“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein
How do we solve a problem?
The answer to that question is multifaceted, but the process to discover it often starts with simply asking questions. In other words, it starts with curiosity and a desire to seek first to understand.
Curiosity is the driving force behind countless modern-day inventions. It fuels remarkable advancements in science and innovation, and it is the reason many of us, including myself, are passionate about what we do.
Where would we be without curiosity?
Personally, curiosity has been a major motivator in my work as a head and neck cancer surgeon-scientist. Early in my career, I was intrigued by the varying responses to treatment that I saw in patients who had seemingly identical head and neck tumors. This sparked my curiosity, which inspired our research team to dig deeper. We discovered that the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) made tumors more responsive to treatment.
My lifelong curiosity about how the human body functions – and how I can help make a positive impact on health and quality of life – is one of the major reasons I became a doctor. And I imagine many of my colleagues would say the same is true for them.
Here at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, curiosity has led to remarkable innovations.
Take, for example, the recent collaboration between bioengineers and neurosurgeons that led to a more durable way to repair the dural membrane that lines the brain and spinal cord. Curiosity was also behind the massively important breakthroughs in printing 3D models of precise facial structures that surgeons can use when removing tumors from the head and neck. It has even helped us understand that not only are therapy dogs great mood boosters for patients, they are also helpful for our health care providers!
These are truly life-changing discoveries that were made possible because someone was curious.
I invite you to take on this challenge. When you are curious, are you speaking up and asking questions? What are some ways you could foster curiosity in your life?
Dean, College of Medicine
Leslie H. and Abigail S. Wexner Dean’s Chair in Medicine
Vice President for Health Sciences, Wexner Medical Center