After starting to read a book that seems quite promising, “Survival Skills for Scientists“, by Federico Rosei and Tudor Johnston, one of their first questions they invite the reader to think about is “Why do you want to be a scientist”. I thought that perhaps my personal motivation and driving reasons that have made me take this career path would be worth sharing in Manuel Corpas’ Blog. So here I write all that comes to mind and you, gentle reader, are encouraged to share your reasons for wanting to be a scientist in the comments section below if you so wish.
I want to be a scientist because:
- I love the thrill of discovery, innovation and feeling a pioneer in the field that interests me (personal/clinical genome research).
- I love to learn and understand the mysteries of the information encoded in the molecules of living organisms, particularly humans.
- I’d love to be able to pave the way for people to access the information about their own genetic makeup, help them interpret it and share it with others if they so wish.
- I want to understand the meaning of the genetic code, how much of my personal traits are inherited and how much I can alter them.
- I want to understand how DNA is able to affect clinical traits and cause disease.
In order to “know myself“, as the greek aphorism inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi recommended, a good starting point is to understand the world I live in in its finest detail, which is the task of a scientist. I believe there is a part in human nature that makes us all want to be scientists. Perhaps you should allow yourself discover this side of your persona if you have not done so already.
Manuel Corpas 
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