The road taken - changing one's professional focus at a large research university

The scientific endeavor has many facets, extending well beyond the experimental research bench. However, in most fields, especially in the biomedical sciences, the traditional career pathway for scientists is first joining and later leading an experimental research laboratory or program. As a result, scientific education is often focused on training new bench researchers. My own journey from a traditional bench scientist to that of an educator and educational researcher will be discussed in the context of a large research university environment. Being a scientist with an educational focus at such an institution poses significant challenges, but also opens new opportunities. In my opinion, these two professional pathways are not exclusive or alternative choices, but rather are complementary, both representing important and essential elements of scientific progress.