Archive by tag | science

How product management could be a route out of academia for PhDs and postdocs

Posted by Jack Leeming | Categories: , , , , , ,

How product management could be a route out of academia for PhDs and postdocs

Let’s face it. Job prospects for PhD candidates and postdoctoral scientists are dismal. In 2012, a study on the biomedical research workforce, conducted by the National Institutes of Health and pictorialized by the American Society for Cell Biology, showed that there is a significant number of biology PhDs in the US who have resorted to doing non-science jobs. Those who stay in science face financial penalties: one 2017 Nature Biotechnology study  demonstrated postdocs, on average, forfeit 20% of their earning potential within the first 15 years of completing their PhD program.  Read more

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Communication: talk to peers and the general public

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Communication: talk to peers and the general public

As scientists, our work is often driven by data collection and results. But a key step in the scientific process, and one that increases the value of our findings, is the effective communication of our investigative processes and results. Science communication is not only important within our fields for the advancement of our disciplines – communication to other audiences also influences the public perception and credibility of scientists and the work we do.  Read more

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Different “Me”s open up a new world on a personal and scientific level

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Different “Me”s open up a new world on a personal and scientific level

A light grey room is filled with 23 grey desks, scattered in pens and books. In one corner sits a refrigerator packed with snacks. Next to it is a rice cooker. The walls are covered in pictures of fun lab memories. Amidst the clutter, some students joke and laugh; chat with a professor about their experimental procedures; analyze data on their laptops and unconsciously wrinkle their brows.  Read more

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How to fix your separation anxiety

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How to fix your separation anxiety

I write this as I wait outside my toddler’s summer preschool. It’s the same routine every day — I drop her, she wails, I leave. Later, the teacher reassures me that she’s completely fine as soon as I’m gone.  Read more

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Social media as a scientist: a very quick guide

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Social media as a scientist: a very quick guide

This condensed social media guide for scientists provides key facts about how researchers report using social media and concrete examples of how you can use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to network, exchange scientific ideas, or advance a career. This is an all ages guide designed for scientists at any career stage.  Read more

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Human Pipettes: Scientific training and education in biomedical research

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Are junior scientists little more than human pipettes?

A recent cancer research symposium displayed a familiar asymmetry. 90% of the attendees were PhD students or postdocs sitting obsequiously in the rear and asking 10% of the questions. 10% of the attendees were front-sitting faculty providing 90% of the inquiries.  Read more

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To improve reproducibility, listen to graduate students and postdocs

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To improve reproducibility, listen to graduate students and postdocs

Funding agencies should not penalize poor performers; instead they should reward good mentorship, says Ahmed Alkhateeb  … Read more

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An overseas research intern’s journey in Japan

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An overseas research intern’s journey in Japan

Guest contributor Andy Tay  … Read more

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Diving into graduate programmes

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Karla Terazzas

Since childhood, Karla Terrazas has wanted to be a teacher. While an undergraduate at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), she tutored students in maths. “I like maths, and I enjoyed helping them like it, too,” she says. During her senior year at UTSA, when she was an undergraduate summer intern in the lab of developmental biologist Marianne Bronner, PhD, at Caltech in Pasadena, California, Terrazas became intrigued with experimental science.  Read more

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