Open Science Success Stories: Dr Afshin Beheshti and Dr Chris Mason

Welcome to our “Open Science Success Stories”. These narratives showcase insights shared by Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) users and underscore the significance of raising public awareness about the availability of these data. This endeavor is vital in creating diverse opportunities for individuals to engage in scientific research, including the option to become part of the AWG community regardless of age or career level.

Dr Afshin Beheshti and Dr Chris Mason share their experiences with the Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) and the Analysis Working Groups (AWGs), as well as provide insights to their roles during the early days of the repository. Together, these two researchers help us realize the value of data availability to the public – both worldwide and through all career levels from high school to senior professional.

This Success Story interview celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) Nature press package led by Dr Mason and Dr Beheshti, released on June 11, 2024. This collaboration involved contributions from over one hundred institutions representing over twenty-five countries who worked together to release 45 publications in Nature Press across ten Nature journals. Together, topics included omics analyses, drugs and pharmacological studies, epigenetics, mitochondria, organs, and the full body system.

Could OSDR and AWGs support your research journey? Let Dr Beheshti and Dr Mason show you how open science has applications that reach from the lab to the vast space beyond what we know. After all, as Dr Beheshti states: “Everything you do applies to space”.

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