postdoc Archives - Hello PhD

189. Crafting an Unforgettable Job Talk w/ Dr. Andres De Los Reyes

February 28, 2023March 1, 2023 Daniel 1 Comment

Think about your favorite action movie that kept you on the edge your seat. Did it look certain that the hero would fall, only to emerge at the very last moment to save the day? Now picture a great movie trilogy or TV series. Did each episode introduce a dangerous cliffhanger at the end, enticing you to watch the next installment to see how the tension would resolve?

Those filmmakers know something about storytelling – crafting a narrative arc that brings the audience along for an exciting ride. Within just a few hours, they have to introduce you to the characters, invest you in their stories, and then take you along on a journey of conflict and resolution.

This week, we talk about how your scientific presentation or job talk can use those same storytelling tools to engage an academic audience, and maybe even land you a new job.

160. Mailbag – Finding A Postdoc Overseas, Lab Equipment at Home, et al!

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 Daniel Leave a comment

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You know it. You love it. It’s mailbag time! We answer real listener questions, plus a few questions no one is asking!

150. Rediscover Your Scientific Passion

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021 Daniel Leave a comment

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Nadia wanted to help patients. She had considered going to medical school, but found biomedical research to be an exciting opportunity to develop new knowledge and therapies.

After graduate school, she continued her training as a postdoc. She was on the faculty-track, making plans for her project and her next career advancement.

Then, COVID hit.

She was living and working in New York City as the largest pandemic in a century unfolded around her. She realized she had developed some skills over her years of training – PCR, data management, lab operations – that might make a difference in patient outcomes.

So she pressed pause on her postdoctoral work to start a clinical testing lab that now runs 60,000 COVID tests each week.

139. Back to School During a Pandemic

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Daniel Leave a comment

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In March 2020, the world shut down.

International borders were sealed. Businesses shuttered. Schools locked their doors and students were sent home to learn ‘remotely.’

At the same time, many universities and research labs also closed down for the summer of COVID-19. While a few labs remained open as essential research continued, many scientists froze down samples, trashed cell lines, and went home to spend some quality time with PubMed.

But now as summer wanes, the research labs are thawing out.

098: I’m in Grad School and I’m Pregnant! How to Have Kids AND a Career in Science

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 Daniel 1 Comment

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It’s no secret that graduate school and postdoctoral training are some of the most intellectually and emotionally challenging periods you will face in your career. Experiments fail, grant deadlines loom, and PIs push you to work long hours to publish or perish.

That’s why many trainees wait to start a family. Time is precious, and the idea of staying up all night to record your experimental time-points is daunting enough. Who has time to stay up all night calming a crying baby before rushing back to the lab?

Many students know they want to have kids ‘some day,’ and the six to ten-year grad-school-postdoc training period looms large. They just don’t want to wait that long to start a family.

But is it possible to have kids WHILE you’re in grad school?

We asked an expert!