Carly, a doctoral student conducting research on plant reproduction in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member Mary Gehring, is developing a detailed map of genes that are turned on or off during seed development. Prior to graduate school, she had focused on neuroscience. But she shifted her doctoral studies to a challenge that had been on her mind for years: “I want to know how we can protect plant biodiversity in the face of climate change,” she says. “My ultimate goal is to help solve the global food insecurity crisis that climate change is exacerbating. And along the way, I want to inspire budding scientists to pursue questions that ignite their curiosity.”