As COVID-19 spreads across the world, members of the GSA community have had to face unprecedented challenges in their professional and personal lives. To stay connected during this socially distant time, GSA invites the scientists in our community to share how they are meeting these challenges, as well as their questions and worries.
If you would like to contribute to this series, please contact Communications Assistant Jacqueline Treboschi.
Guest post by Steven Munger, Assistant Professor of Systems Genetics at The Jackson Laboratory.
I’m trying to project strength and optimism to my kids and lab members right now, but I’m a mess, and I fear I’m failing both of them. That fear is not unusual for me, but has amplified exponentially this month. We closed down my small wet lab a few weeks ago, and everyone is now working remotely. I’ve tried to stay in touch with lab members and be available every morning to discuss their project via Slack video chat, and I continue to meet with them individually and together as a group at least once a week. But it’s not the same as being together in the same space, and it’s clear (and understandable) that our focus is not on research right now.
I’ve reconciled myself to the likelihood that little new research will be done in the next few months, and I’ve conveyed this to my lab members. Maybe we will finish papers and write a review or two during this period, but given how much time I’m spending each day obsessing over the latest COVID-19 infection numbers, maybe we won’t. And that’s OK. I want them to focus on their own physical and mental health right now and not be burdened with any expectation from me to maintain “business as usual.”
On the home front, my wife and I are trying to adapt to this new normal, which has required us to meticulously synchronize our work schedules and our kids’ “school” schedules to prioritize our precious internet bandwidth for the most important needs (e.g., streaming Zoom meetings, classes, episodes of Schitt’s Creek). This has added stress to my marriage, and I’m sure we’re not alone. My kids are bored and stir-crazy, and trying to provide them with some semblance of normalcy on a daily basis has proved to be a full-time job in and of itself. My own physical and mental health has suffered, as my current diet of carbs and ice cream is clearly unsustainable, and my COVID-related anxiety is affecting my sleep. I’m more thankful than ever for our golden retriever, Higgins, who has helped me keep my head above water and get outside more.
Another personal coping strategy that seems to be working involves taking on inane tasks around the house each day—vacuuming floors, painting walls, tightening screws on electrical outlet plates. The past four days, I’ve spent hours (plural) outside mindlessly blowing dirt and leaves off of my driveway with my leaf blower, eventually running out of asphalt and moving on to the part of the road leading up to my driveway. So far, it’s been the only way for me to really get out of my head and not think about COVID-19 for an hour. I expect I’ll have blown off half of the roads on my little Maine island by the time this pandemic has waned. But I guess anything’s better than wallowing in a pool filled with despair, potato chips, cookie dough, and Campari.
It’s somehow oddly comforting to know that we’re all in this together (I guess misery does love company) and each making it up as we go. One thing I’m really looking forward to is the online version of The Allied Genetics Meeting in April. Registration is free, and I hope all of you will join me to support our science, community members, and the GSA staff who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
About the Author
Steven Munger is a Director on the GSA Board and an Assistant Professor of Systems Genetics at The Jackson Laboratory.
Guest posts are contributed by members of our community. The views expressed in guest posts are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by the Genetics Society of America. If you'd like to write a guest post, e-mail communications@genetics-gsa.org.
View all posts by Guest Author »Read more in
-
Hongyu Zhao joins GENETICS as new Senior Editor
A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Statistical Genetics and Genomics section. We’re excited to welcome Hongyu Zhao to the editorial team. Hongyu ZhaoSenior Editor Hongyu Zhao is the Ira V. Hiscock Professor of Biostatistics, Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. He received his BS in…
-
GSA Member Julio Molina Pineda Receives DeLill Nasser Award, Shines at TAGC 2024
“At any career stage, the GSA membership is an amazing investment for any genetics professional!” Julio Molina Pineda is a PhD Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Research Assistant at the University of Arkansas, and a Doctoral Academy Fellow at the Lewis Lab. In 2023, Julio was awarded the DeLill Nasser Award for…
-
In Memoriam: Ellsworth Herman Grell (1932–2023), a pioneer of Drosophila genome engineering and annotation
Ellsworth (Ed) Grell blessed the Drosophila community through three enduring legacies: as a pioneer of chromosome mechanics, as a primary organizer and synthesizer of genetic knowledge in Drosophila, and as a graceful mentor to those fortunate to have known him personally. Ed grew up in rural Nebraska, completed his undergraduate studies at Iowa State, and…
-
Congratulations to the #Fungal24 Poster Award winners!
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA Poster Awards for posters presented at the 32nd Fungal Genetics Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of judges made the determinations. Congratulations to all! Felicia Ebot Ojong, The University of Georgia My research is focused…
-
Poster presentation tips for TAGC 2024
You’ve been selected to present a poster at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March—you’ve celebrated, made plans to attend, now what? This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your research and engage with fellow members of the genetics community, so you want to make sure you’re prepared. We wanted to offer you some tips…
-
Maximize your TAGC 2024 experience
A guide to all that National Harbor & DC have to offer Are you joining us for The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March? Make the most of your #TAGC24 experience in National Harbor! We know the science will keep you busy, but you deserve to unwind and have some fun, so we’ve curated a…
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Sarah Petrosky
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Sarah PetroskyMultimedia SubcommitteeUniversity of Pittsburgh Research Interest I am interested in understanding adaptation that has been happening recently in populations by dissecting the ways that genes underlying an adaptation…
-
TAGC 2024 Early Career Award Winners
GSA is pleased to announce the winners of the early career awards presented at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024. These awards are specific to particular TAGC communities and recognize early career scientists’ outstanding work on their respective research organisms. The awardees will present their talks in keynote sessions at TAGC 2024. Don’t miss the opportunity…
-
Preeminent geneticists recognized with revamped GSA Awards
In 2022, GSA’s Board of Directors launched an audit to review the five major awards conferred by the Society. Today, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of the reimagined GSA Awards, including the new Genetics Society of America Early Career Medal. The scientists honored this year are recognized by their peers for their outstanding…
-
Fly Board funds outreach programs to spread the word about Drosophila research
In 2020, the Fly Board voted to use part of its reserve fund to support efforts to increase trainee participation as well as equity and diversity in the Drosophila community. An awards committee decides how the money will be spent each year, and from 2020–2022, the committee posted a very broad call for applications from…
-
New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2024–2026
We are pleased to announce the election of four new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2024 Vice President/2025 President Brenda Andrews Professor, University of Toronto It’s an honor to continue my association with the Society by serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors. I have broad knowledge of the ongoing activities…