Dr. Ambros, Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine, Visits WUHSMS!
On April 2, Dr. Victor Ambros, Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine 2024 visited WUHSMS, his alma mater, to talk about his life, career, and the experience of winning the Nobel Prize! Dr. Ambros graduated from WUHS in 1971 and reflected back fondly on skiing in the winter. He opened his presentations to the Middle School, the Ninth grade, and Ms. Cramer's AP Biology classes with a takeaway for everyone from his presentation. He said he hoped everyone would think, "That's a job that I could do. I want to be a scientist." His presentation on his discovery of microRNA was accessible and inspirational. One of Ms. Cramer's science students stated, "Dr. Ambros noted how all people are scientists. I never thought of it that way before. Science is driven by curiosity which we all exhibit from a young age. I feel invited to stay curious and wonder how the world around me works."
Students came prepared with questions and one student asked Dr. Ambros where he gets his inspiration from when things get difficult. Dr. Ambros recommended:
talking with other people - you are not alone
convince yourself that what you are doing is important
change your thought process - reassess and drop things if they're not working
Dr. Ambros was so kind, gracious, and generous with his time. In a letter of thanks, he stated, "I can't tell you how incredibly exciting and rewarding the experience was for me! The students were so alive, present, inquisitive, and thoughtful. I needed that jolt of reality -- i.e. the reality of the powerful promise of the youth."
