As in most places of employment, the break room in Creighton University’s School of Medicine, Department of Clinical and Translational Science (CTS), is a haven from workaday stresses, a place to unwind, have a snack or a meal, and socialize with colleagues.

In the CTS break room at Creighton, you can do all that in about a dozen languages or cuisines.

“Lunch in our break room is a little like a mini U.N.,” said Sannette Hall, a doctoral student in CTS from Jamaica studying asthma and allergy. She is one of nearly 30 students or post-doctoral researchers in the department from 15 different countries.

“We take a little time to not talk science. With the kind of diversity we have, it’s a great way to interact in this global village and to realize that even though we might not be talking about science in that moment, we are getting great ideas about our scientific thinking from all around the world.”

As a scientific program, CTS relies on a global approach to research and pathology in the interest of searching out the best ideas that can then be applied to clinical settings.