When I visited Beijing a few years ago, I asked the young people I was talking to to name a twentieth-century hero. They did not name a politician, movie star or a millionaire; they named the scientist Albert Einstein.

Scientific research is now considered one of the most prestigious occupations in China — with a reputation to rival that of the ancient imperial scholars. Historically, parents identified their brightest child and prepared them for intellectual pursuits by hiring tutors. After successfully completing a series of national exams, the brightest of them were included in the emperor's court as valued advisers. Such exalted levels were only achieved after many lonely hours spent studying and practising calligraphy.

Science is now attracting the same calibre of students, but those advocating this discipline often know little about modern research. Gone are the days of rote learning, now scientists are equipped with a wide range of skills, from problem solving to communication. These accomplishments mak students and researchers ideal for many careers. If you're brave and follow your instincts, there are amazing opportunities open to young scientists — in China and around the world.

Before offering advice to young people wishing to become scientists, we should ask why this area is so attractive. Parents encourage their children into this field because it is a respected profession, with low unemployment. Students, thinking of well-known scientists, expect fame and fortune, and teachers direct students into science when they see pupils with rational and quantitative capabilities, believing that these attributes will be rewarded.

New skills

But those advocating science still often see it as a technical trade that requires students to memorize endless facts. In reality, there is too much information for such an approach to be useful. Also, problems that involve massive quantities of data are much easier and more accurately solved by computer than by a researcher laboriously working through the information.

Technical expertise and ‘good hands’ are still valued in the experimental sciences, but training in scientific thinking, priority setting, problem solving and clear communication is just as important for success in the international scientific arena.

There is no longer a rigid path to success. To face this new world, scientists have to be flexible during their training and throughout their careers. They must be open to new opportunities and be willing to move to where the best jobs are.

When I started studying medicine, I hardly knew what to expect. In fact, I could not have imagined the life I am leading now. Ever since I was in Kweiyang (southwest China, Kweichow province) as a young child, I admired the missionary doctors and thought that the most wonderful thing I could do when I grew up would be to cure diseases and save lives.

When I had the chance to enter Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, I grabbed it. But it wasn't very long until sick patients with bedsores and the time-consuming, repetitive boredom of dealing with common illnesses took away any romantic notions I had about medicine. Research to uncover the causes of illnesses and find new ways to combat them seemed much more exciting. At the time, new PhD programmes aimed at medical students were being developed, and I jumped at this chance.

Upon entering the programme and carrying out serious research for the first time, I knew I had found something I was better suited to, and that I loved. Spending the rest of my days in a lab working on viruses would have fulfilled my dreams.

I grew viruses, purified them and counted them by observing their indirect effects on cells grown in a single layer in a Petri dish. In one of my first experiments, in which I was purifying viruses, I discovered a separate subclass of viral particle that was defective and could interfere with the growth of the standard virus1. This was very exciting: a mutant particle such as this could be used to control viral diseases, especially those of plants. Its properties so intrigued me that I did not finish the requirements for the MD degree after I received my PhD.

One day, the head of the lab challenged me to become a professor. This thought had never crossed my mind, because I saw so few women professors, although there were many female researchers. This was a new goal.

I continued to enjoy the research, but I took on extra responsibilities: teaching, being a member of various university committees, leading a division studying infectious diseases, and providing advice to numerous non-profit organizations and government agencies. After a while, I was promoted to a tenured professorship at Harvard Medical School, but as much as I enjoyed it, I wondered what to do next.

The dean advised me that being a professor is the perfect job, with considerable freedom and power, especially in the United States. Professors often keep working and maintain their own lab and students until they are well into their 80s, so long as they obtain independent funding from government or non-profit agencies.

But the long scholarly life was not for me. I was sure that I could continue to produce good research, but I also realized that the money I obtained for my lab would probably be better used by a younger investigator with fresher ideas. I looked around for an alternative and was attracted by research administration.

When I moved from Boston to New York, an opportunity to become dean of science at New York University was offered to me. Although I was supported by a Merit Award from the National Institutes of Health at the time, I was able to explore the new administrative role together with my research for a three-year period.

Now as senior councilor for external relations, a part-time position, I coordinate different areas of science and promote ideas at the frontier of more than one discipline. Also, I vicariously enjoy the success of the next generation of scientists whom I able to help. To nominate worthy colleagues for promotion or awards is another gratifying experience.

The number of consultations both within the university and externally continues to increase. They come from institutions as diverse as universities, foreign governments and investment groups. In addition, I receive many invitations to give talks on career development, science policy and diversity from professional groups. Unlike research, which is a very competitive and relentless, my activities take place at a more leisurely pace, so that there is time for family interactions, travel and new hobbies.

Instinctively right

It is not unusual for scientists these days to follow different career paths. Many go into academic administration or into various biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. An extreme alternative is going into non-profit advocacy: an example being the molecular biologist, Michael Jacobson, who is the founding director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, based in Washington DC, which protects the consumer by examining prepared foods to ensure that their ingredients are properly identified and healthy.

Other scientists, especially in developing countries, have gone into politics and, either by election or appointment, become high-ranking government officials.

My parents were unhappy when I did not complete my initial training as a doctor, but by following my nose and knowing my own strengths, I made the right decision for me.

To those readers who are more established in their careers and responsible for the education of scientists, I say that it is imperative that the training their students receive should be more than just technical and limited to a narrow field of science. Instead, they should develop the ability to chose an important problem, ask the right questions and design hypotheses — all essential tools for scientists. Young scientists should be encouraged to explore new paths and to have the confidence to follow their instincts.

If you are an aspiring young scientist in China, you are entering a wonderful career, full of all sorts of possibilities. You may end up in academia, but you may also end up working in areas such as financial investment, journalism or philanthropy. Do not limit yourself. A science background prepares you for all these possibilities. Do not bind your feet to prevent your own progress.