Academia

Dr. Sonal
Malhotra

Career Objectives: The importance of Stage of life and other parameters in making a career choice.

I am a 55 year old scientist and teacher. Presently I am serving as an online faculty for an Educational Institute. I design courses for their MPH program. This article outlines my struggles in the USA and how that time and my present have shaped my career choice. Career choices are impacted by our ...


Thomas
Magaldi

No Grandma, I am not that type of doctor: Never be ashamed of your PhD

Two weeks after I finished graduate school, my father-in-law introduced me to a friend by saying “I want you to meet my son-in-law. He just became a doctor.” While I forced a grin and politely accepted the ensuing congratulations, I instead wanted to clarify that I just received a PhD, and th...


Suzane
Ramos da Silva

The importance of lab meetings

Since I was an undergrad, lab meetings have been part of my scientific development. Although some people don’t like lab meetings, I think it is a great opportunity to brainstorm, keep up with your experiments and most importantly, it is a great way to organize your data. Different labs have ...


Clement
Weinberger

Fifty ways to leave your lover

This doesn’t sound much like the title of a career path blog, does it? You most likely know it as the title of a song by Paul Simon, but while it may resonate with a lot of people, what specific relevance could it have to science PhDs and postdocs? Well, it does make sense if your first love...


Dave
Galgoczy

Beyond the academic herd: how to pursue opportunity

Years ago, during my grad school interviews, the late Seymour Benzer told me that I would be forced to decide in grad school whether I would “run with the herd,” or instead become one of the few scientists who would be comfortable operating more independently. That succinct statement encompas...


Shomita Mathew

The value of a good mentor

I like this quote that I read written by Rene Olstead - “I encourage all of you to seek out teachers and mentors that challenge you to think for yourself and guide you to find your own voice.” My long journey on the path of academia has been peppered with numerous mentors many of whom have be...


Lauren
Celano

Building skills for career success while in academia

The topic of career planning is something that I discuss with almost everyone I speak with, regardless of whether they are a graduate student or industry professional.  I emphasize that regardless of where someone is in their career, steps can be taken to develop the hard (e.g. techniques) and soft...


Donna
Kridelbaugh

#SCICOMM TIP: NEVER CLAIM TO BE THE FIRST TO DO ANYTHING IN SCIENCE

You see it all the time—in a popular news article about a groundbreaking research study to even the primary literature—that so-and-so researcher is the “first” to make some brand new discovery.This claim makes me cringe every time I see it. Why? Well to be honest, it’s highly unlikely to b...


Jane
Yang

Ready for a major career change? You’re not alone – part one

I am new to Bio Careers Blog.  Excited as I am as a first-timer, I will set a rule for my blog: I do not intend to give out specific action items or tips to fellow job seekers. You see, I am one of you.  After many years of academic research, I am ready for a major career change.  It seems lik...


Clement
Weinberger

The future may be more in the benefits (Discussion) than the features (Methods/Results)

PhD students, and a majority of PhDs in science, spend many hours at the bench doing research designed to obtain results that will either confirm or reject a hypothesis. They write, defend and revise a thesis. Along the way, and as soon and as often as possible afterward, they publish the resul...