We’re two young scientists on parallel paths. Jessica, a second-year Ph.D. student at Northwestern University studying how the innate immune system responds to herpes simplex virus infections that cause life-threatening encephalitis in newborns, and Regan, a first-year Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa researching the biological mechanisms behind autism spectrum disorder.
But long before we were in the lab, we were in the sandbox at Laguna Park.
We first met there the week before kindergarten, two kids from the same Burlingame neighborhood, just blocks from each other’s homes. That was the start of a friendship that has lasted through two decades and the entire Burlingame public school system from Lincoln Elementary to Burlingame Intermediate School to Burlingame High School.
It was also the start of a journey into science; made possible by the inspiring educators and opportunities we encountered in our hometown. At Lincoln, we sat side by side in Ms. Chan’s first grade class, where we first learned to love asking questions. That same curiosity followed us through middle and high school, where teachers turned our interests into passions. At BIS, the Genius Olympiad gave us our first taste of scientific discovery. In Ms. Marcan’s AP chemistry class, we were challenged to think critically and experiment boldly. In Ms. Johnson’s AP environmental science class, we explored the interconnected systems of our world and the importance of protecting them.
Burlingame’s public schools did more than prepare us academically; they made us believe that our questions mattered and that we could be part of finding answers. They gave us our first lab reports, our first late-night study sessions and our first sense of purpose.
Now, with support from the National Institutes of Health, we are each pursuing research that aims to improve lives from newborns facing viral brain infections to individuals navigating autism. We owe so much of that to the educators who mentored us, the parents who encouraged us and the community that invested in our education.
Science is more than a profession. It’s a public good and a smart investment. Every $1 of research funding returns more than $2.50 in economic benefit. It drives innovation, supports local economies and helps America lead in a rapidly evolving world.
We hope readers of this paper, our neighbors, teachers and mentors know that science starts in places like Burlingame. It starts in parks like Laguna, in classrooms like Ms. Chan’s and Ms. Marcan’s, and in public schools that give every student a chance to explore, dream and achieve.
If you believe in the power of science and education, we urge you to support continued federal investment in research. Contact your representatives. Advocate for science funding. The future of discovery depends on it and on communities like ours that make those futures possible.
From kindergarten playdates to Ph.D. research, our story started right here. And we’re proud to carry Burlingame with us, every step of the way.
We are proud to be participating in the McClintock Letters campaign, a nationwide movement of scientists sharing how federally funded research can change lives. Barbara McClintock was the first American female to win an individual Nobel Prize in the sciences. She broke barriers working in a male-dominated field and reminds us about the critical importance of diversity in STEM research.
Jessica Johnstone is a second-year biomedical sciences Ph.D. student at Northwestern University, currently living in Chicago. Regan Fair is a first-year neuroscience graduate student at the University of Iowa.