Why Attending ABRF Conferences are Important to Me

When asked why attending annual ABRF conferences is important to me, the answer is easy. I may leave the conference with an idea or learn something - of course, I can do these things in my office, reading papers and trying experiments in the lab. Connections with other people - I cannot do this at "home". Without these other people, those synergistic discussions don't occur. I have also realized that science is expanding faster than I can keep up. It's a good thing that I don't need to… It's not what you know, but who you know. I don't need to keep up; I have lots of friends, thanks to ABRF conferences, who stay abreast of everything in their areas, and I can tap into their expertise whenever I need to.