Michael J. Joyner, M.D., Reflects on His First GoldLab Symposium Experience

The GoldLab Symposium is unique because it is truly multidisciplinary and multi-scale. This permits discussion and interactions among presenters and attendees on topics ranging from the molecular to the population and from disease mechanisms to the sociology of medical care and health. The inclusion of humor and entertainment as part of the program also increases the comfort level of all involved so discussion can be pointed and vigorous, yet friendly. At many meetings, you come away with some new minor insights about things in your professional comfort zone; I came away from the 2015 GoldLab Symposium having learned a lot about things out of my comfort zone. At the end of an intense 48-hour meeting you can say, “wow, I learned a lot,” you have had a great experience. I certainly had such an experience at the 2015 GoldLab Symposium!

Michael J. Joyner, M.D., is the Caywood Professor of Anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic where he was named distinguished investigator in 2010. His interests include exercise physiology, blood pressure, metabolism, and transfusion practices. He has also explored the limits of reductionism in biomedical research. Joyner’s 2015 GoldLab presentation was entitled, “Is Reductionism Killing Biomedical Research?”

You can read more about Dr. Michael Joyner and watch his 2015 GoldLab Symposium presentation at https://goldlabfoundation.org/presenters/michael-joyner/