GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
This week's question from the mothership is a fantasy-type of question.
Question: Assuming that time and money were not obstacles, what area of scientific research, outside of your own discipline, would you most like to explore? Why?
There are several avenues of research that appeal to me, all of which are "cutting edge" fields that of course, are quite exciting.
First, I would love to study avian influenza viruses, which I think are utterly fascinating. I would be especially interested to research the evolution of lethality in these viruses and identifying which molecular changes are necessary for these viruses to develop and support the ability to "jump" from one host species to another.
Second, I'd really enjoy doing birdsong research. In fact, while I was working in cancer research before "throwing my hat into the ring" by going to grad school, I followed Fernando Nottebohm's birdsong research, and became convinced that there was a place for me, a molecular biologist, in avian research after I noticed that Nottebohm, a cell biologist, was not doing any molecular research into this fascinating phenomenon.
Third, I'd be interested to pursue research into endocrine disruptors; these are estrogenic compounds that are environmental pollutants that are found in the watershed, and disrupt the reproductive and developmental processes of animals, typically fishes and amphibians, but also wildlife and even humans as well.
If I was to choose something outside of biology altogether, I'd be interested in either being a chemist, studying transition metals; or I'd become an astronomer, studying the big bang and the origins of the universe. Or maybe I'd study black holes (or are they really green holes?).
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Comments
It's tough, but I think I would study beaver ecology and behavior. Not many people are doing it, and I am somewhat obsessed with beavers. (My formal background is geology, my work paleontology collections management.)
There are so many exciting things to study, though....
Posted by: Mel | June 13, 2006 12:06 AM