Alfredo Caro
“When I’m feeling good and comfortable and valued and curious about the questions, that’s where I contribute, that’s where I perform the best as a scientist.”
Krieger School of Arts & Sciences
Biophysics, PhD 2015
Senior Scientist at Agrospheres
Alfredo‘s Podcast Episode
In this episode, we discuss what led Alfredo to pursue a PhD in biophysics at Johns Hopkins, why he decided to leave his career in academia and step outside of his comfort zone to work for an agricultural biotech startup, and his take on the importance of having a supportive network to help you through the job-search process and within your career.
Learn More About Alfredo‘s Story
Like for most of us, the pandemic changed the way I communicate with my loved ones. I got to rediscover the value of talking over the phone with friends. Those chats are great. And maybe sometimes those screen calls give me headaches. But the experience highlighted for me the importance of a strong support network. In my case, that meant reaching out to people from back in the day, finding good listeners, and many (omg so many) therapy sessions. Shout out to another JHU alum Hannah Cohen in the background there.
As much as I love science, I found the scientific career very difficult. I’m not sure why I stuck with it. Now I just think back to the moments when I did whatever I wanted, which entailed mostly soccer. They kept me sane. I guess now I prioritize self-care, and build my work around that, mainly by finding a workplace that fosters that. I find it makes me a better scientist and human being. Thank you, Casa Soccer League – Philadelphia for making me look like I can fly!
