Simply Thankful

Wow! 2016 flew by. I can’t say that it went as expected, or necessarily even as hoped, but there is a new year dawning and another chance to begin anew and grow scientifically, professionally and personally.

Much to my honest surprise and delight, our “Simply Blood” blog has been a well-received and well-read success! It was wonderful to see the numbers of readers steadily increase, and to get such positive feedback at the ISEH meeting on the topics we have covered so far. My sincere thanks to all those who contributed over this past year and to those who continue to check out each post. Also a huge thank you to the rest of the publications committee for stepping up to fill in the production schedule, generating new ideas, acting as informal editors, and for an overall positive outlook on the whole experience.

Given the encouraging reception to our first year, we have many exciting new things planned for 2017. We have added some recurring blog themes, such as a focus on the experience of “Women in Science” and “Transitioning from Postdoc to Faculty”. We will also begin a collaboration with the New Investigator committee to broaden and extend their online journal club format via a blog interview with each selected article’s authors to allow additional question/answer insight on their research topic and career path. And we have greatly expanded our crew of writers to add new and differing perspectives, particularly from those in training, from other regions around the world, and outside of academic medicine and research. Finally, we have spruced up the logo and formatting to make things appear more official- a clear sign of our ongoing commitment to this platform.

With these promising plans on our end underway, what we need now is even more engagement from you, the members of the ISEH community. We hope that we can continue to expand our readership – please forward the publication link to friends and colleagues - as well as make the blog more interactive with dynamic comments and perspectives in response to each post. As always, we welcome both your suggestions and criticisms, shared publically or privately. Airing differing opinions in a respective manner helps us all to reflect and grow. Similarly, hearing about others experiencing the same joys and struggles reminds us all that we are not alone in this process of scientific exploration and professional development. Related, if you have a lot to say or think there are topics we need to discuss, we are always looking for new voices and ideas, so please consider becoming a blog contributor!

As this is a New Year’s post, in addition to sharing our good news and plans for the blog, I also wanted to take the time to issue a personal note of thanks. The interaction and support from the ISEH community is incomparable, and I am continuously thankful for all the collaborators, colleagues and friends worldwide that I have come to know through the society. It is a rare community that is so wholly focused on developing the next generation of scientists, both scientifically and academically, and I am grateful to have been an active member of our somehow close-knit, yet ever expanding and inclusive group throughout the years. There are so many things I have learned from you. So many times you have offered kind words, suggestions and even a shoulder to cry on. Varied perspectives, outcomes and approaches drive our ability to understand the world around us, as well as our place in it. I am thankful for your commitment not only to me, but also to each other. We grow strongest when we work together toward common ends.

Here’s to much success as we continue the mission of ISEH in 2017 and beyond.



Trista E. North, PhD
Chair, ISEH Publications Committee

ISEH Board of Directors

Associate Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA USA




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