A newspaper want ad for a lab tech. A second set of eyes looking through a microscope confirming a crystal had formed on a T-cell. And a decision to become a single mother without sacrificing a career in science.
Those were some of the moments of happenstance – of serendipity – that helped Dr. Erin Adams, a senior immunology professor and Vice Provost for Research at the University of Chicago, find her path in science and in life.
“We could go into a really deep philosophical conversation about luck or miracles or destiny or whatnot,” Adams said in a new film about her winding path. “There is an aspect of that I just can’t explain, but obviously nothing would have happened without a huge amount of hard work.”
Serendipity is a new documentary film by the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s Kawalek Lab, also known as the STAGE (Scientists, Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration) Lab. The 47-minute film, directed by STAGE Lab’s director of science Sunanda Prabhu-Gaunkar and co-directors/UChicago graduates Nicole Zhong & Atman Mehta, is the latest in STAGE’s ongoing docuseries Curiosity: The Making of a Scientist.
“The point of these films is to demystify science and make it more relatable to everyone,” STAGE Lab’s founding director and PME professor Nancy Kawalek told a crowd gathered in ERC 161 on Jan. 9 for a special sneak peek of Serendipity. “Most scientists don’t realize how difficult it is to understand their work. The way to capture the public’s interest is to engage them emotionally, which is what these films do.”
Following the sneak peek, PME Dean Nadya Mason moderated a live panel discussion with Adams, Kawalek, Prabhu-Gaunkar, Zhong, and Moyo Abiona, a UChicago graduate who was one of the film’s lead story editors.
“There’s a richness and nuance to science that most people never get an opportunity to see,” Mason said. “We all benefit from the results, but we don’t meet the people behind the science, much less emotionally connect with them. The work STAGE has done on these films shows the human side of science, welcoming everyone into the labs and lives of the researchers working to improve life for everyone.”
Making the Process Real
The larger docuseries, Curiosity: The Making of a Scientist, was originally proposed as a scientific take on Inside the Actors Studio by Fiona Goodchild, a cognitive psychologist, recipient of a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, and a former colleague of Kawalek’s.
Instead, it evolved into an award-winning film series that highlights how top-level researchers overcome the day-to-day challenges of a life in science.
“It is so important to humanize scientists,” Adams said. “We’re all human beings and we all have hurdles we need to overcome. I think it’s important to show that. Scientists have a lot to learn from each other and art and film are a great way to share.”