While we don't specifically work on disease-related topics, the implications of my research are becoming more relevant for disease. One of the things that makes Stanford such a terrific place to be for an undergraduate is the chance for close contact with very distinguished faculty, and the opportunity to do research at the forefront of a field. You can be part of a research group that is making ground-breaking discoveries. Something we all try to communicate to our students is the practice of science. Science laboratories are very interactive.
People work in teams, and they develop close friendships.
A laboratory can be like family. When I began studying the Soviet Union, in the mid-1970s, it wasn't considered terribly relevant or even very interesting. The Soviets themselves later referred to that time as the period of stagnation. But I was attracted to and fascinated by the Soviet Union like nothing else. It absolutely held my interest.