The Whitehead Retreat

The annual retreat gives Whitehead scientists a chance to learn about work going on in other labs and get to know one another. They spend a weekend listening to scientific talks, attending poster sessions and socializing. This format fosters exciting intellectual exchanges that often lead to new hypotheses and collaborations.

Playing volleyball with ideas

From an interview with Whitehead Member Susan Lindquist

One thing that stands out from my time as Director was my first retreat, which took place just a few weeks after I arrived. I was used to departmental retreats that were kind of boring. I was not expecting the Whitehead retreat to be one of the best scientific meetings I’d ever attended.

The content of the science was universally high. Talk after talk was stimulating and the poster sessions were terrific. I still remember the feeling of excitement, realizing how wonderful it was going to be to operate in this environment. You’d throw out a crazy idea, and instead of other people saying, ‘That won’t work,’ somebody would say, ‘Yes! And why not try this while you’re at it.’ It’s like tossing a volleyball around. One person tosses the ball in the air and the next person bumps it into the air and the next, instead of someone catching the ball and sitting with it.

An exhilarating and terrifying experience

From an interview with Whitehead Member Eric Lander

The Whitehead retreat is exhilarating and terrifying. It’s the one meeting where I always feel inadequate. You can give your standard talk everywhere else, but these are your Whitehead colleagues. I think every Whitehead faculty member feels insecure while giving his or her talk at the retreat. You’re talking to the people you respect most. You can’t snow ‘em.

You think things like, “Bob Weinberg is so smart. He’s done such amazing things this year. What have I done?” I think everybody feels that way, though they might not admit it. It’s a great feeling. You feel like you’re pushing yourself to accomplish all that you can, and you’re in awe of the amazing science at the institution.