Alexa Johnson: My advisor does a lot of research
with the Department of Defense
and active duty military.
And that is what really drew me here.
I've always wanted to work with the military.
I originally wanted to join the military out
of high school, but I had torn my ACL twice
and did physical therapy for three years.
So I figured that I would go to school to
be a physical therapist
and join the military that way.
And then, when I realized when I could do
the research behind it, and do it in the military,
that was my main draw that, I think, got me
to the University of Kentucky.
The SMRI is a multidisciplinary research center
that focuses on injury prevention, rehabilitation,
and performance.
Specifically, in athletics, active duty military,
veterans, women's health, jockey, a wide array
of active populations.
And it is a collaboration between the College
of Health Sciences, the College of Medicine,
UK Healthcare and UK Athletics.
And we do a lot of multidisciplinary research
that really focuses on biomechanics or physiology,
neurobehavioral and neuro-cognitive things.
Kind of bring them all together in one space
at the SMRI.
We were originally founded with the help of
a Department of Defense grant.
Advocated for by our Kentucky congress members.
So, it was really great to be able to go to
D.C. and meet with some of those staff members
and make the SMRI come alive to them and the
projects that we've been working on from the
DOD grant that they really advocated for,
for us to be as successful as we are.
I was drawn to the CASE workshop, I think,
for the interest in policy and how that plays
a part in the research that I do now.
We listened to a variety of people who work
in science policy now for the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, as well as
people who are staff members for congress members.
We talked to people from NIH and NSF, and
just kind of learned about what it means to
create science policy, how to create science
policy, and the important things to really
advocate for the right things.
I think one of the important things that we
also went through was kind of debunking some
myths about science; that people don't like
science, or people hate science.
Which isn't necessarily true.
The last day we were there, we went to the
Hill and meet with staff members of congress
members from Kentucky.
I think this trip was a valuable experience
just to learn about the way that policy affects
federal funding and affects research.
As a graduate student, you learn a lot about
how to do research and how to disseminate
research successfully, but you don't necessarily
learn a lot about what happens on the back-end
in terms of applying for grants.
And I think that going to this workshop really
gave me that insight.
That was really valuable.
Advocating for science is really important
because it advances us as a country forward.
It advances healthcare forward, it advances
some of the ways that we look at climate change.
So, if we continue to advocate for science,
then I think our congress members continue
to realize that these things really are important
for the success of us in Kentucky, for the
country, for the world in general.
I've about a year and a half left in my Ph.D.,
and my goal when I'm done is to either go
into a postdoc at some of these government-funded
research labs and to be able to take this
policy forward and use that.
Additionally, the American Association for
the Advancement of Science has a science and
technology fellowship.
It gives you the ability to work with different
federal agencies, with congress members to
learn more about policy and how you can advocate
for it, and write it, and be a part of it.
I'm kind of weighing my options between attacking a postdoc or a science and technology policy fellowship.
