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Boston Career Expo journalist competition winner: Scott Chimileski

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{credit}Roberto Fernández Crespo {/credit}

Scott Chimileski is a PhD candidate in Genetics at the University of Connecticut. Scott studies biofilms, extracellular DNA, and gene transfer in extremophilic archaea. He is interested in all forms of interaction between microbes and promotes the field of social microbiology on his blog, Animalcule. He is passionate about photography and the connection between art and science. In the summer, Scott likes to backpack through remote wilderness with his sister Lindsay and brothers Andrew and Brock.

You are given a million dollars to launch your favourite scientific business idea. What is it, and what would you do with the money?

Imagine, an army of microbes, all on your side!

Do you brush your teeth after breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Floss? Mouthwash? The fact is, no matter how good your habits are, there are around six billion microorganisms living in your mouth, including hundreds of different species of bacteria and some archaea. These tiny but powerful cells stick together in communities called biofilms. Very few of them are harmful, after all they’ve been with us as long as we’ve been human. It’s not just your mouth, the entire Earth is managed by microbes.

Six-Billion Gum embraces the microbial community. Our approach is built upon cutting edge science from the Human Microbiome Project, but our motto is age-old: “if you can’t beat them, join them!” Six-Billion Gum is infused with prebiotic and probiotic factors designed not to kill all bacteria, but to enlist groups of microbes found in healthy mouths to fight against the bad guys–the ones that cause cavities or give you bad breath. Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo journalist competition winner: Lynn Kimlicka

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LynnLynn Kimlicka is a recent graduate of University of British Columbia with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She engages broad audience in her blog Something About Science, where she hones her skills as a writer, while making science more accessible. She is also an enthusiastic multi-hobbyist, who enjoys photography, illustration, and music. 

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

I was alone in a lounge, browsing through Naturejobs and brooding over my life-after-the-PhD, which basically boiled down to one word: Where?

That’s when, quite unexpectedly, a little penguin waddled through the door, clad in toy-sized, flower-print shirt and flip-flops, topped with a cheerful sombrero to finish off his look.

“¡Hola! Kia ora, mate! That’s Spanish and Maori.” The small creature continued his monologue in my stunned silence. “Yep, I’m a Kiwi – and a Blue Penguin[*].” With his flippers, he pointed at his gray-blue plumage.

“What?” I finally managed. Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition winner: Saheli Sadanand

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{credit}Lesley Pasman {/credit}

Saheli Sadanand recently defended her Ph.D. in the Department of Immunobiology at Yale University. She has written extensively for both scientific and non-scientific audiences on everything from the necessity of vaccines to the value of science education. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling, reading history books (both factual and fictional), eating chocolate chip cookies and trying to convince everyone around her that dinosaurs were the greatest animals of all time. She recommends following the escapee penguin’s lead and checking out Buenos Aires if you get a chance. 

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

I sat alone, with a cup of half-drunk tea, a chocolate chip cookie and a notepad next to me. I stared at the top of the notepad. I had written “The Future” in big capital letters and underlined the words a few times, hoping that this would help me figure out what I should do as I stared at the list of options below. The notepad was chockfull of information but instead of feeling decisive as I stared at “THE FUTURE,” I was just tired. The present wasn’t great, but the future seemed increasingly scary. What if everything went wrong again? Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition winner: Aliyah Weinstein

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Aliyah Weinstein

{credit}Abigail Murray{/credit}

Aliyah Weinstein is an alumna of Rutgers University and is currently a first-year PhD student in immunology at the University of Pittsburgh.  Her scientific interests include cancer immunology and immunotherapy. Outside of science, she speaks French, volunteers with a Pittsburgh-based youth writing initiative, and enjoys baking.  She writes about life as a grad student on her blog, Isn’t That Grad! 

You are invited to travel back in time and ask anyone a question. Who would it be and why?

Grandpa, what was it like to be in the war? The second-to-last week of March, 2007, was when the question first crossed my mind.

I was sixteen then, a junior in high school, studying twentieth century U.S. history. We’d started learning about the 1950s, and were assigned a project on the Vietnam War. Any information I would need would be available either in our textbook or on the Internet, but I thought it would be neat to get some first-hand information to include in my report as well. Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo journalist competition runner-up: David Yang

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YangDavid Yang is a recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelors of Science, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering.  He will be applying to medical schools this summer where he intends to focus on mental health and medical engineering.  He is interested in using his writing to reexamine his interests and keep a record of his reflections on mental health activism.

What advice would you give to a friend who is having trouble dealing with a devil-in-disguise boss

She called me two days ago, complaining about her PI. “I watched as he congratulated my lab partner on the work that I did! He won’t listen to me anymore when they tell him that I was the one who put in the hours and the work. Dave [the boss] never answers emails and has been postponing our biweekly meeting for months.” One year into the PhD project and Kate was done. She had an amazing job but a terrible boss, and she didn’t know what to do.

I suppose that’s why she called me. I have a habit of micromanaging my life and weighing up the pros and cons of decisions, it’s just how I work. As this was the first time anyone had asked me for advice on a topic like this, I approached it as I would approach anything: pick up a pen and weigh the situation. Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition runner-up: William Kenkel

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{credit}Pat Lothien {/credit}

Will Kenkel received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research has focused on the neuropeptide oxytocin and its roles in social behavior and development. In Chicago, Will was a performer at various improv theatres and founding member of the Nerdologues, who combine high reference comedy with heartfelt personal monologues.

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does she say and why is he here?

My eyes were all over her the minute she walked through that door.  As she waddled over to the bar, I could just barely make out a pair of ebony eyes from under her sombrero that looked right through me.

“Buy me a drink,” she squawked.

I obliged, telling the barkeep to mix up a canelazo. She seemed pleased with the selection.

“Are you a mind reader?” she asked as she took her first sip.

“Not quite,” I replied, “I just imagined a Galapagos Penguin would appreciate a taste of home.”

“What gave me away?”

I took a swig of my dark-and-stormy, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say the hat, but the flippers helped.” Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition runner-up: Casey Doucette

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Casey

{credit}Victoria DeMambro{/credit}

Casey Doucette is a PhD candidate at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. She studies bone biology and chronicles her time in graduate school on her blog, Bonehead Adventures. In her spare time she enjoys playing dodgeball, obstacle course racing, and gardening.

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

Penguin Paradox

A 4-foot penguin just walked through the door wearing a sombrero, which is unsurprising considering that I have only had 3 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. I begin to wonder if I’m hallucinating; perhaps the combination of sleep deprivation and caffeine overload has finally taken its toll.

My new companion warns me to get some rest before I destroy the experiments I’ve been working on for the past two days, but I can’t say that I fully trust his advice, seeing as he’s a talking penguin. Maybe he’s a figment of my imagination; an attempt by my subconscious to convince me that this “one last piece” of data for the abstract won’t make the difference between a poster and an oral presentation.

I start to daydream about the scientific breakthrough that must be behind a talking penguin, only to realise that I’ve lost my place on the 96-well plate I’ve been staring at for the past five minutes. The maze of columns and rows has melted into one giant black hole of reagents and samples. Luckily, my compulsive nature means that my tip box has been keeping track of my progress while I’ve been zoning out. The soothing classical music that’s been playing for the past few hours isn’t helping in this fight for focus, so I switch to something more upbeat.

Since lyrics are distracting, dubstep is essentially the only other option. The synthesised sounds blend together to form an energising mix of futuristic notes and fast-paced beats, and I’m motivated once again. After a flurry of pipetting, the plate is finished and it’s time for incubation; I look up to find that apparently this talking penguin is also a talented dancer. His robotic dance moves are hypnotic, and I find myself staring off into space once again, wondering how I could go about creating talking rodents.

I’m yanked back to reality by the sound of a timer going off, only to realise that I’ve fallen asleep at the bench. My penguin friend has disappeared and I’m relieved to find that this was all just a dream. I decide that I should go home and rest, so I pack up my things and close up shop, barely noticing the sombrero hanging from the door handle as I leave.

Find out more about the conference delegates, exhibitors and workshop sessions at the Naturejobs Career Expo in Boston here, and you can follow the action on Twitter using the #NJCEBoston hashtag.

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition runner-up: Tracy Wang

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TraceyTracy Wang is a recent graduate of McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts and Science, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and also gaining a double minor in English Literature and Economics. She will be starting a Masters of Public Policy at the University of Toronto in the fall where she intends to focus on health policy.  She is passionate about using her writing to bridge the divide between arts and science and is currently working on several projects, including a short story collection.

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

As I gently load my sample into the transmission electron microscope, I am hoping that this will be the last time I ever have to use this frustrating machine. The vacuum hisses, signalling that the scope is ready to use, a fitting reminder of how soulless this room is. With the lights off, I am drowning in darkness until the scope recognises the sample and my monitors turn on. I used to love using the scope and the excitement of seeing subcellular components in such fine detail, but getting all the data to complete my thesis has been a taxing process. I just want it to be over.

I slip into scanning mode and look for a cell to image, but a voice interrupts my search.

“What’s that?”

I turn to see a stuffed toy penguin wearing a sombrero, pointing his flipper at my computer screen. “That, there, what is it?”

While I am reluctant to acknowledge the impossibility of a talking toy penguin, I decide that conversation might make my work less banal. “That’s a cell.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, cells are the basic unit of life. All living things are made of cells.” Continue reading →

Boston Career Expo Journalist competition runner-up: Marta Wegorzewska

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{credit}Bill Everding{/credit}

Marta Wegorzewska recently received her PhD in Immunology from the University of California, San Francisco. She is passionate about science communication and educates women about pregnancy on her blog, StorkPhD. She is originally from New York City and enjoys running half marathons and spending weekends exploring the outdoors with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

The Penguin of Reason

I rub my bloodshot eye as I sip the coffee that fuels my addiction. The sun rises as I read through my thesis for final edits. Suddenly, a penguin walks through the door of my room wearing a sombrero. He says, “Marta, pack your bags. You are going to Boston.” In my sleep-deprived stupor, I obey his order.

The penguin traveled to San Francisco to inform me that I am one of the five budding science communicators chosen to be a journalist for the Naturejobs Career Expo. I am going to Boston to be a journalist. I wanted to scream it for everyone to hear. I grab my freshly pressed suit and MacBook Air, and I follow the penguin out the door of my apartment for Boston.

As the cab makes its way to the airport, a moment of silence invites feelings of self-doubt. The reality of my task in Boston starts to settle in. Suddenly, my excitement is overcome by a fear of failure. What if I don’t meet expectations? What will people think when they find out I am a scientist and not a journalist? Am I capable of doing this? Continue reading →