Over the years, BATS has sparked collaborations, mentorships, career milestones, and friendships across institutions. We asked past attendees to tell us how BATS made a difference for them, and we're excited to share their stories here: a connection made at a poster session, a collaboration that grew into a paper, a mentor found, and career steps that BATS helped make possible.
A new research direction
I met Laurence Huang at BATS, where he introduced me to the concept of post-tuberculosis pulmonary disease (PTPD), something I had not previously recognized as a major clinical problem. I began reading about what is known about PTPD and was struck by how little is understood mechanistically about why it occurs. I subsequently established a new mouse model of PTLD in my lab to investigate why, even after successful microbiological cure of TB, the process of lung healing can sometimes leave patients with lasting lung damage.
Sarah Stanley, PhD
Associate Professor, Immunology and Molecular Medicine, UC Berkeley · UC Berkeley CEND Co-Director · UC TRAC Basic Science Co-Director
Finding the right community
I first attended BATS when I was looking for my next career step. I had completed my PhD and was looking to apply my skills in a high impact research setting. At the time, a colleague from my PhD cohort, Caitlin Moe, who is also a frequent BATS attendee, encouraged me to apply for a postdoctoral scholar position with Patrick Phillips at UCSF in tuberculosis (TB) research. I was intrigued because TB research is highly impactful and aligned with the values that drew me to public health in the first place. However, I have found that the people you work with are among the most important factors in succeeding and doing meaningful research. At BATS, I was able to meet Patrick in person, but I also met Drs. Devan Jaganath, Sophie Huddart, Lelia Chaisson, and others. Meeting this community in person at BATS immediately assured me that entering TB research with this group was the right decision for me.
Mark Warden, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, IGHS, UCSF · TB RAMP Alum · UC TRAC Mentored Scientist in TB Awardee
Opening unexpected doors
My time as a Visiting Scholar at UCSF turned out to be a wonderful and unexpected part of my journey. While attending BATS 2024, I met Dr. Megan Murray from Harvard, and she kindly offered me a remote postdoctoral position, which was a really exciting opportunity. However, around the same time, my husband has been offered a position in Texas, and because of Harvard’s remote-work regulations, I could not take the position from Texas. There was also some uncertainty around funding at Harvard at the last minute due to funding cuts at Harvard at that time, which made the decision even more difficult. Eventually, another fantastic PI, Dr. Jeffrey Collins at Emory, who had been collaborating with the TB team at UCSF, offered me a remote postdoctoral position, which turned out to be a great fit for my situation. Looking back, I am very grateful for my time at UCSF, for everyone who supported me along the way, and for the opportunity to attend BATS. These experiences introduced me to wonderful people and opened the door to unexpected opportunities that I will always value. I’m still in touch with Dr. Murray and hope we can find a way to collaborate someday.
Zaynab Mousavian, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
From Collaboration to Publication
A collaboration that began at BATS led to a paper recently accepted in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Ashley Wolf, PhD
Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, UC Berkeley · TB RAMP Alum · UC TRAC Mentored Scientist in TB Awardee