Ever since he was a kid, Principle Investigator, Dr. Ken Poss, has always had a love for biology and animals. Dr. Poss began his scientific career at Carleton College, a small school in Minnesota, where he studied biology. The first time he experienced research was his junior year, when he worked in a biochemistry lab. His school fostered a highly interactive atmosphere, such as extremely small classes. In fact, he was the only person in his lab besides his mentor! In 1992, he furthered his studies and attended MIT to pursue his Ph.D. in biology. At the time, he was very interested in new technology in mutant mice. There, he worked in Rudolf Jaenisch’s lab where he experimented with mouse technology and cloning. He then joined Nobel Prize winner Susumu Tonegawa’s lab where he studied the effects of a particular enzyme on learning and memory in mice. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at this lab because he was really able to gain a sense of independence in research. After his Ph.D., Dr. Poss switched fields when he started on his postdoc in Mark Keating’s lab at the Children’s Hospital in Boston. He wanted to be able to apply genetics in a field where he could do independently. At the time, regeneration was a highly unstudied field of work. Thus, he started working with zebrafish and regeneration and became one of the first people to apply molecular biology to regeneration. In 2003, Dr. Poss came to Duke where he became a member of the Department of Cell Biology and was named a James B. Duke professor. He continues to study the mechanisms of heart and tissue regeneration in zebrafish.
Dr. Poss’s favorite part of what he does is being able to be a part of the larger scientific community. With so many fields that he is a part of – zebrafish, heart development, regeneration, embryonic development- he is able to connect with all kinds of people. He enjoys being a part of this wide spread international community of fellow talented scientists.
As the P.I. of his large lab, Dr. Poss no longer conducts experiments but instead manages his lab. However, he loves seeing people in his lab get results. To him, it is just as exciting as getting results himself. His current goal, besides learning more about the mechanisms of regeneration, is to see people from his lab succeed and make discoveries. He enjoys being a part of trainees’ development and to see them grow as scientists.
Key advice Dr. Poss would give to people thinking of going down the path of scientific research is to make smart, key decisions. Research isn’t always about being the smartest or knowing a field inside and out. It is more about being able to embody discovery, exploration, and fearlessness. It is important to view the “unexpected” in a positive way. He thinks that unexpected results are often the most fun, the most important, and the most rewarding. Through these unexpected results, one can contribute to the field and make a big impact.
Thank you Dr. Poss for taking the time to talk to me. Listening to your scientific journey has widened my perspectives on research and has allowed me to reflect on my own path in terms of discovery, exploration, and fearlessness.
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