Rock Stars of Science

Last year, GQ magazine posted a photo spread of scientists posing with rock stars. This year, they’re doing it again! More scientists, different musicians, and a slightly more serious tone in the photos. The feature is co-presented by GQ and the Geoffrey Beene foundation to promote awareness about scientists, and put some names to research people may have read about.

Five of the seventeen scientists featured are musicians as well: Stephen Baylin and William Nelson play guitar, Frank Longo plays keyboard in a band,  Mehmet Oz plays piano, and Michael Weiner is a jazz musician.  But they’re not the only scientist/musicians in the feature. Hip-hop artist and record producer Jay Sean, surrounded by MDs in his GQ photo, was once a medical student himself. When he was halfway through med school in London, he got his first record deal, and dropped out to pursue music professionally. His pull-quote on the photo: “I’ll always be fascinated with science.”

Check GQ next week, or the Rock Stars of Science website to see which other musicians and scientists are featured in the Rock Stars of Science feature. (Or visit the Node, where I posted the complete list and gave some more details about the project.)