Daniel Rios, PhD
“No one should be judged by their appearance. Dressing, looking, or talking a certain way has no impact on what you can do professionally.”
I am a dad. I played chess competitively until I was 18. I love doing crafts, like making wall clocks or prints. I get uncomfortable in big crowds. I used to salsa dance competitively. I design experiments to explore how diseases work in the body and discover new ways to treat them. I am an immunologist.
When you think of “DNA”, it’s probably the parts that determine things about you, like your eye color or your height. It turns out that most of your DNA is actually made up of repeating segments that don’t contain those kinds of instructions. My job is to learn more about those segments, and whether they play a role in how our bodies interact with diseases. In my line of work, no two days are the same. Some days, I’m meeting with my team to design experiments or review results. Other days, I’m collaborating with colleagues or looking into prior research for theories about how we can improve our approach. A lot of my work is filling in gaps in our foundational knowledge, so we have a lot of freedom to look for questions that have been overlooked in the past.
Science is not about memorizing facts. Actually, most of the time, scientists in fields like mine are trying to figure things out, getting things wrong, and trying again until they get it right. I’m very driven by my love of that process, and see science as a defining characteristic of humanity. On a more practical level, I am inspired by the possibility of being part of a team, company, or discovery that could help others lead healthier lives. I go to work knowing that I’m doing my part to make treatments that help patients living with diseases like autoimmune disorders. The fact that humanity is capable of that kind of progress is amazing, and it’s important to me to contribute to the advancement of humanity as a whole.
I grew up in New York City and started playing chess in kindergarten, eventually competing around the US and the world. Until around age 12, I wanted to be a marine biologist, but when I read a book about a viral outbreak, I got hooked on learning about viruses and how they spread. I was always drawn to STEM classes. I preferred using facts rather than opinions as tools to investigate the world. My parents grew up without a lot of money, and it was really important to them that I get a great education. I did my best to take full advantage of every opportunity that I had to learn, and eventually became the first person in my family to earn a four-year college degree.
College was the first time that I noticed people doubting whether I belonged in a space, simply because of how I looked or dressed. I wore my typical NYC style – think Jordans, a hat, a graphic tee, hoodie and jeans – and I was usually one of the only Latino men in the room. Growing up in a city like New York that was very diverse, my Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Peruvian heritage never really stood out. As I built my confidence, I decided not to let stereotypes stand in my way of becoming a scientist. I chose to go to Emory University for graduate school because it was near the Center for Disease Control (CDC), meaning that I could hopefully work in a lab with viruses. I realized that there were many different types of communities in science, and each has its own culture. Some are very competitive, and some are much more supportive. I knew I wanted to do research in a setting that prioritized collaboration and teamwork, so I proactively sought opportunities that not only fit my interests, but also fit my values. Eventually, I landed the job I have now, where I work with a dynamic and purpose-driven team with diverse expertise to move science forward together.
As a new father, one of my favorite things to do is explore the world through my daughter’s eyes. I get to rediscover all of the little things that delight or interest her. When I have some time to myself, I also like to take long runs or bike rides, taking my time to sightsee and take in my surroundings. I love cooking, and my family and I carve out at least 1 night a week where we cook and eat together. I also enjoy learning how to make things, like wall clocks and prints. And of course, I still play a lot of chess.
I love working on a team and used to perform salsa routines in front of large crowds, but I’m still somewhat of an introvert. Whether in lab meetings, conferences, or presentations, public speaking is a pretty big part of my job. In some ways, the hardest days at work for me are the ones when I have to present our findings to the board members at our company. Despite having years of experience successfully speaking and performing, I still get nervous before a big presentation.
It’s important to understand what science is, and what it isn’t. Science is about learning new things, not about knowing everything. In my experience, the most important skill you need to be successful in science isn’t smarts, it’s resilience. In science, we are pushing the edge of what’s known and expanding our horizons. When you’re exploring new territory, you have to take chances and embrace being wrong sometimes. It took me a long time to understand that being wrong 99% of the time in science can actually be reflective of doing a thorough job. Science is about the long game, and every error or failure gives you important information for the next move.
