Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist is a new documentary film that reveals a rare and fascinating view of the world of laboratory science. Featuring a group of eager students, mentored by Dr. Larry Shapiro, the film follows them along a challenging and uncertain journey toward their PhD degrees. As the story unfolds, the interdependent mentor-student relationship reveals the human face of scientific research.

The film, produced and directed by P&S alumnus Dr. Richard Rifkind and Carole Rifkind, was shot over three years’ time at Columbia University Medical Center and also documents how x-ray crystallography enables the discovery of the molecular structure of the AMPK protein, considered prime for targeted drug development because of its relevance to diabetes and obesity.