Alicia Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Research Institute, shared Whitehead Institute’s post on LinkedIn, adding:
“It’s a special gift to be invited to reflect on the people and experiences that shaped your path.
I recently had the opportunity to talk about my time at the Whitehead Institute, where I worked as a UROP in Bob Weinberg’s lab for four years.
I’m so deeply grateful to Bob, who took a chance on me when I was an eager and naïve Massachusetts Institute of Technology freshman and gave me the opportunity to work in his lab.
From him, I learned not only how to pursue excellent science, but also how curiosity, generosity, and a genuine investment in people can define great mentorship.
I was equally lucky to work closely with Sendurai Mani when he was a postdoc in Bob’s lab. Mani was such an amazing mentor and friend. He trusted me at the bench and made me feel like an intellectual equal in the science.
At the same time, he nurtured my growth – buying me lunch so I wasn’t just eating leftover lecture hall pizza every night, offering advice about my courses and homework, and happily listening to all the ins and outs of my undergraduate life.
His mentorship left a lasting impression. It taught me the value of what it looks like to quietly show up for people with attention and care, every day.
Those lessons continue to shape how I lead at the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). Our mission depends on investing in bold science, but it also depends on investing in the people with the curiosity and courage to pursue it. I know firsthand how transformative that kind of belief can be.”
Quoting Whitehead Institute’s post:
“As an MIT undergraduate, Alicia Zhou was a researcher in Whitehead Institute Founding Member Robert Weinberg’s lab. Today, Zhou is the CEO of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), where she works to advance funding for basic science research in cancer immunotherapy.
In a Q&A, Zhou discusses how her time in Weinberg’s lab transformed her understanding of science and leadership. She also shares a critical lesson she’s learned over her career: science skills translate to success in many fields.
‘As biologists, sometimes we get a little tunnel visioned about there only being one career path’,
she says.
‘In reality, being a well-trained scientist means that you’re a person who understands how to prioritize, how to project manage, what to do in the face of uncertainty. You plan things carefully, like you would an experiment, and you’re resilient when things go wrong, because they will go wrong. You make the best decisions you can with the data that you have, you’re adaptable and data-driven, and all of these skills can make you excellent at many careers.’
Other articles from Alicia Zhou on OncoDaily.