Naama Weksler, Class of 2010
We spoke with Naama Weksler, Class of 2010, about her developmental biology studies in graduate school and the biggest lessons she learned at Berkwood Hedge!
What is most important in the work you have done to date and why?
I am incredibly privileged to be able to do rigorous research into the molecular mechanisms that underlie animal development and regeneration. Science is important for its own sake, because knowledge is intrinsically valuable. However, the work I do also moves my field closer to understanding and treating human diseases such as cancer. I find both of these axes of my work important -- understanding developmental biology for its own sake, and gaining further insight to improving human health. I also find mentorship and teaching incredibly meaningful and am always looking for ways to be part of training a younger generation of scientists.
What courses at school are you taking to support this work?
I was required to take a lot of courses in my first two years of graduate school. My favorite class was a wonderful seminar on gene expression, where we discussed three seminal papers for three hours each week. I also loved my undergraduate developmental biology class at UC Berkeley, which sparked my love for developmental biology.
What have you learned?
More than anything else, I think graduate school teaches you how to think. It matters, of course, what project you work on, but I feel that the biggest thing I've learned so far is how to ask good questions. I'm not quite sure what the answers are, yet, but hopefully I'll get there.
What fueled your interest in this work?
I've wanted to be a scientist since I was about 10. I love the fact that you can use logic and careful experimentation to learn something completely new about the world, and the playful nature of coming up with new experiments and tools. I'm grateful to have grown up with parents and a community that supported my interests.
What lessons did you learn at Berkwood Hedge School that you still use in your everyday life?
The one that comes to mind is "fare is what you pay to ride the bus" (in response to "that's not *fair*!"). My family used to reference that quote all the time. It might sound a little harsh, but I think the lesson I learned from it is that equity and equality are not the same, and that different people need different things. It's important both for interpersonal relationships and for thinking about one's values. Also, I learned so much about teaching and working with kids by volunteering in Hanan's kindergarten class when I was in 8th grade. I am so grateful to her and to Berkwood Hedge for allowing me into the classroom and giving me the opportunity to learn and grow in that context.