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Asked by wynd532skua66 on 27 Feb 2026.
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Emma Bull answered on 27 Feb 2026:
Hi, really good question.
In my opinion, any and all disease research is really important and rewarding. Knowing that my work might change the lives of patients one day is really really motivating and is the reason I want to go to work each morning. The children facing the type of cancer I work on still get treated with medicines that were first used in the 1980s or earlier, and these are really harsh medicines with lots of side effects. It means that although the medicines are treating the cancer, they are also having negative effects on the patients’ hearts and other organs. My work hopes to find gentler, more effective, more specific treatments for these patients.
But, that being said, all scientific research is important! We need to research plant biology to look after our planet and to make sure we can cultivate crops and building materials in the most efficient and sustainable way. We need research into energy production (which I think falls under physics and engineering) to make sure we produce enough energy for our needs in a clean and sustainable way. Research that helps make new technologies drives our world forward.
I listened to a talk by someone a few years ago whos research was based on ants and how they form their colonies, and then this data was used to help us design cities. I would never have linked those two things together myself!
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Santosh Mahabala answered on 27 Feb 2026:
Inn my opinion, every research is equally important and good, either it is curiosity-driven research or problem-solving (applied) research. Curiosity-driven research generates the information that can be applied to solve problems.
For example, the current generation mRNA vaccines are backed by the information obtained through the curiosity-driven molecular genetics research on nucleic acids and their metabolism.
So, to me every research is the best. -
Joanna Bagniewska answered on 27 Feb 2026:
I love doing research outdoors and seeing species I haven’t seen before – mainly because I’m a sucker for new experiences and an animal nerd.
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Thomas Woolley answered on 2 Mar 2026:
The best kind is driven by curiosity. It doesn’t matter what field you’re working in, if you don’t know the answer you can bet that others don’t either. First, go look in the literature, because the answer may have already been generated. If not then you’ve found a perfect niche to do some research, the answer is unknown and you’re motivated to find it.
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Erin Jarvis answered on 3 Mar 2026:
Hi! This is a great and really interesting question.
In my opinion, the best kind of scientific research is the one you’re most interested in. That’s how you become a great researcher – by choosing something you find really cool and enjoy doing. All research types have their role to play too: food scientists do amazing work to keep our food safe, water scientists test all the water we drink and in our lakes and rivers and make sure it’s healthy, physicists and engineers test lots of moving things (like cars or planes) and help to keep everyone safe, and to save the planet by using better energy sources. It’s all really important stuff!
My favourite type is virus research, though. That’s what I do. We’ve seen how bad viruses can be and how much harm they can do to people: making people very sick, and causing lockdowns and things like schools and restaurants to close. That has huge impacts on people across the whole planet, and I love playing a really small part in making that better for everyone.
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Bolaji Thanni answered on 3 Mar 2026:
In my opinion all arm of research are important and none is above another.
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