#CaltechTogether: Marta Murphy
“I remember how things changed very quickly those first days of the pandemic. I first noticed that something weird was happening when a grad student alerted everyone to growing COVID-19 infection rates worldwide, and as the lab started to worry, so did I. Then we started receiving meeting cancellations, and I knew the scientific community was on high alert. I’ve been working from home since March 16, 2020. A typical workday will vary but includes organizing and keeping the lab informed of various meetings while also assisting a faculty member who works at an extremely fast pace. There is always lots to do with 25-plus lab members and a PI invited to speak around the world (although virtually for now). What has helped most through the transition has been our incredible support staff. We respect one another and understand no one person can do everything. We realized early on that it was crucial that we stay connected via email, text, Zoom, Slack, our lab website, and, of course, our lab Box account. I especially like using text messaging with our grad students and technicians, allowing for a more personal connection. I truly miss our unique lab interactions along with many activities from pre-pandemic life such as our lab parties, afternoon snack hours, and impromptu lunches. Interestingly, the lab continues to thrive. Professor Björkman has worked on infectious diseases for a while now—on HIV, influenza, and Zika—so pivoting to COVID research was pretty seamless. The pandemic did not actually change my role as an admin but instead, through Zoom, made it easier for me to attend lab meetings and gave me the opportunity to be useful in helping with figures [visual representations for scientific papers]. It has also helped me convey to friends and family the seriousness of the pandemic.”
Since 1998, Marta Murphy has been lab coordinator and administrative support in the lab of Pamela Björkman, David Baltimore Professor of Biology and Bioengineering. The lab is contributing to knowledge about the novel coronavirus through research on COVID-19 antibodies.
#CaltechTogether is a special series of #SoCaltech spotlighting the many ways members of our community are joining together to support one another and to take responsibility for our collective health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.