Proudly Marching for Gerontology

By Executive Director and CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH

The March for Science on the National Mall was cold, wet, windy, and thoroughly exhilarating!

On Saturday, April 22 — Earth Day — I joined the tens of thousands of scientists from across the spectrum of disciplines gathered in Washington, DC, to celebrate the value of science and its critical role in both society and policy. Of course, I was marching for gerontology.

The weather was not ideal, but the mood among the assembled lovers of science was ebullient. The unapologetic pride emanating from the crowd was uplifting and affirming. While attending GSA meetings has accustomed me to being surrounding by scholars from dozens of disciplines, the March for Science took this experience to a new level. The creativity of these “outside the box” thinkers was on full display in the signs they carried. For a sampling, check out the official Facebook page.

While the DC event had a clear political leaning, I was struck by one of the crowd chants heard throughout the day:

“What do we want?”

“Evidence-based policy.”

“When do we want it?”

“After peer review.”

Even when advocating for research funding, marchers reinforced their commitment to advancing only the best peer-reviewed science. No shortcuts or exceptions.

If you participated in the DC march, or one of the 610 satellite marches happening across the U.S. and around the globe, please let me know and send me a photo, or you can include a link in the comments section below.