The importance of student initiative both in and out of the lab: the second immunobiology student symposium.

In September 2013, graduate students from the Yale Immunobiology Department hosted the second Yale Immunobiology Student Symposium. It was an eclectic and thought-provoking event that encouraged scientists to think outside the box both in their research and in their endeavors outside of the laboratory. The speakers ranged from a government representative to a New York Times science journalist and included four research scientists at the cutting-edge in their field. Speakers discussed their current research, from the role of our gut microbiota in causing colorectal cancers to the biochemical modifications in histone tails that give rise to our unique human biology. The overarching message was to let scientists, especially those of the younger generation, know how to approach, think, and talk about science.