Six Reasons Why Research is Cool: Quique Bassat at TEDxBarcelonaChange

Summary

In this talk, a global health researcher shares the six reasons why their job is incredibly fulfilling. The researcher highlights the importance of making a real impact on people’s lives, thinking outside the box, and finding innovative solutions for global health challenges like neglected diseases and malaria. The role also brings exciting opportunities like working with the media, meeting influential figures, and learning from the past through post-mortem science. The speaker invites others to join the quest for global health solutions, emphasizing the hands-on, impactful nature of research in this field.

Takeaways

• 😀 My job as a global health researcher is cool because it allows me to be useful and make a real impact on people's lives.
• 😀 As a researcher, I focus on understanding why poor people become sick and finding innovative solutions to improve their health.
• 😀 Thinking outside the box is essential in global health research to create impactful solutions, such as replacing painful injections with oral antibiotics.
• 😀 I work on diseases like Yaws, a neglected tropical disease, and found a simple solution to treat it with oral antibiotics in remote areas.
• 😀 Malaria kills one African child every 60 seconds, and despite challenges, we have successfully tested malaria vaccines in rural Mozambique.
• 😀 Research in global health allows me to be in the media, using its power to spread important messages and increase awareness of health issues.
• 😀 Global health research brings attention to issues like child deaths from malaria, which should be headline news every day.
• 😀 I meet influential people like Melinda Gates, and working with them reinforces the importance of global health and helps us push forward solutions.
• 😀 Even working with the dead can be exciting and worthwhile in research, as understanding the causes of death helps us prevent future ones.
• 😀 Research in global health doesn't just happen in labs—it's done in the field where real public health problems occur and can directly benefit millions.

Q & A

Why does the speaker consider their job to be 'cool'?

The speaker finds their job cool because it allows them to make a meaningful impact on people's lives, particularly in improving the health of underserved populations, through innovative research solutions.

How does the speaker describe the challenge of addressing health issues in poor regions?

The speaker describes the challenge as complex and often requiring out-of-the-box thinking. They mention the difficulty in testing health solutions in places where infrastructure is lacking, like rural Mozambique.

What example does the speaker provide to show the effectiveness of innovative solutions?

The speaker highlights the example of yaws, a tropical disease, where a simple oral antibiotic, azithromycin, replaced painful penicillin injections, proving effective in treating entire populations in remote areas.

What is the significance of the malaria vaccine research mentioned?

The malaria vaccine research is significant because malaria kills a child every 60 seconds in Africa. Despite the challenges of testing the vaccine in remote areas, the speaker emphasizes that the research is progressing, bringing us closer to a potential life-saving solution.

How does the speaker describe the role of the media in global health research?

The speaker stresses the importance of the media in amplifying the voices of researchers, helping spread crucial health messages to a wider audience. The media has the power to magnify the impact of global health initiatives.

What role do powerful and famous individuals play in global health research?

The speaker explains that powerful and famous individuals, like Melinda Gates, help raise awareness and generate support for global health issues. Their involvement ensures that the needs of the poorest are considered and action is taken.

Why does the speaker mention working with the dead as part of their research?

The speaker mentions working with the dead to emphasize the importance of post-mortem science in understanding causes of death in poor countries. They argue that such research can provide crucial data to prevent future deaths.

What example does the speaker give about the need for better post-mortem science?

The speaker shares a story from Mozambique where a mother lost her child to an unknown illness, underscoring the lack of data on causes of death in poor countries. They call for the development of tools to perform autopsies in challenging environments.

How does the speaker explain the personal rewards of working in global health?

The speaker expresses that working in global health has brought personal fulfillment, including meeting a partner who shares their passion. They view their job as a source of both professional purpose and personal joy.

What does the speaker ultimately encourage the audience to do?

The speaker encourages the audience to join the global health research field, emphasizing that it offers exciting challenges and opportunities to make a significant difference in the lives of millions.