I always found it curious that in science, we value unique, creative thinkers, but we teach scientists to progress in a formulaic manner that rarely takes each person’s individual strengths into account. Surprisingly, when we break the mold, we are often rewarded for it. This cycle of learning to survive using conventional wisdom but being rewarded for a unique path outside of it seems to be an unspoken key to success. I am honored to be awarded the 2020 Women in Cell Biology Junior Award for Excellence in Research and am thrilled to share some of the unconventional guiding principles that brought me to where I am in this rich scientific landscape. The game changers in the early phase of my career were informal mentors, open scientific communication, and persistence in pursuing difficult scientific questions.

我总是感到奇怪的是，在科学领域，我们重视独特的，有创造力的思想家，但我们教会科学家以公式化的方式进步，而这种方式很少考虑到每个人的个人优势。令人惊讶的是，当我们打破常规时，我们通常会为此而感到高兴。这种利用传统智慧来生存的学习周期，但却因其独特的途径而获得奖励，这似乎是成功的关键。我很荣幸被授予2020年细胞生物学女性杰出研究青年奖，并很高兴分享一些非常规的指导原则，这些指导原则使我走到了我在这个丰富的科学领域中所处的位置。在我职业生涯的早期，改变游戏规则的人是非正式的导师，开放的科学交流以及坚持追求困难的科学问题的能力。