‘And Now for Your Entertainment . . . ’

WASHINGTON—Those were not your ordinary pop bands playing away at the DC Science Writers Association’s annual holiday bash at the National Academy of Sciences building.

The opening act billed itself as “The Directors.” And, indeed, they were, and all from the National Institutes of Health: Richard D. Klausner, MD, of the National Cancer Institute; Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, of the National Human Genome Research Institute; and Stephen I. Katz, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

The evening also featured “Wild Type,” a musical ensemble of medical researchers from Johns Hopkins University, led by Bert Vogelstein, MD, professor of oncology. Both bands received a warm reception, but there was general agreement with one guest who suggested to one of the medicomusicians: “Don’t give up your day job.”