Last week, a budding reporter and Conway Lab Manager, Victor Lei sat down with CBR’s Director Ed Conway and CBR Associate Director Ed Pryzdial to talk about the 9th annual Earl Davie Symposium.
Drs. Ed Pryzdial (left) and Ed Conway (right)
VL: What did you think of this year’s Earl Davie Symposium?
EC: It’s been a huge success. We have had the best lineup of expert speakers to date!
EP: The quality of the talks was excellent. It was one of the most high-powered and amazing group of speakers in the field.
VL: What were some of the highlights of the day for you?
EP: Braeden McDonald dazzled us all with color and insight that was fantastic. Also, it was heartwarming to see a 95-year old Nobel Prize winner, Eddy Fischer, asking a question after a presentation.
EC: Definitely the chance to spend time with our guest of honor, Earl Davie. He is a living legend and it’s always such a pleasure to talk with him. We are really lucky to have him just a couple of hours away in Seattle.
EP: Absolutely. Both Earl and Eddy are world class scholars and so gracious to spend the day with us. It is always encouraging and motivating to speak to them.
EC: Also, seeing students so engaged and being exposed to so many great, successful scientists is definitely a highlight. Just seeing clinicians and scientists connecting, discussing and brainstorming. This is a great opportunity to get people together, especially over wine and cheese!
VL: What are some things that people might not know about making the Earl Davie Symposium a success?
EC: Well, we had one speaker unfortunately fall ill only 4 days before being scheduled to speak. So, as you can imagine, it was quite a rush to find a replacement!
EP: It can be difficult getting experts to take time out of their hectic schedules to spend the day with us. Usually, they immediately agree as soon as they hear that Earl himself would be present in the audience!
VL: What are your thoughts about future Earl Davie Symposiums? What would you like to see?
EP: Definitely more of Eddy Fischer. His mind is such a fertile garden, he is incredibly creative. Once, we sat at a café together and compiled a list of reasons validating the existence of unicorns. We are in the process of publishing this work.
EC: Yes, we would love to see our fantastic VIPs again and for them to share their wisdom with us.
VL: Finally, if you could imagine yourself as a major component of the coagulation cascade, which one would you be?
EC: The C5 convertase…
EP: ….I can’t give you an answer, I’d be too biased!