Advice for Scientists

Marielena
Mata

Letter to Andre

Just a few weeks ago, my little brother defended his Ph.D. thesis (OK, so he is not so little and technically he is not my brother).  I wanted to write him a note with some words of wisdom, but decided to actually share that letter with all of you, who perhaps might find value in the learnings ...


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....


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...


Tony
Fox

Fear Is Funny

Fear is funny because it makes people do strange things.  It is strange to not pursue one’s ultimate goal in life.  It is odd to spend one’s time performing a job that yields no satisfaction.  Only a funny thing such as fear could result in such absurdity.  The most ironic as...


Todd
Pihl

Communications is more than just talk

“The flight will be delayed while several of the seats on the plane are replaced. Believe me, we REALLY want this to happen.” It is highly likely that this is about the last thing you want to hear when you are waiting to board a plane. Of course you also might think this is about the last thi...


Tony
Fox

Top Ten Activities to Pursue During Unemployment

For those searching for a job within the current market, it is all too easy to feel the ache of hopelessness.  This does not need to be the case because hope is something that can never be taken away from a person.  A negative outlook by the masses can be quite contagious.  The great ...


Marielena
Mata

The juggling act of work/life balance

This week I found a great article on work/life balance that actually aligns very well with my philosophy in this area (The 10 secrets of one Unflappable mother).  Most people will tell you that to have balance, you must set clear limits between your work and your personal life, yet I belie...


Tony
Fox

Just Do It

Nike did indeed precede me in establishing the title phrase of this blog.  However, it is a statement that we should remind ourselves to obey.  Several ideas and goals have been known to come and go simply because they are not pursued.  What exactly does a person have to lose when ...


Randall
Ribaudo

Business for Dummies

There was an article in the December 22, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal entitled “Doctors Seek Aid from Business Schools.” It spoke to the emerging realization by some medical doctors of the importance of getting business/management training in order to run a successful medical practi...


Virginie
Adam

A win-win situation

One of the things I like doing in my job is talking with the more junior students. In my current lab, we host 6-8 high school and undergraduate students each summer. They all get their own mini-project to work on for the two months, and we also organize a series of seminars during the course of the ...