Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellow

Alejandra Flores

Alejandra Flores is a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. 

Describe your interest in participating in the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship.
Flores: Science policy has been my career goal since I decided to pursue a doctoral degree. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed firsthand the urgent need for effective science communication. The alarming disconnect between the scientific community and the public was evident, contributing to growing mistrust in science, a situation exacerbated by increasing politicization. Furthermore, in these current times, when science is under attack, we need more scientists to advocate for science and help bridge the gap between research, policy, and society. I aspire to become one of those advocates, building meaningful connections among scientists, policymakers, and the public.

During my graduate studies, I have actively sought opportunities to enhance my communication, leadership, and advocacy skills. While these experiences have given me a strong foundation, I still lack the in-depth knowledge and formal training necessary to transition into a career in science policy successfully. To address that gap, I’ve pursued opportunities such as webinar trainings through the National Science Policy Network and attended a Vanderbilt science policy workshop in Washington, DC. While these experiences were valuable, they were limited in duration and scope. As a full-time graduate student, I have found it challenging to access immersive, hands-on policy experiences. That’s why the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship is so appealing, as it offers a structured yet flexible format that would allow me to deepen my policy knowledge while continuing my graduate studies.

Another major draw of the fellowship is the FASEB Capitol Hill Day. The chance to meet directly with lawmakers and advocate for science is an unparalleled learning opportunity. It’s one thing to talk about advocacy, and it’s another to execute it. This experience will allow me to apply the skills I’ve built throughout the program in a high-impact setting. Additionally, Capitol Hill Day and the in-person participation in FASEB’s 2025 Science Policy Symposium will help me expand my professional network, not only on the Hill but within the FASEB community, which is invaluable as I explore the next steps in my career. As someone currently in academia, I’ve had few chances to build relationships with science policy professionals. However, this fellowship would help fill that gap and connect me to mentors who can guide my transition.

How do you plan to use the knowledge and experience gained through your participation in the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship?
Flores: I want to use the knowledge I gain from the program to transition into a science policy role as I reach the end of my doctoral education. I’ve always felt that my natural strengths were pulling me toward a different impact, so I want to pursue a career beyond the academic setting where I can support my peers, protect research funding, and help shape a more informed and equitable scientific landscape. I am passionate about making science accessible and easy to understand for those outside the field. I genuinely believe the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship would bring me one step closer to that goal. It offers the training, mentorship, and real-world experience I need to transition from an academic scientist to a policy advocate.

Beyond applying this experience to my long-term career goals, I also plan to share the knowledge I gain monthly with the Vanderbilt Science Policy Group, where I serve as president. I am leading a campus-wide initiative to collect stories from graduate students whose research has been impacted by federal funding cuts. The survey not only gathers personal experiences but also measures how these losses have affected students’ mental health, career decisions, and perceptions of research. We plan to share this data with Vanderbilt’s Federal Relations Office and invite a Tennessee representative to campus to elevate the voices of scientists and highlight the need for research funding.

Using no more than 250 words, describe your research as you would to a non-scientist.
Flores: Reovirus is a virus that can potentially be used in cancer treatment because it naturally targets cancer cells more than healthy ones, and it doesn’t cause illness in humans. That makes it a promising option for therapies that could kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.

However, to turn reovirus into a reliable treatment, scientists need to understand better how it works, mainly how it copies and builds itself inside cells. Microorganisms have these instructions on how to duplicate in their genetic material, which we usually think of as a single piece that contains all this information. Nevertheless, reovirus’s genetic material is split into several pieces. To successfully create new virus particles, the virus has to collect exactly one of each of these pieces, no more, no less. If the wrong pieces are included or if some are missing, the virus can’t function.

My research focuses on figuring out how the virus “knows” which pieces to choose. To study this, I use shorter, broken versions of the virus’s genetic pieces. These defective versions can interfere with the virus’s ability to grow, but they still undergo the same selection process. That makes them valuable tools for discovering how reovirus chooses its genetic material.

By understanding how this selection process works, we hope to make it easier to modify reovirus for cancer treatment safely. In the future, this could help scientists design more precise and powerful cancer therapies based on viruses that only target tumor cells.

Briefly describe any past or present participation in additional career exploration activities, experiences, and/or programs.
Flores: During my graduate studies, I have actively explored a range of career pathways beyond academia. At Vanderbilt University, the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) organizes an annual career symposium featuring Vanderbilt alumni working in various fields. I have attended this symposium every year of my doctoral program to learn about alternative career paths and connect with professionals in science communication, government, and advocacy.

Beyond campus events, I have sought external opportunities to learn more about science policy. As a recipient of a T32 training grant, I used my conference funding to attend the AAAS Annual Meeting, where I explored a broad range of topics in science policy and advocacy. I also completed the Mini-Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop, which introduced me to the fundamentals of science policy and its intersection with government decision-making.

My interest in science policy deepened when I was selected to attend a science policy and advocacy workshop in Washington, D.C. Over several days, I met Vanderbilt alums working on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies. These interactions gave me a better understanding of how scientists can transition into policy roles and make meaningful contributions to public service.

Through these experiences, I’ve developed a passion for using my scientific background to inform policy, improve the research environment, and advocate for science. Each opportunity has brought me closer to identifying science policy as the career path where I can make the most significant impact.

Alejandra Flores is a member of American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, a FASEB member society.