"The primary aim of research must not be more facts and more facts, but more facts of strategic value." - Paul Alfred Weiss

Below are three principles that guide how I choose, design, and execute scientific projects.

Prioritize the Problem

Problem selection is arguably the most important and most neglected phase of any project (see Michael Fischbach's article on the Useful Literature page). What constitutes a good problem is partly a matter of taste but all share two essential features: broad significance and tractability.

Experiment with Purpose

Experiments should be designed to rapidly evolve the project. This means the central hypothesis should be incisively tested and iterated on from the outset. Surprises reveal flawed assumptions and point toward truth.

Seek Causes not Correlations

The only way to understand a biological system is to uncover the causal structure of its interacting components. This concept is particularly crucial when searching for new drug targets. Therapeutic interventions based on causal human biology are more predictable and effective.