Is the CDC a good place for early-career biomedical or public-health researchers?

There is none better. Every job there was the best I ever had. It is a different environment from a university; it offers topical challenges with huge practical import. Researchers deal with real-world problems, such as last year's swine-flu pandemic. Early-career researchers can enhance their body of work, expand their technical skills and produce lots of papers.

What are the downsides to working there?

There is no tenure track. And if someone wants to pursue an investigator-initiated idea, a university may be better. But the CDC does encourage scientists to ask questions and push boundaries. Sometimes people seek external funding to expand on what they're doing.

How does the CDC fit into Georgia's science enterprise?

A federal agency that does science in the midst of academia and business is a catalyst for collaborations. People come from the CDC to Emory to teach, and Emory scientists might have an office here but a lab there. Many former Emory postdocs work at the CDC.

Does the mission of academic public-health research differ from that of the CDC?

The government's research is field oriented and focuses on serving communities. At a university, researchers seek new knowledge and ways to assess chemical hazards or the environment. It is a whole different animal.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Georgia's university system?

The state has a critical mass of institutions that have partnerships and collaborations with each other, and the universities have a good start on biotechnology. We'd like to be a San Francisco or a Boston. But we're not there yet.

Where are the opportunities in Georgia for young bioscience researchers?

Biomedical research and health-care science are growth areas, and that won't stop. Opportunities abound in academia and the private sector throughout the state as well as at the CDC, from postdoctoral fellowships to staff research positions to faculty appointments in life and physical sciences.