellow sponsored by the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy which will allow her to work directly on Capitol Hill, a change from advocating on the outside. In addition to her experience in advocacy and policy, Adriana is also a science writer; as someone who describes herself as having too many opinions, writing has been an excellent outlet to share some of her ideas with the world. After you listen to the podcast, also read her latest blog post on the podcast website: https://welovesciencepodcast.com/f/how-policymaking-works-and-how-scientists-can-engage  

And if you want to learn more about science policy, Adriana will lead a workshop hosted by Genetics Society of America: Register here

Tune into this episode to hear Adriana explain:

How her family history influenced her career journeyHer first encounter with science policy and advocacyWhat it means to ride the rollercoaster with confidence 

Reach out to Adriana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianabankston/

Reach out to Fatu:
www.linkedin.com/in/fatubm
Twitter: @thee_fatu_b
and [email protected]

Reach out to Shekerah:
www.linkedin.com/in/shekerah-primus
and [email protected]

Music from Pixabay: Future Artificial Intelligence Technology 130 by TimMoor
Music from https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes: Hotshot by ScottHolmesMusic