"He Blinded Me With Science....."

When I think back on my life, if I had bothered to fully investigate the backgrounds of most of the distinguished people I've encountered BEFORE we met, there's good chance I probably would have been kind of intimidated. Not as much as, say, 30 years ago, when I spent half of my life mute with shyness and fear. But even though I think I'm a fairly saucy old wench these days, every now and then I can still be a bit reserved around people who are, to use a tired cliche, "legends in their fields of expertise."

I guess I'm saying that I probably wouldn't have been as much myself. I'd have been so busy trying to come off as poised, or at least not looking like a dummy. For example, when I first I met this man. It was at an advisory board meeting for the Kenya Science Cafe project. I've written about it before; it's where people come to coffeehouses or bars or restaurants and listen to researchers talk about all kinds of issues, ranging from reproductive health to climate change to fibre optics. The two young women who brought the Science Cafe to Kenya, Juliette Mutheu and Ruth Wanjala, are good friends, and they worked for the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme as communications specialists (Ruth still does, and she just moved to Kilifi; Juliette's getting her Masters in London). The way they passionately articulated their vision for connecting the public with science and health information made me an instant believer. So when they asked me to join their advisory board, it was a no-brainer.

I met this man at one of those meetings. Oh, I guess at this point I should probably tell you who "this man" His name is Prof. Kevin Marsh, and he directs the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust research program in Kenya. He is an Oxford Professor who specializes in tropical diseases, and he came to Kenya about 20 years ago with his wife and children to focus on the impact of malaria on children.

Now, I obviously know the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust program is a big deal, because I’ve just received a big grant from the Wellcome Trust in the UK. I’ve read about KWT research ever since I arrived in Kenya. As I type these words, I’m sitting in the KWT-Kilifi library, waiting to meet with another KWT researcher I wrote about recently, Dr. Anthony Scott, who’s leading the KWT pneumococcal vaccine research.

Okay, we’ve established that I am rolling with some of the big dogs of the Kenyan science world thes days , right? Well on Tuesday morning, that audacious audio temptress I call the BBC World Service struck again. I was sitting on the couch trying to finish sending a raft of emails when at the top of the hour, a program called “Exchanges at the Frontier” began. The renowned British philosopher A.C. Grayling introduced the topic of malaria—and THEN introduced Kevin Marsh.

Here are just a few of his titles: Professor of Tropical Medicine, Director of the Wellcome-KEMRI-Oxford Collaborative Research Programme, Group Head / PI, Grant Holding Senior Scientist, Member of congregation and Unit Director. He’s probably also Emperor of something, but I was a bit too jazzed by that point to focus. But the bottom line is this: Kevin Marsh is one of the top tropical disease researchers on the planet. And until we find irrefutable proof of life elsewhere in the universe, he can make THAT claim, too.

Okay, I guess need to inject some full-disclosure here: when I met with Kevin a few months back, hem entioned that he would be featured on a BBC program in the near future. I thought it was pretty cool at the time.

But something about hearing the voice of someone you’ve actually met and interacted with on the BBC is really kind of thrilling! I guess it’s doubly so when that person has met YOU, and thinks your work is worth investing in.

So as I prepare to go sit across from another internationally-recognized researcher in about an hour, to plan strategy for ensuring nationwide reporting on important new research about the pneumonia vaccine that will be released in Kenya in January….

(….just another day at the office for a gal like me!!!)

….I just have to make sure that I can focus long enough to stop hearing a certain set of lyrics that have been running on a loop in my brain the past few days.

Just check the title of this post for a clue.