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AJourneyinSharingScience:

FromtheLabtoSocialMediaandBeyond

Afewweeksago,IwasgracedwithanhonorarydoctorateinsocialmediafromSocialMediaUniversity,Global.Mydissertationhasbeenwonderfullyreceived;Ihavebeengivenhighaccoladesandseveralonceclosedopportunitieshaveopened.Ihavebeenhumbledbytheresponseandamsincerelygratefulthatpeoplehavebeentouchedbymyjourney.Andyet,there’smoretothewholestory.WhileSocialMediahasgivenmethePhDbehindmyname,Iwouldneverhaveattainedthislevelofsuccesswithouttheonesubjectthathasplayedamajorroleinmylifeforthelast40years:

science.Ormorespecifically,sharingscience.Sharingwasindoctrinatedinmebymymother,Patricia,whenIwasyoung.ShehadbeenbornandraisedinIndia,spenttimeunderthetutelageofMotherTeresa,andworkedinEnglandasanurse’sassistantpriortocomingtoCanada;herstoryalonecouldfillanovel.PatriciaTetroinherearlyyearswiththeSistersofCharity,asanurseandbackwiththeSistersalmost40yearslater（personalcollection）Shemaintainedthatknowledgeisnothingunlessyouknowhowtoshareitandinstilledthatintomybeliefsandactions.Throughherhardefforts,sharingbecameacornerstoneformygrowthandIgainedapassiontoalwaysfulfillit.

TheIncredibleBacteriathatStarteditAll

Myearliestrecollectionsofsharingsciencewerealwaysassociatedwithawe.Iwasfascinatedbythestarsandhowtheymovedacrosstheskyatnight.Iwasspellboundbyfireworksandhowtheywentfrombeinginertgrainsofmetaltospectaculardisplaysofcolorinthesky.Iwasenraptbythefaunaandflorathatcoveredearthandfilledtheoceansandskies.Butthememorythatholdsstrongesthadnothingtodowithnature.Itwasfromtelevision.Morespecifically,fromtheshow,"That’sIncredible."Thesegmentstartedwithamanintheshowercausallylatheringwithsoap.Outofnowhere,theannouncerdeclaredthatbacteriaareeverywhere,inthedirt,inthewaterandevenonyourskin!

Suddenly,theman’spacechanged.Hevigorouslyscrubbedhisarms,hishairandhisface,allinthehopesofremovingallthegermsfromhisbody.Buttheannounceralmostnonchalantlyaddedthatnomatterhowhardtheeffort,wewillalwaysbecoveredwithmillionsandmillionsofbacteria.Irememberthinkingthateachofusmusthavemorebacteriaonourbodythantherewerestarsinthesky.Asasevenyearold,itwashardtothinkofmillionsasanumber,letalonethatmybodywascoveredinsuchalargeamountoftheselittlecreatures.Iwantedtolearnmoreaboutthemandhowtheylivedonourskin,inthesoilandanywhereelse.Asusual,IaskedmyMomaboutthemandinhertraditionalway,shetoldmetofindoutaboutbacteriabymyselfandthen,whenIknewenoughtoshare,tocomeandtellherinawaythatshecouldunderstandandalsousetotellothers.Shewasn'tveryhelpful.Overthenextwhile,IreadwhatIcouldfromthelibraryandfrommyfather’smagazinesandtriedtalkingwithteachersandparentsoffriends.Yettherewerenoclearanswers.IrealizedthatthesebacteriaweregoingtobehardertofigureoutthanIhadthought!

So,asmanysevenyearoldsdo,IdecidedthatwhenIgrewup,IwantedtoknowenoughaboutbacteriasothatIcouldsharealltheinformationwithmyMom.Ididn’tknowitatthetimebutinessence,Ihadsetthewheelsforafutureofsharingscience.

LearningtheBigPictureinScienceSharing

Mydesiretolearncontinuedintohighschoolandthankstosomeratherwonderfulteachersatmyhighschool,St.PiusXinOttawa,Ifoundmyselfworkinginamicrobiologylabatthetenderageof16.Admittedly,Ihadabsolutelynoideaofhowtheresearchworldworked.Thelearningcurvewassteepbutmysupervisor,Dr.DonnJ.Kushner,wasalwayssupportiveaboutlearningand,muchtomyjoy,sharing.Heinsistedthatwhatgoesonthelabmustbeapplicabletowhathappensoutsideofit.AndalthoughImayhavebeentestingtheenzymekineticsofbetainealdehydedehydrogenaseinVibriocosticola,arathermenialtasktosaytheleast,Iwasassuredthattherewasabiggerpicturebehindthetesting.Letmeelaborate…Certainvibriosareknowntohavepathogeniceffects（pdf）onfishspecies,inparticular,snapperandgrouper（downloadpdf）.Moreover,V.costicolawasknowntobeacausativeagentinthespoilingofcertainfish.NowtakeintoconsiderationthatCanadaatthetimewassufferingfromwhatisnowknownasthe"Tunagate"scandalandthatfishofallsortswerebeingscrutinizedfortheirhealtheffects.Thus,byunderstandingthemeansbywhichthesepathogenssurviveintheenvironment,onecanhaveabetterideatoprognosticatewherethesebacteriacanthriveandhowbesttocontrolthempriortoandafterfisharecaught.Nowthat’sabigpicture!

Okay,Iknowtodaythatmyidealatthetimewasmisguided.AsI’vesincelearned,almostanysmalltaskinsciencecanbesignifiedandsharedthroughincorporationoftheworkintoalargercause.Yetatthetime,itseemedlikeIhadtheanswertosharingscienceandIpledgedtokeepeverythinginthebigpicture.Unfortunately,aviruscausedmetoreconsiderthatvow.

HelloHIV/AIDS…andGoodbyeBigPicture

TheopportunitytostudyHIV/AIDScametomethankstotheco-operativeeducationprogramatmyalmamater,theUniversityofGuelph.In1991,HIV/AIDSwasthepinnacleofanymicrobiologicalstudyasnotonlywasitbeingstudiedworldwidebutcountriessuchasCanadawereimplementingnationalstrategiestocontrolthespreadofthevirus.Iplannedtomakethemostofthefourmonthperiod.Iwantedtoenrichbothmyresearchandsharingscience.WhatIgainedchangedmylifeforever.FromDayOne,Igainedanewappreciationofthebigpicturealthoughitwasdramaticallydifferentandtosomeextentdreadfulfora19yearold.SamplesthatItestedwerenotfrombacteriaorcellcultures;theywereblooddrawsfromrealhumanbeings.Positivetestswerenotsimplyethidium-bromidebandsinanagarosegels;theywerepredictorsofalifelongstrugglefortheperson,theirlovedonesandthosearoundthem.Whathitmeharderthananythingthough,wasthefactthateachpositivebandmeantthatonemoresoulwouldeventuallylosetheirlife.Ilearnedtofearthatpositivebandandthebigpicturethatitimplied.Asampleagarosegelelectrophoresisandthecoloursthatstillhauntmetoday（Source:

Wikipedia）Fortherestofmyshorttenure,Itriedtoreasonwiththisrealitybutcouldnotrenderasolution.Ibecamedisheartenedbythefactthattheonlywaytosharethissciencewastoventureintosadness,frustrationandgrief.Therewasnothingupbeat,noeasyanswersandnotahintofjoy.Icametobelievethatiftherewastobenothingbuthardshipinthebigpicture,thenperhapssharingsciencewasnotwhatIwasmeanttodoandthatIhadmadeaseveremistake.Itwastimetomoveonandleavethebigpicturebehind.AfterIlefttheplacement,Ifinishedmyundergraduatestudies,dabbledabitinindustryandevenwalkedawayfromscienceforawhile.Itriedtofindsomethingthatwouldre-energizethepassionforsharing,whetheritbescienceoranythingelse.Yetnothingworked.AfterawhileIbelievedthatIhadjoinedthechorusofPinkFloyd'sfamoussong,ComfortablyNumb:

WhenIwasachild,IcaughtafleetingglimpseOutofthecornerofmyeye.Iturnedtolook,butitwasgone.Icannotputmyfingeronitnow.ThechildhasgrownThedreamisgone.Afewshortyearslater,however,myhopeswerereinvigoratedandIventureddownanewpathofsharingsciencethatwouldinevitablyleadmetosuccessesIcouldneverhaveimagined.

SharingSciencetheAcademicWay

In1997,IwasofferedtheopportunitytojoinanewinitiativeattheUniversityofOttawacalledTheCentreforResearchonEnvironmentalMicrobiology（CREM）.CREMwasfoundedbyDr.SyedA.Sattar,whomIhadmetlessthanayearearlierandhadamazedmeathisstyleofsharingscience.HisworkwaseverythingIbelievedin:

notonlyacademicallysoundbutalsohadperspectivefortheworldoutsidethelab.Thisnewcentrewasbasedintheunderstandingofhuman,health-relatedenvironmentalmicrobiologyandthepromotionofbestpracticesininterruptingthespreadofpathogens.IwashappytocomeonboardandtothisdayamthankfulforDr.Sattar’skindness.ThefirstfewyearsweregreatasCREMfounditsfeetandthemandatetookhold（pdf）.Thenin1999,Dr.Sattarhadanideathatbackthenmighthaveseemedalittlelikeasciencecoup.Hewantedtotakeinfectiousdiseasecontrolpracticesoutofthelabandintothehome.Moreimportantly,hewantedtoshowhowcurrenttrendsineverydaylifeinCanadaandtheU.S.contributedtoinfectiousdiseaseforall.I’mwasn’tsurewhybutheaskedmetobeaco-authorbutIcouldn’thavebeenmorepleased.Westartedwritingthearticle,"ImpactofchangingsocietaltrendsonthespreadofinfectionsinAmericanandCanadianhomes,"inearly1999anditfounditswayintotheAmericanJournalofInfectionControlinDecemberofthatyear.Notsurprisingly,thescientificcommunitywaslukewarmtothepaperyettheinfectioncontrolcommunity,thelifestylecommunityandevenproponentsofhealthandhygieneworldwidewereexcitedtoseethepaperandCREMwasaskedtotakepartinnumerousexercisestohelpcontrolinfectiousdiseasespread.Someendedupinjournals,othersaschaptersinbooks;mediaarticleswerewrittenandpresentationsweresolicited.TheonemomentthatIwillalwayscherishhappenedtobealectureIgavetoanumberoflegalandenvironmentalexpertsontheWalkertontragedythatoccurredthenextyear.Itwasmyfirstexperience