The ASBMR helped Tamara get exposure for her research on skeletal mechanobiology early in her career by providing a forum to present her ideas to senior investigators.

Dr. Tamara Alliston is a Professor at the University of California in San Francisco with a research focus on skeletal mechanobiology. With nearly 20 years in the field and 16 years as an ASBMR member, she has shared what has helped her advance in her research and her career over the years.

How has the ASBMR helped you in your career?

Receiving an ASBMR Young Investigator Award was invaluable for helping me 'break in' to the skeletal biology community, since I did not 'grow up' in the bone field. I found it to be a challenge as a young investigator to make connections with the more senior investigators, but receiving an ASBMR award provided a formal way for me to present my ideas in forums full of senior faculty, who supported my integration into this field and community. The ASBMR award undoubtedly also provided me with advantages when I was applying for faculty positions. It validated my potential as a new investigator to the larger scientific community.

As an ASBMR member, what are benefits or resources that have been most valuable to you?

The main areas that the ASBMR has helped me in my career include:

• The opportunity to present my work when I’ve received an ASBMR Annual Meeting Young Investigator award
• Being able to interact with other investigators at poster sessions (and equally important, at their posters)
• The ability to publish our work in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR®), which is an excellent journal 
• Networking with other female investigators at women’s networking events

How have connections with other ASBMR members helped you in your career?

Past and current leaders in the ASBMR have encouraged and challenged me to think more broadly, creatively, and critically about our results and the implications of our findings. Mentors that I have encountered as an ASBMR member have helped me navigate the challenges of securing research funding, served as collaborators, and provided invaluable resources for our research efforts. These individuals have also been supportive in nominating me to give talks or to serve in leadership roles. Now, they mentor the people I train in my own laboratory. I hope to follow this example by providing both mentorship and sponsorship for the current generation of new investigators.

Review member benefits that can help you in your career and join today.