born behind the iron curtain and the child of holocaust survivors , i learned to be strong and not take life for granted .
my family escaped from hungary when i was 4 years old and my younger brother was a newborn .
we crossed the border with nothing but the clothes on our backs and no notion of where life would take us .
i learned from my mother to always be optimistic , even when things look bleak .
i also acquired a deep desire to give back to others , since i was so fortunate to be given great opportunities and a new life in a free country .
i suppose this is why mentoring has become so important to me . given our lack of resources ,
my parents emphasized the importance of a good education as a way to a better life .
as an undergraduate at brown university , i knew i wanted to be a scientist , but narrowing down the choice of field to physics , chemistry , or biology was difficult .
i did n't really know what that meant at the time , but it sounded really interesting .
i applied to graduate school programs in biophysics and decided to go to johns hopkins , excited that i would actually get paid to go to grad school .
it was only when taking classes to fill holes in my biology background that i discovered my true passion : developmental biology .
i learned about the experiments of professor nicole le douarin and her beautiful quail  chick chimera .
her work inspired me , and she provided an excellent role model of a successful woman in what was a largely male - dominated world at the time .
as i learned about nicole le douarin 's work , i was fascinated by the ability of the neural crest to give rise to so many diverse derivatives , ranging from neurons to pigment cells to cartilage .
i was equally taken by the fact that they underwent the most extensive migrations of any embryonic cell type and were prone to metastasis in the adult .
they were mysterious cells , displaying stem cell properties before the concept of stem cells became widely known .
what directed the complicated migratory patterns of these cells and controlled their multitude of cell fate decisions ? from the first time i learned about these amazing cells
, i knew that i wanted to work on the neural crest , and i have been studying it ever since ! after graduate school , i took the unusual step of accepting a non  tenure track faculty position at one of the new university of california campuses in irvine .
this was risky , since i had n't done a postdoc , and my graduate advisor left science to pursue a career in medicine .
thus , i had little in the way of mentors and had to seek my own group of advisors .
i was fortunate at uc irvine to meet a wonderful and very supportive group of colleagues at the developmental biology center , among them susan bryant , hans bode , and peter bryant .
their help and guidance eventually secured me a tenure - track job in which i climbed the academic ladder and gradually obtained a full professorship .
they also taught me much about the fascination of other developmental systems , ranging from limb development / regeneration to hydra biology and drosophila genetics .
i am also grateful to the late malcolm steinberg at princeton university , who took me under his wing and advised and guided me , despite the fact that i had n't trained with him . in 1996 ,
i was made an offer i could n't refuse and moved my laboratory to the california institute of technology . moving from a huge university with tens of thousands of students to one with a few hundred
i was fortunate to meet an amazing and diverse group of world - class scientists and am particularly grateful for the influence of eric davidson , whose formulation of gene regulatory networks controlling developmental processes has had a profound influence on my work .
the unique nature of the university made it possible for me to expand in new directions and thrive in a rich , supportive , and truly interdisciplinary environment . at caltech ,
new ideas and new technologies are constantly pushing the envelope of what can be accomplished in science .
my group has benefited enormously from our interactions with other laboratories here and the  can do  spirit that permeates the campus . in my time at caltech , the number of women faculty members has doubled , and it has become a much more welcoming atmosphere for women scientists . for example , i had the privilege of serving as the first woman chair of the faculty , and two other women have since held that position .
the ascb played an integral role in my scientific development , particularly in the early years of my career . as a young assistant professor
it was one of the first talks i had ever given , and to say that i was nervous would be an understatement .
i got lots of good questions , including one from betty hay , who was a pioneering woman of her generation , studying and coining the descriptor 
( emt ) for the process by which cells such as neural crest cells and cancer cells become migratory and invasive .
after my talk , i ran into betty in , of all places , the ladies room .
i was again struck by the importance of having positive role models for becoming a successful scientist . much later , in the mid-1990s , i had the privilege of serving on the council of the ascb .
it is a wonderful organization that does so much for the community , from organizing an excellent annual meeting and publishing an outstanding scientific journal to playing important roles in science policy and educational outreach .
similarly , i had the honor of being on the board and president of its smaller sister organization , the society for developmental biology , in 2009 .
both societies play key roles in supporting , mentoring , and fostering the careers of young investigators .
another pivotal step in my personal development was being asked to teach in , and later direct , the embryology course at the marine biological laboratory ( mbl ) at woods hole .
not only was this a wonderful source of truly excellent postdoctoral fellows , but it was also an amazing atmosphere for personal learning .
listening to all the other lecturers reminded me of the great excitement of being a biologist , making it possible to step back and consider the field as a whole and from a much broader perspective .
i am truly grateful to my colleagues from my many years of participation at the mbl for sharing their friendship , enthusiasm , and knowledge
. they inspired me to pursue new directions , initiating my work on evolution of the neural crest and a foray into the use of  nonmodel  organisms , such as lamprey and amphioxus .
the importance of meeting colleagues and  networking  at places like woods hole and at conferences can not be overemphasized .
meeting with colleagues and collaborators all over the world makes it possible to make progress that would not be possible alone .
sometimes an offhand comment or suggestion by a colleague can alter the trajectory of your work . getting an outside perspective
can help you focus on the forest when you might otherwise get stuck in the trees .
in looking back at my career , i can see how science has changed in the past 30 years .
the smartest thing i ever did was to allow my postdocs to do what they wanted to do .
my goal was to provide a comfortable playground for them to be creative and think outside the box .
my major role was to be a cheerleader , publicity person , fund - raiser , and paper - pusher ( i.e. , trying to get them to write early and often ) . however , my postdocs and students guided me as much , or more , as i guided them .
i owe my career success to their hard work , wonderful new ideas , and lack of fear to try things that previously were thought to be impossible .
importantly , the mentoring relationship that arises between professor and trainee does not and should not end upon leaving the lab .
i am delighted to hear from my former postdocs and students on a regular basis , often when they have a problem or simply need an understanding ear . as they move from postdoctoral to faculty life , the need for mentorship often grows . navigating the world as a faculty member is far different from being a postdoc , and one for which postdoctoral training often ill prepares one .
i am pleased to say that i have trained numerous graduate students and postdocs , about two dozen of whom are now faculty members around the world .
i am equally proud of those who have gone into other areas , including biotech , program officer careers at our favorite granting agencies , and other creative endeavors .
i am happy to have played some small role in their development . in looking back on my long career ,
 just as neural crest cells migrate great distances through the embryo , my journey has taken me from a childhood in a distant land to a career as a biologist . 
 my mentoring relationships have shaped not only the careers of my trainees , but also the trajectory of my own science . 
 one of the most satisfying aspects of mentoring comes from helping to empower the next generation of scientists to do more tomorrow than is possible today . 
 this , together with a passion for discovery and learning new things , motivates me and makes science such a rewarding career . 
EARLY YEARS
THE ASCB AND THE SOCIETY FOR DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY
THANKS TO MY STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS