During my postdoctoral years, I decided to attend a small, niche conference to delve deeper into a specific area of neuroscience. I didn’t know anyone, so I was grateful to meet another postdoc who also found themself on the fringe. As we bonded, he shared a saying that has stuck with me: “there are people who love science, and people who love themselves doing science.” I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Larry Barsalou is the former. He loves science. Right now, I can picture the sparkle in his eyes, his piqued interest, and his affable grin during our many conversations. I am grateful for the better part of a decade that I worked in his lab across my undergraduate and graduate studies.
I have a fond memory of standing in line together for my Ph.D. hooding ceremony. I traveled back for the May graduation ceremony after starting my postdoc position in January. We spent our entire time in that line gleefully sharing ideas with each other. Throughout my time in Larry’s lab, there was a genuine sense of “we” in the work we were doing. We discussed research questions, study design, and analysis in detail during weekly lab meetings. And there was joy, curiosity, and creativity in the process of it all—it was not something to be rushed. Knowing this way of working is steadying in an increasingly fast-paced scientific culture; I can remind myself that deeper, slower collaborative work is needed and of value.
Larry’s love of learning is infectious. During my grad school years, the lab embarked on learning neuroimaging (specifically fMRI) to address research questions generated by grounded cognition theory. He delighted in learning the ins and outs of a new method and implications for the studies we could design. He also listened to and trusted me when I shared back what I learned through independent study. I was fortunate to learn a variety of methods during my time in his lab. Larry instilled a confidence to go where the questions take us and embrace the opportunity to learn along the way.
Larry also modeled how to humbly learn from and with others. When I was in graduate school, he started to discuss and brainstorm ideas with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barret (another intellectual giant!). Not only did he invite me to join these meetings, but he also made me feel like I belonged in those conversations. Around the same time, we started engaging with scholars and experts in Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice. By participating in these interdisciplinary spaces, I learned how integrating different perspectives can illuminate new research directions and shape impactful studies. For me, this initiated a path towards research at the nexus of cognitive, affective, and contemplative science. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I would eventually find my academic home in a multidisciplinary center where I could pursue highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research.
In reflection, I think working with Larry bolstered the courage to shape my own academic path. Following my postdoc, I’ve pursued translational research to study well-being interventions and become an advocate for integrating basic and applied research (i.e., pursuing fundamental understanding and applied use simultaneously). Although I am not often in cognitive science circles these days, Larry (and co)’s work continues to influence my research. Grounded cognition theory informs hypotheses about the well-being exercises and practices we are studying. Situated cognition and views of the mind amplify approaches to develop intervention research in partnership with those who stand to be impacted by the research—interventions must be situated in their lived experiences.
Now I find myself in a position to encourage and support the next generation of scholars. Through an NIH network grant to advance research on emotional well-being, I am fortunate to be involved with a diverse community of early-career scholars. Working with these scholars has been some of the most meaningful work of my career. I am honored to support them, including in their advocacy to change academic culture. My capacity to step into this role is most certainly shaped by having had a supportive mentor and role model myself in graduate school.
Just the other day I e-mailed Larry about connecting with one of these scholars. Even though we had not talked in some time, he responded immediately and offered to meet. Because that is who he is—someone who loves science and wants to share that with others.
1 Comment
Christy, your words brought a smile to my face and filled me with gratitude. Having you in the lab for the better part of a decade was a blessing. It isn’t always easy supervising students, but students like you made realize then and now what a privilege and pleasure these opportunities are. Your curiosity, open-mindedness, brilliance, rigor, and commitment to contributing have always been evident. It has been deeply satisfying to watch you grow into the scholar and mentor you’ve become. No doubt every collaborator and student you work with will remember your contributions to them and their work with gratitude. You supervised me as much as I supervised you.
Earlier in my career, my students and I would have ideas for projects and often be in a rush to implement them. After many flawed studies that needed to be rethought, redone, or discarded, I learned to slow down and process the issues, goals, methods, and potential implications of a possible project much more carefully. Christy, you describe so well the slower science that we all were doing while you were in the lab. Although some group members felt frustrated and impatient with this approach, you clearly favored and savored it. You and I went through a careful deliberate process on so many projects that I remember it actually becoming a habit. I could see this process starting up when we began developing something new. I enjoyed going through it with you every time and knew you did, too. And your contributions were always huge. You reflected carefully on every detail of every phase of a study. And when you thought that I or someone else was wrong about something, you held out for a better solution. You exhibited strength and good judgment time after time, while always being the epitome of cooperation, collaboration, and positivity. The results of this process were, without exception, always wonderful pieces of work. Thank you for these contributions.