Middle School Science Cafe welcomes medical researcher

Dr. Hadley Smith visited Thayer April 11 as the latest guest of the Middle School Science Cafe series. Speaking to a packed room of Middle School students in the second-floor science room, Smith said that she absolutely loves her job as assistant professor in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Institute. 

More importantly, she told the students why. 

“I get to spend my time chasing down things that pique my curiosity,” said Smith, who encouraged her young audience to find something they’re passionate about and follow that path wherever it leads. 

Smith is a health economist and a scholar of the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics. The goal of her research program is to inform efficient and ethical implementation of genomic technologies in clinical care. She received her PhD from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. She received her Master of Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Smith began her talk by describing her childhood in Texas and how she became interested in the ethics of genetics as a high school student. She briefly discussed the basics of DNA — “Everyone has their own genomic blueprint in their cells,” she said — before providing an overview of the research she and her colleagues engage in: evaluating the clinical, patient-centered, and economic outcomes of genomic medicine. Much of her work, she added, focuses on studying how genomic sequencing data for at-risk newborns can impact decision-making by clinicians, patients and families, and health care systems. 

“We get to see how our research translates into impacts,” said Smith when detailing some of the benefits of her work. 

While the study of genomics is cutting-edge, Smith made sure to gear the overall discussion toward young minds. At one point, the researcher told listeners that she had to have braces as a young girl and became fascinated with the process. 

“I thought I wanted to be an orthodontist the entire time I was growing up,” she told students. And while that particular dream evolved, she added, that curious nature is the constant that led her to pursue her other goals. 

“Following things that are interesting to you really does pay off,” Smith said. 

The lunch ended with a spirited Q&A session led by four or five of the students. When asked what was most difficult about her job, Smith responded: “As scientists, we have to have pretty thick skin. We get told ‘no’ an awful lot.” 

But she quickly added that she never lets such difficulties deter her in the long run. 

“I just find something else to get really curious about, and that’s pretty motivating,” Smith said. 

Organized by Middle School Science Faculty Natalie Young, the Science Cafe series introduces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topics to interested middle schoolers.