Category Archives: Internship

Internship

How to mentor undergraduates as a postgraduate, and why it’s important

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Spending more time mentoring undergraduates as a postgrad is good for everyone, says Jenn Summers.

To-do lists work for some, but a more holistic approach to researcher development may bring larger rewards.{credit}By FOTO:Fortepan — ID 2278: Adományozó/Donor: Unknown. [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons{/credit}

There’s a difference between mentoring and doling out to-do lists. This is something I’ve learned over the past year, my first as a mentor. Mentoring undergrads became part of my job only recently – in the past, research came first. Most advisors value research outcomes over mentoring, and departments certainly place more value on publications. Before this past year, I was used to just a single undergrad working in my lab, and I thought of them as worker bees, not as future colleagues.

Put simply: I did not think about teaching in the lab.

Now, after guidance from recent research on mentoring, I realize that if graduate students like myself were more invested in mentoring, there would be many more small-but-important teaching opportunities.

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Rozanna Meijboom on MRC/NIH partnerships in brain imaging research

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rozannaRozanna Meijboom is one of three early career scientists to receive a new UK Medical Research Council (MRC) award to partner labs undertaking similar research at the US National Institutes of Health.

She talks about her forthcoming trip to the US, where she will spend time with the team led by neurologist and neuroradiologist Daniel Reich.

Applications for  the  2018/19 neurodegeneration awards are are now open. The closing date is 5 April 2018.

The awards, which are funded by the UK Department of  Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), also involves participation in a symposium at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Human Pipettes: Scientific training and education in biomedical research

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David Rubenson and Paul Salvaterra share their thoughts on a damaged and damaging research system

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.

A simple case of youthful hesitancy and opaque presentations requiring years of experience to comprehend? But did individual Principal Investigators (PIs) meet with conference planners before advising their students to attend? Did conference planners consider the likely audience and ask speakers to modify their talks? And did faculty members attend the related trainee poster session?

 

Are junior scientists little more than human pipettes?

Are junior scientists little more than human pipettes?{credit}Paper Boat Creative/Getty{/credit}

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An overseas research intern’s journey in Japan

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My overseas internship experience significantly increased my knowledge of research culture and lifestyles in foreign countries.

Guest contributor Andy Tay

Previously, I shared my thoughts on the usefulness of an overseas working experience to establish networks with international experts, and to develop cultural awareness — both of critical importance in a researcher’s career. This year, I decided to head to Japan, Tokyo to work on stem cells as a summer intern at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI).

If you’re thinking of an overseas internship, especially in Japan, my hope is that this will be of help to you.

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Andy in his new lab

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Away from home: ‘Research not Nobel-driven’

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We’re bringing you the best stories in lab mobility from Nature India.

Today’s blog comes from Arghya Basu, who wears many hats — that of a membrane protein researcher, an amateur photographer and a weekend hiking enthusiast. A doctorate from Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India, Arghya now lives his many passions working at the University of Alberta, Canada and says research might not always fetch you a Nobel but should be able to make life better for some.

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Dad, my first science teacher

My father was my first science teacher. A banker by profession, he had an extraordinary skill to explain the world and all conceivable worldly acts in terms of science. I remember, as a kid I used to look forward to those hours when my father would come back from office and open my science books, be it the physical sciences or life sciences. The next few hours used to be magical. I always wanted to touch that magic. So, it was a no-brainer for me to choose science and scientific research as my future career quite early in my life. Continue reading →

Away from home: Getting the right exposure

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We’re bringing you the latest stories in lab mobility from Nature India.

Today we hear from Anil Shukla, a PhD from the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Guwahati, who chose to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the National cancer Institute in USA to be able to get a world view of cancer research. Though he loves his work environment and research standards, he misses the warmth of Indian friendships and human relationships.

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Tips to identify the perfect employer

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Knowing yourself, what you want and what motivates you should be the foundation of your job hunt, says Ulrike Träger.

Finding the right job and organization to work in after your PhD can be a daunting task. Coming from an academic setting, researchers tend to struggle to identify skill sets needed for a change in their career paths, asking questions like ‘what skills should a medical writer have?’ Job titles sometimes explain little about the actual work responsibilities—did you know, for example, that an ‘Innovation Facilitator’ communicates science and sets up links between academia and industry, to help speed up drug development or begin business opportunities?

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Commercial break

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Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Most researchers pursue their career because they not only love science but because they want to have an impact on the world – to help cure cancer, build a better dam, discover new planets, ease hunger. But those findings have to get from the lab to the market before they can become useful.

Ideas-naturejobs-blog

{credit}Topp_Yimgrimm/ThinkStock{/credit}

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Bonding in Boston: The importance of networking in science

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Naturejobs journalism competition winner Ashish Nair finds new hope at our Boston career expo.

A long time ago in a land galaxy far far away, there was a great gathering where those weary of the well-trodden trail of tenureships and grants repaired themselves. The gathering in question was the Naturejobs career expo, a free one-day event organized for students and scientists alike. Featuring some truly inspiring speakers, it gave a much-needed boost to my hope for a career in science that can be both emotionally and financially (yes, $$$) satisfying.

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On the move

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Moving lab is a challenge. Moving country is an undertaking of vast proportions that often requires months of logistical planning for everything from finagling visas and finalizing funding to transporting delicate cultures and mastering a new language.20151126_132257-edit

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