Can you imagine telling him you forgot to put primers in your PCR?
Frank Gannon has stepped down as editor of EMBO Reports after 10 years at the helm. New editor, Howy Jacobs, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Tampere in Finland (pictured above).
From the Press Release
Readership levels of EMBO reports editorials will surely remain high as the baton passes from Gannon to Jacobs. Howy expects his self-admitted unconventional style to emerge in his monthly contributions, reflecting his “multifaceted personality, which somehow reconciles molecular biology with an enthusiasm for punk rock, viticulture, international politics and a curious obsession with all things Polar”.
I really enjoyed Dr. Gannon’s editorials. I’m really looking forward to Dr. Jacobs’! I think I should start spiking my hair again. And as for covering up my tats…well, if it’s good enough for EMBO…
\o/ RAWK
Awesome!
Slowly regaining my faith in humanity. Or at least the humanity in charge of hiring decisions. Thank you :)
I remember Howy when he was a lecturer at Glasgow Uni and I was an undergrad. His lectures were always entertaining and he was always very approachable. I think he’ll be excellent in his new position!
Hmmm – I’ve got a post on timer about this but it did not occur to me to look out a picture. It beats Henry’s crox (I think?). But possibly not the wonderful R. Michell from the “old hippie days”.
PS Don’t suppose he will get many appeals after rejecting a manuscript.
And as for covering up my tats…well, if it’s good enough for EMBO…
Starry-eyed optimist that I am, I had rather hoped that we, in science and academia at least, would have moved beyond judging people on the basis of their personal ornamentation choices by now. I still have hope, though, as most members of GenY seem to have discarded, or perhaps never obtained, such ridiculous biases. And so many of them are tattooed and pierced, that I no longer have to worry much about judgments regarding my own tattoos and piercings.
Sadly, though, some members of my own generation still can’t get past criticizing and dismissing others based on the state, region, or country in which the individual was raised or educated. I got a snootful of this attitude in grad school, and as a postdoc, and unfortunately I can see on teh interwebz that it’s still going strong.
I’m with Dorothy – as soon as I saw the picture, I thought “there can’t be too many of those characters about in genetics classrooms”
I don’t remember the content of any of his lectures though – I guess it would have been around 1995, and given the inevitable
substance abusepassage of time since then, I can hopefully be forgiven.Must be something about the Glasgow – Finland trade winds that brings us all here.
I actually can’t see any tattoos or piercings in the picture, so my two comments above were made (humourously) in ignorance of these aspects, Kristi. But, of course, please accept my apologies if I have inadvertently written something offensive to you (or anyone).
@ Maxine – No, no, not at all. I think that European academic culture has been far ahead of the US, in terms of relinquishing bias based on personal ornamentation. That was true even when I lived in London, years ago. People were more interested in the science, and in what the person had to say, than what the person was wearing, or whether he/she had tattoos or a pierced eyebrow. We’re slowly surrendering such prejudices here, but then there’s the repeated backsliding in the arena of regional bigotry.
Thanks, Kristi!
Call me old-fashioned, but I am quite glad my daughters haven’t got tattoos or piercings (apart from ears in one case) – yet. No doubt things could change at any moment.
I do notice quite a few tattoos and the odd “piercing not in an ear” around the Nature offices, but have not done a scientific comparison between US and UK based staff!
I wonder if it is part of the same thing that I have heard it say that people in the US tend to dress more “formally” and “conventionally smartly” for interviews than they do in the UK?
My PhD supervisor took out his earring on the morning of his first ever site visit, and never put it back in. I always thought that was rather sad!
What ho! A nice brace of comments, although I’m waiting for HG to spew ire regarding the Crox comment :)
I can’t believe what a small world it seems like sometimes, that two NNers knew Howy!
As far as tats and piercings here; when I was a regular old lab rat I never worried over much about my ink. If someone was offended they never said anything to me, and that’s good thing because they would have received short shrift. But in the new gig there’s a dress code, so the ink has to stay covered up. I was told the earrings are OK though.
Funny story, one of our senior (female) faculty had made an earring comment and I off-handed mentioned that I have 8 piercings. She looked at me and started counting…1,2,3,4,5,6…
“You said you had 8!
“2 are below my neck”
shriek & blush
>:)
My prejudice is backwards – I would make the possibly unmerited assumption that this editor is likely to be openminded and would make an effort himself to look beyond appearances without prejudice. Which is what we’d like to see in scientists as well as editors, generally speaking.
The only reason I don’t have any piercings (not even regular ear) or tattoos is that I’m way too indecisive, and scared of permanent changes to my body. I don’t want holes in me (I get enough of those just by being a klutz) and I can’t think of any tattoo I wouldn’t regret at some point. In terms of imagery, I would love a tattoo of a cleaned up version of this erlenmeyer/clef logo that I designed myself, but then when I start thinking about where to put it, I realize I just don’t want it anywhere on me.
Maybe I’m just present orientated. I don’t regret any of my tattoos (6 so far), and because they meant something important when they were done (and still do, don’t get me wrong). I wouldn’t regret them later because that would devalue my own prior experience…and I’m the man I am because of the experiences I’ve had.
…does that make any sense?
@Ian: it is indeed a small world. Mike and I must have overlapped ay Glasgow if he had lecturers from Howy in ‘95 (which, I think, was Howy’s last year there before he moved to Finland?).
@ Heather: I think we’d like to see those attitudes in society in general – but scientists and editors are as good as starting place as any :)
@Eva: I’m completely with you on the tattoos – I really like the idea, but know that I’d get bored with it too quickly and end up regretting it! Ha! I do like your design, though!
I do have one piercing, though – my belly button. I don’t consider most piercings ‘permanent’ as they usually heal up without any noticeable scars…. However, I’m currently 7 months pregnant and my belly button is rapidly turning from inny-to-outie – so I don’t know how much longer my piercing will remain. I’m holding out for as long as possible cos I know it will heal over really quickly once I take it out – and I don’t know that I’d ever get round to getting it done again (and I might just be too old for that sort of thing now! Not to mention that a post-pregnancy tummy is probably not the sort of thing I’ll want to draw attention to!)
‘…does that make any sense?’
Yes it does. I’ve long since adopted the ‘attitude’ that, if somebody somehow stand-off-ishly forms an immediate opinion of me based on mine (and you do meet them), then that ain’t the kind of person I want to know. Kind of a filter.
because they meant something important when they were doneI know what you mean. I almost got a tattoo to commemorate getting my PhD, but I moved to Vancouver 2 weeks later and there was so much going on I never got around to it. So now I’m (probably, barring a wuss-out) going to get one when I get Canadian citizenship. My husband is in the early stages of designing a Celtic maple leaf for me. It’ll be over my shoulder blade so it’ll be hidden most of the time! (In this climate anyway)
@Lee: I decided on that course of action when someone asked me about one I have on my left shoulder and as I started to explain it he interrupted and harumphed me, “You’re an idiot, you don’t even know why you got it!”. Dick.Head.
@Cath: I have bulldog on my shoulder (and another one coming soon on the other), but they very rarely get seen
*Googles pictures of Ian
Have you considered an editorial position at a prestigious journal yourself?
Funny you should mention that, but last year I did indeed interview at Nature Neuroscience.
I’d enjoy working for Nature Reviews I think…
I must say I think it is a bit of that “US thing” vs Europe… when it comes to piercings /tattoos/ appearances of a professor… (my old British prof was a bit of a character ;) ) . And that editor picture is quite special. Funny about the Scottish people moving to Finland… Although, I think Scandinavia and Scotland/England would work out as in "cultural " things.
Btw, Brooks, 6? really? hmm… I guess I am lost on the counting.
Cath: I knew I wanted a tattoo early on, but of what? (I had a young thing for Eeyore and wanted him on my arm. My brother explained exactly why that was a bad idea…:) ) Then I found my mark and made it – in Vancouver at Sacred heart – and I am soooo happy with it. Of course, I put it on a place where I easily cover it but still can see it myself without a mirror. Shallow? nahh.. but I like seeing it “irl”. I look forward seeing yours… or just seeing the ready pic of what you think you want.
I personally am not into piercings or tattoos because of risk of infections [or worse] and because of allergies. But each to his/her own. I feel quite sorry for people who get tattooed with the name of their partner, then split up and have to un-tattoo themselves, eg Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, and I believe Angelina Jolie had a similar experience (though not with Johnny or Winona).
I can certainly understand the concern about infections and infectious diseases, Maxine; a friend of mine had checked the autoclave and other equipment at the studio where I had my tattoo done. The tattoo artist is an amateur historian who has written books on tattoos, and he discourages clients from getting tattoos with names of current love interests. He also very rarely does tattoos on faces, necks, and hands. My tattoo is an adaptation of this image:
I put a lot of thought into both the design and the placement. I’ve designed a couple of other tattoos that I would like to have done, but the tattoo artist is in Berkeley, so I have to plan the sessions to coincide with my travels. I should also mention that, as a gross anatomy instructor, I have a pretty good idea of how tattoos can change in appearance as a person ages, and that knowledge influenced both placement and design.
Just to clarify, I don’t actually think Howy was Scottish – any memories of his accent, Dorothy? His CV shows him starting our in Engerland before heading to Scotland’s green and pleasant lands.
If you mean binge drinking then I’m with you on that, Åsa. Made my transition from the
barslecture halls and labs of Glasgow to those in Helsinki a little easier…Infections never concerned me when being pierced or
tattiedtattooed. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve had more infections from non body art based activites (>1) than the self-mutilations (1).The only tattoo regret I fear I could have would arise if I become a born-again religious type. I suppose if that happened I could simply put a couple of stigmata holes through the feet of my Ichthys…
Is there an icthyologist in the house?
I never even thought of infections until I started researching piercings for an article I wrote for CRAM science (for teenagers). Then I probably did way more research on it than people who do have piercings.
I just re-read it, and the part about healing reminded me of when I was 3 and tripped, and bit right through my own tongue. My mom didn’t tell me at the time, but you could see right through it. It healed quite fast, apparently, and I don’t really remember it. All the times I bit my tongue or lip are merged into one painful bloody (literal blood, not British “bloody”) memory and not one of them stands out.
Transmission of bloodborne pathogens, in the context of tattoo parlors with little or no regulation of the application of universal precautions (not to mention a diverse clientele), seems like a pretty reasonable concern. Some dermatologists will pierce ears, but not sure about eyebrows, noses, tongues, and other body parts. And I can’t imagine that any dermatologist would place a tattoo. Remove yes, create no. So tattoo studio is your primary option, if you want the ink.
I’m pretty sure that the members of the punk band X were experimenting with a home tattoo kit in a documentary segment … The Decline of Western Civilization, maybe?
This is why I will be getting a recommendation from a friend I trust, and making sure the artist lets me watch them open up the packaging from the brand new needle!
I always assumed that most infections from piercings/tattoos are a result of poor aftercare – though no data to back up this assumption!
@Mike: I’m pretty sure Howie is English – can’t remember his accent very clearly, but I’m pretty sure there were no strong ‘regional’ English ‘twangs’ to help with a more precise location…..
I have to agree with Kristi and Asa…I have attended two large public universities in the US and most of my science professors have closely resembled Mr. Bean.
It was only with the instructors for the “liberal arts” part of my liberal arts and sciences school that had more in common with Jacobs’ appearance.
Mike> If you mean binge drinking then I’m with you on that
ha… well, there is that. I was thinking along the lines of gloomy people with big hearts and a love for the booze. And of course the rain. [main difference between Scotland and Sweden as far as I know is that Swedes tend to drink more before they go out since it is expensive to drink at the bar. Then again, end result is pretty much the same I would guess?!]
Cath> the place I did my tattoo in Vancouver was a clean one. I oversaw the autoclave and the artist hadn’t opened any needles before he started so I could see the new emballages and all.
Maxine> I had a time when I wanted a tounge piercing (seemed so cool). Then I remembered the bacterial flora in the month, talked to a few friends who had one and listened to their stories about swelling, no solid foods and scares for infections. That kind of solved it for me. No tounge piercing. (I think I gave it “too much thought” maybe but then again, I feel quite ok nowadays even without the experience.
The allergies was in my mind before I got my tattoo. Partly why I opted for non colours since I read up and green and red might be more allergenic than the black. then of course, we are all different.
I oversaw the autoclaving and subsequent opening of newly sterilized equipment for all of mine. But, I was 28 when I had my first done (I think), so a little older and wiser than I might have been as a nipper.
@Asa: I stand corrected, it’s 5. 3 on my left arm and biceps, one on my right arm/biceps and one on my left shoulder. I was mixing stories I think (6 earrings, y see).
I’ve been fortunate to not to have bad aftercare experiences, but again, a medical/scientific background probably helped. I had the cartilage in my left ear pierced years ago and that took several months to heal, but it was more pain than swelling etc. Apparently that’s common. And my nipple piercing seemed to take a long time to heal/stop being ultra tender. But of course, having it ripped out during kickboxing and then re-piercing it myself probably didn’t help…. now that stings!
Ian is now the official Nature Network hard man!
…or serial idiot :)
I don´t think anyone wants to argue these trifling points with a mutilated martial-arts
maniacmentalistman of many talents.And no-one would think of calling you a maniacal mentalist either, for sure. But, could you be a Mormon?
With the amount of caffeine and nicotine in my system, I don’t think the CoLS would touch me with a bargepole. Although they might offer me shares in Pepsi…
haha. he does look like one of the Ramones. I’ve noticed mohawks making a come back on universities campuses everywhere, although shaved heads are a bit more popular with the
baldingfaculty crowd.…man, I already tremble a little if I’ve done sth stupid in an expt, but if he was my prof that’d push me over the edge.
that reminds me, one of my gal pals kept a purple mohawk for a year, she said the secret to making it stand up was loads of white, elmer school glue. I wonder if that’s what Jacobs uses…