Night Science 77 | Akiko Iwasaki and the art of creativity maintenance
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Sep 22, 2025 Akiko Iwasaki, a Yale immunology professor and Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2024, dives into the nuances of research collaboration and creativity. She describes how diverse backgrounds enhance scientific inquiry and shares insights on managing expectations in large teams. With a clever multi-layered puzzle analogy, she illustrates the complexities of studying viruses and long COVID. Akiko emphasizes a patient-driven approach to uncover core issues while fostering a lab culture that encourages unique hypotheses. Her reflections on training abroad highlight the importance of resilience in research.
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Leverage New Computational Tools
- Include computational collaborators who build new tools to reveal unanticipated features in complex data.
- Use novel methods because they enable discoveries unavailable 20 years ago.
Manage Expectations Early
- Spend time managing collaborators' expectations and relationships to keep large teams functional.
- Clarify authorship and roles via frank conversations built on established rapport.
Run The Lab As A Creative Forum
- Do not micromanage lab members; instead foster frequent themed meetings for shared data and ideas.
- Let creative directions emerge from group discussions and iterative input.