Dr. Julie McElrath's typical weekday begins like that of many other busy working mothers. She rises early to commit fresh thoughts to paper. Then all notions of work are put on hold as she knocks on her 12-year-old son's bedroom door to awaken him, pausing until she's sure he hasn't drifted back to sleep. Downstairs in the kitchen, she puts cereal on the table and catches up with her husband. When their son eventually joins them, she urges him to eat a few bites, then helps him gather his homework and drives him to school.
Shifting gears again, McElrath drives 20 minutes to her laboratory at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Now her mind is continents away from the comfortable family scene she woke up to. As a scientist who has spent the last two decades studying the virus that causes AIDS, McElrath can't help but spend her commute contemplating the stark contrast between her son's daily routine and those of the 15 million children in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost one or both parents to the disease.
To read on, see this issue's cover story.
1100 Fairview Ave. N. PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109
©2009 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a nonprofit organization.
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy.
