Quick-Fire Quips is a questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the State of Alabama! In this episode, Alabama Public Radio host Baillee Majors talks with the President of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Neil Lamb.
Bailllee: Hey, Neil, happy to have you on!
Neil: Thanks for having me.
Baillee: For those who are unfamiliar, can you talk a little bit about what HudsonAlpha does?
Neil: I sure can. HudsonAlpha is a nonprofit research center in Huntsville, Alabama, focused on using the power of genomics to make the world a better place. We have a whole group of amazing scientists studying DNA, both in human health and in agriculture.
There are 50 biotechnology companies on our campus, and we have an amazing education team dedicated to creating a more genomically literate society and building tomorrow's workforce. All three of those components together make up HudsonAlpha.
Baillee: What is one thing that you hope HudsonAlpha will be known for in 50 or 60 years—just, you know, far into the future?
Neil: I hope that HudsonAlpha is known as a place that tackles challenging problems, whether those are issues around global hunger or issues around dementia, and is able to bring together scientists and companies that can take those discoveries and turn them into products, as well as an education team that can make that understandable and help people utilize the approach.
What we really want to be known for, in whatever field it is, is how we've brought all these components together and gone from idea to application, and then provided education around it.
Baillee: Now the introductions are done, let's get you warmed up for the questionnaire. To do that, I want you to say "Quick-Fire Quips" three times fast.
Neil: Okay! Quick-Fire Quips, Quick-Fire Quips, Quick-Fire Quips!
Baillee: I love the enthusiasm. Okay, here's your first question. What's the first word that comes to mind when you hear Alabama?
Neil: Potluck... In the context of Alabama, I think about how a potluck is full of all these different kinds of dishes and foods. Alabama is the same way. It's such a diverse background of people, geography, climate, and culture. It's just like being at the most amazing potluck you could ever envision.
Baillee: I love that analogy. That's perfect. You mentioned culture—Alabama is absolutely beautiful and the people are wonderful. What is a bad stereotype or something that people get wrong about Alabama?
Neil: I think people believe that Alabamians are intellectually lazy and that we don't care about important topics. I think nothing could be further from the truth.
The people I know and interact with are curious; they want to dig deeper, they want to understand, and they want to delve into topics rather than just understanding them at the surface level.
Baillee: What is a hidden gem in Huntsville that you think more people should know about?
Neil: Well, there are lots of things in Huntsville that people already know about, like the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Cook Museum of Natural Science, and Constitution Hall Park.
However, I think some of the greenways—the walking trails and hiking paths—are hidden gems. Huntsville has so much dedicated green space, and it's a wonderful place to get out and walk your dog, bike, or rollerblade. I don't think people recognize that enough.
Baillee: What is a challenge in biotech that most people outside of the industry probably underestimate?
Neil: How long it takes to bring something to market—whether that's a new drug, a new diagnostic test, or even a new variety of plant. It takes so much time and work to make sure it actually does what you are hoping it does and that there aren't any unintentional consequences or bad side effects.
If you're talking about a drug, it can take a decade or more and tens of millions of dollars. People hear about a new discovery made by a scientist and think, "Why doesn't that immediately show up as something I can use in my daily life?" It just takes time.
Baillee: You mentioned how complex research and publishing papers can be. What is your number one tip for explaining complex sciences to non-scientists?
Neil: I look for the best analogy I can think of. If I can connect it to something people already understand, it gives them a "hook." I also try to remind myself and other scientists that all the tiny details we think are super important aren't always necessary when you're trying to boil it down to the big story. Don't get caught up in the minutiae; stay at the top level.
Baillee: Next question: Do you have any superstitions or irrational fears?
Neil: Oh, yes. I can't stand snakes.
Baillee: Oh no!
Neil: Yeah, they are just not my cup of tea. Even the movie Snakes on a Plane—that whole concept makes me want to crawl into a safe space and never come out.
Baillee: Oh gosh. Even a tiny garden snake?
Neil: I'm okay with little garden snakes. But anything significantly larger, or anything I find in the woods where I don't have time to figure out if I should be running from it or be happy about it... we’re just not going down that road.
Baillee: What is something on your bucket list?
Neil: An African safari. My wife loves giraffes, so I would love to go to Giraffe Manor with her, where the giraffes literally stop by for tea time. I think that's incredible. I’d also love to see the lions and gazelles, but giraffes would be the big one.
Baillee: Wonderful. Who was your childhood hero?
Neil: This will be a little atypical, but Julia Child was my childhood hero. I grew up cooking; my mom and grandmothers taught me, and I loved watching her make dishes that, to a kid in the South, seemed so complicated and out of reach.
I loved how she made exotic foods seem within grasp.
Baillee: Do you have a favorite dish you still enjoy cooking?
Neil: I’m actually more of a baker than a cook. My favorite things are cakes and breads. At Christmas, I do several hundred sugar cookies and decorate them with royal icing. Baking is really my jam.
Baillee: Fair enough! What is your favorite getaway spot in Alabama?
Neil: I’m going to break the rules and give you two. I love going to the beach at Gulf Shores. I’ve been many times with my extended family; I love the white sands, hearing the water, and watching the sunrises and sunsets.
I also love the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman. I’ve done silent retreats there; it’s an amazing, beautiful space to be quiet, listen, and slow down the pace of the day.
Baillee: I remember visiting a monastery once—hearing the nuns sing and seeing the stained glass, [it] was such a good experience.
Neil: Yes. I’m not Catholic, but sitting in that chapel listening to the nuns sing songs that have been sung for hundreds of years makes you feel a connection to generations past. You feel like part of the continual ebb and flow of time.
Oh, that got really philosophical! We’ve probably gone way past "quick quips" now. Sorry!
Baillee: No, I love that! I love it when people open up. That’s what Quips is about... Last question: What does Alabama need?
Neil: I think Alabama needs the ability to simultaneously see all of the incredible, impactful change and opportunity taking place around the state.
We often get caught up in challenges, problems, and statistics we don't like, and we fail to see the amazing things happening all around us. If we could recognize that and gain optimism from it, it would be an amazing experience for us.
Baillee: That's it for today's Quick-Fire Quips, a speedy questionnaire where we get to know people who stand out in the state of Alabama. That was the President of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Neil Lamb. I'm your host, Baillee Majors!
More episodes of Quick-Fire Quips can be found on the APR website by clicking here!
