My thesis work at Rockefeller University, New York, is aimed at finding out how HIV carries its genetic information into the cells it infects. This requires me to set long- and short-term scientific goals. But to pursue those goals, I may have to make similar-style career decisions.

In the short term, I would like to uncover the identity and activity of the cellular proteins involved in HIV nuclear import. In the long term, I want to discover small molecules that can block this step in the viral replication cycle and so might be used as drugs to combat HIV.

It is no coincidence that my short-term goals are more in line with traditional academics and my long-term goals are more applied. I strongly believe in the power and potential of ‘translational research’ to bridge the gap between basic science and new medical treatments.

Whether or not I stay in academia, I'll be looking for a place that supports this type of disease-oriented research and that welcomes young investigators who like to explore new ideas. The importance of this kind of research has never been more apparent to me than during my time at Rockefeller, where the school insignia reads: “Science for the benefit of humankind”. That is what I hope to do throughout my career.