1. When people ask why I became a scientist they expect me to say that I love the thrill of discovery or learning new things about nature, & I obviously love those things, but I tell them that the main reason I became a scientist is because I love being around scientists so much

2. One of my favourite things about scientists is how despite being so very different they can unite together & work beautifully as a team towards a common goal, each contributing their own unique experience, talent, perspective, temperament, skills, knowledge, neuroses, humour.

3. What makes working with other scientists especially exciting is how, in the process of working & interacting with them you get to learn from the stories that they share that come from knowledge & experience that are derived from their own unique personal life history.

4. The real secret ingredient that makes all this magic happen is the breadth & diversity of cultures & backgrounds that one finds in science. In my own lab right now, every single person, including me, is an immigrant, & this has been typical of every lab I've ever worked in.

5. Immigration & the free movement of people is at the heart of the scientific enterprise & it is profoundly sad to see these ideals betrayed by the united states. My heart goes out to my American colleagues that are obviously extremely upset by this development.