A Paradox and Alan Rein: Distinguished Retrovirologist Retires from the HIV DRP

The NCI at Frederick Scientific Publications Database added 205 publications by NCI at Frederick researchers between April 1 and June 30, 2020.

For foreign fellows transitioning to life in the United States, NCI at Frederick employees are an integral resource. As citizens or residents of the country and the Frederick community, they represent valuable sources of information, emotional support, and scientific guidance. It’s true that the training staff fill many of these roles, but all staff can play a part in welcoming and helping foreign fellows. To help employees and principal investigators who work with new foreign fellows, current NCI at Frederick fellows and staff have offered the following tips.

Moving to a new place can be difficult, especially for young scientists coming to the U.S. for fellowships. There are the usual challenges of long-distance travel, adjusting to a new locale, and—in some cases—becoming proficient in another language. On top of that, there’s the added pressure to settle in and begin working as soon as possible. To help incoming and recently arrived fellows, current NCI at Frederick fellows and staff have offered the following advice.

Sharing a lab with another team may sound like an inconvenience to some, like the professional equivalent of sharing a bedroom with a sibling. But not for Alex Compton, Ph.D.; Alan Rein, Ph.D.; and their colleagues. In their case, sharing a lab led to a rich collaboration, mentoring opportunities, and a study that uncovered facets of how cells interact with viruses.

To say Cathy Cullen’s “lab” in Building 427 is nontraditional would be a bit of an understatement. Instead of pipettes, there are pipe cleaners. The chemical reactants are baking soda and lemon juice. And the “animal” is a blue plastic robotic mouse. Cullen’s operation is the epicenter of Education Outreach Services in the Office of Scientific Operations for NCI at Frederick. She is tasked with bringing extracurricular science to young people in Frederick County Public Schools and local organizations.