I'm a professional Data Scientist with experience tangling with projects in genomics, epidemiology, EMR, public policy, education, and federal client space. I'm a certified Software Carpentry instructor who has a passion for fostering reproducible research practices in both academia and industry. (Not to brag, but I've been called a "git wizard".)
I am not interested in the python vs R civil war. Use what's best for the problem at hand. If you can't see the weaknesses in your preferred language, then you are in for a world of hurt.