Career Paths

Clement
Weinberger

Do scientists really need social networks?

The short answer is “yes.” Of course they do. But the best networks would probably not be Facebook clones. Why not? Well, because Facebook helps people find people. Scientists need networks that help people find information. The label “Scientists” is a very big one and includes a lot of ...


Wenny
Lin

Spinning a good story with all the facts

My PhD advisor was a creative and engaging storyteller. Negative results in our vaccine experiments were interpreted as “damaging to the immune system” or “dangerous in the clinic.” Positive observations meant that an experimental vaccine “worked like a charm” or “could save countl...


Wenny
Lin

Five pros for doing a post-doc in the government

I have often been asked, “Why would you want to do a postdoc in the government?”  Now that I have been a postdoc for about a year at the National Institutes of Health, I have come up with a list of reasons for doing a postdoc in the government.


Clement
Weinberger

Got journals? How to pick ‘em.

At some point in your publication planning, you will have to choose the journals where you will submit your articles. Finding the right journal is important because if your article isn’t published in a timely fashion, say within a year or two of a congress presentation, no one will know about i...


Marielena
Mata

The Top Ten Things I Hate About My Job

In reading my blogs, I notice that I have written about all the wonderful things I do, the great people I work with and the absolute satisfaction my profession brings into my life.  Yet, even I, little Miss Positivity, have my dark days and I’ve decided to put lay it all out in the open....


Randall
Ribaudo

“Cost of Hubble Telescope Replacement is Astronomical”

NASA:  “We're better rocket scientists than accountants” Think you could use that excuse as a scientist working on a project in a biotech or pharmaceutical company?  The above titled AP story that appeared on the web last week discusses the significant cost overruns NASA is experiencing i...


Clement
Weinberger

On social networks (yet)?

… or not on them? In fact, all of us are members of social networks. We have circles of friends and acquaintances, and we interact with professional colleagues and associates every day. That's true whether you are a basic or medical researcher, a physician or other healthcare provider, medical wri...


Ex Lab
Junkie

The Kitchen Wars - At Work

As I write this, dishes are piled high in the sink, almost falling on the floor, but I refuse to clean up the mess. I am mad enough to spit… yes, spit! Lazy husband? No. Distracted kids? No. Dysfunctional work-place family? In the wise words of Samuel L. Jackson — “Oh, hell yeah!” At w...


Wenny
Lin

Competitive funding opportunities as a post-doc at NCI

In grad school, I thought that writing grants was essential only in an academic career. Having read many job announcements since graduation, I’ve realized that the ability to write fundable grant applications is a skill coveted not just in academics, but also in non-profit organizations, profe...


Todd
Pihl

Insanity

  Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein   Excuse me, but I feel the need to do a touch of ranting.  Over the last month, I've been spending a fair amount of time with postdocs who are out trying to navigate the...