Academia

Kate
Sleeth

The Importance of Transparency

Recently there have been a number of articles in high impact journals discussing the ethics of researching and publishing on deadly viruses (for a synopsis https://www.nature.com/news/specials/mutantflu/index.html?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20120124).  I am talking about the two independent research groups ...


Clement
Weinberger

Just where do you think you’re going?

We’ve all heard that question before. Even if one just answers “out,” not wanting to get into the details, it’s good to have a destination in mind. Some of you will have guessed that this is really a metaphor for life after grad school. Want another one? I saw a cartoon in the New Yorker mag...


Christine
Crumbley

Questions for the Interview

In my last post, I shared the advice that I had received as I prepared to head to my first batch of postdoctoral position interviews. I did practice my interview seminar. I packed 4 sets of nearly identical outfits to ensure a professional look – all black for the shirt, pants, and shoes with a co...


Wenny
Lin

Emergency child/dependent care – benefits for everyone

Recently, I consoled a fellow postdoc during her latest crisis. Her problem was not that her PCR primers didn’t work or that her paper just got rejected for the 5th time. No, her problem was that she was a single mother of two adorable girls, and one of them was sick with a fever. Therefore, baby ...


Kate
Sleeth

The Satisfaction of Planning

I have had the pleasure of planning numerous events, initially as the social chair of the postdoctoral association (PDA) at my research institute, and now as the chair/president of the PDA.  That is correct, I said pleasure!  When people at my institution or other organizations comment on ...


Christine
Crumbley

Starting The Interview Process

I had a previous post about the hunt for a postdoctoral position and the advice that I had received. I have emailed many different professors since that post. They are all generally involved in GPCR research. I think that combining my nuclear receptor experience with GPCR experience will make me mor...


Sayali
Kale

Blogging is in my blood

‘Blogosphere’. The place where an opinion, however obscure reaches an audience of millions ,heard, uncensored and in its true form . 


Kate
Sleeth

An Effective Postdoc

Everyone knows that while you are a graduate student you are in a training program.  I think that people tend to forget that a postdoctoral position is also supposed to be a training position.  Often people use this to branch into new research areas, or expand their technical skills.  ...


Richard
Gardner

The business of academic science

One of the most overlooked aspects of academic science by graduate students and postdocs is the actual cost of conducting science in an academic lab. Before we take a look at what an average molecular biology lab costs to run, it is first best to frame the discussion in terms of running a small busi...


Christine
Crumbley

2011: The Year of Scandals and Retractions

I read the news online daily and follow several science news organizations on Twitter. I’ve really enjoyed Nature News & Comments’ focus on retractions this year. I’ve learned a lot about the causes for retractions and the frequency of such events. An article with some really informative g...