A Lifetime Of Migration

Careers in any profession can take a curious path. One small choice can seemingly change a career path and chance encounters open doors to new opportunities that take a person in new, unforeseen directions. For Chris Wylie, this has certainly been the case. This interview highlights how someone can build a successful career in science, how that career can be fulfilling and fun and at the same time, it is possible to have a family and a life outside of science. Chris has certainly had success in science, having built very successful labs at many institutions and helped found and grow world-renowned research centers. He gives great credit for his success to his longtime collaborator and wife, Janet Heasman. Although they have indeed made major contributions to their chosen fields of study, what is remarkable is the number of trainees that they have had pass through their labs. Ultimately for any scientist, the training of young scientists might be their greatest legacy and it is obvious the impact that great mentors such as J.Z. Young and Ruth Bellairs had on Chris and his decisions on how he ran his own lab. As Chris moves on to the next stage of his career, it seems likely that he will pursue it with as much vigor and passion as he pursued his love of scientific research, and have a lot of fun. I can't wait for the next interview!