In the corner of Loren Looger’s office, a jumble of colored leather and shoelaces lies in a heap: black and red soccer cleats for games on the nearby field; a pair of sleek, red soccer shoes for when the weather forces games indoors; high-top basketball shoes; bright-green running shoes; and some weathered Tevas for mucking around in the creek. Glancing at the pile, Looger says he’s had to trim back his activities since coming to the Janelia Farm Research Campus six years ago.

Cutting back has been tough for a man who admits to being “interested in everything,” but he’s given up most of his hobbies to focus on his research program and, in off hours, indulge in silliness with his four-year-old son, Hampton. The kayak commute he envisioned when he moved to the riverside campus never had a chance.

Photo: Dustin Aksland