Women in Science - Online Interviews - Katherine Woodbury Harris

Katherine Woodbury Harris

1. Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.

I am in grants review in the NINDS at NIH. I set up the review of program projects; that is team efforts to studying and understanding such devastating neurological disorders as stroke, epilepsy and any form of neurotrauma. I receive these grants three times a year and take a look at each one and determine what expertise is needed to give it a proper review and identify individuals who have that expertise and call them up to see if they will do the review. We meet three times a year in a committee to review and score the applications.

2. How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?

I did not decide on this career; it decided on me. I was a bench scientist and expected to remain one until this came along and looked interesting so I went for it. One needs to prepare for it the same as preparing for a lab career, except that one needs to have a personality to get along with people; to be able to cajole people into doing this work of reviewing grants for you. You have to like working with people.

3. What is the best thing about your job?

I like working with my committee the most.

4. What do you like the least?

The least is just doing the routine paper stuff.

5. As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?

As a kid I read everything, but nothing per se for this type of job. I did not even fall in love with the brain until college.

6. Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?

My greatest teacher and mentor was my boss at Barrow Neurological Institute, Dr. Eduardo Eidelberg, who encouraged me, mentored me and inspired in me the love that he had for research and the brain.

7. What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?

To develop and cherish their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world and how things work. To not let anyone discourage them and let them think that having curiosity is bad or that being a girl precludes them from liking math and science.

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1.	Give a brief description of your job telling what you do, (a day in your life) but also what you do specifically in your position.
	I am in grants review in the NINDS at NIH. I set up the review of program projects; that is team efforts to studying and understanding such devastating neurological disorders as stroke, epilepsy and any form of neurotrauma. I receive these grants three times a year and take a look at each one and determine what expertise is needed to give it a proper review and identify individuals who have that expertise and call them up to see if they will do the review. We meet three times a year in a committee to review and score the applications.
2.	How did you decide upon your career? When did you know you wanted to do it and how did you prepare for it?
	I did not decide on this career; it decided on me. I was a bench scientist and expected to remain one until this came along and looked interesting so I went for it. One needs to prepare for it the same as preparing for a lab career, except that one needs to have a personality to get along with people; to be able to cajole people into doing this work of reviewing grants for you. You have to like working with people.
3.	What is the best thing about your job?
	I like working with my committee the most.
4.	What do you like the least?
	The least is just doing the routine paper stuff.
5.	As a kid, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for this job? What books did you read or what things did you do that let you know you would like this field?
	As a kid I read everything, but nothing per se for this type of job. I did not even fall in love with the brain until college.
6.	Was there any person (parent, teacher, mentor, professor) you felt influenced you to pursue this field?
	My greatest teacher and mentor was my boss at Barrow Neurological Institute, Dr. Eduardo Eidelberg, who encouraged me, mentored me and inspired in me the love that he had for research and the brain.
7.	What advice do you have for young women who might be interested in the field of science?
	To develop and cherish their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world and how things work. To not let anyone discourage them and let them think that having curiosity is bad or that being a girl precludes them from liking math and science.