Clik here to view.
We need to check our work: Rethinking replication and publishing
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny…” ― Isaac Asimov A popular theoretical framework in my field,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Journal: The Instrument that Shapes Science and Academia
Anna Gielas traces the history of the journal, and it’s essential role in research and scholarship. Image courtesy of Tom Blackwell, Flickr. By Anna Gielas No matter whether you study medicine or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Celebrating 10 years of Athena SWAN Charter advancing women in science
A scientist performs some tests in a beaker for AIDS research. Photo courtesy of World Bank Photo Collection. By Sara Carvalhal Gender inequality in science has been in the news lately, particularly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making Connections in Cell Biology: Recap of 2015 ASCB Annual Meeting and...
From December 12 – 16 veteran scientists and early career researchers (ECRs) alike flocked to the San Diego Convention Center to attend the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The ECR’s guide to managing anxiety and perfectionism in academia
The clock is ticking. Sitting in the basement of our library, I find myself glancing up and down my working outline for this article. Messy with arrows, circles, and cross-outs, the outline is just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Politics in academic publishing: past to present
“Academic publishers make Murdoch look like a socialist”. This is the title of a Guardian opinion piece from 2011– and it is hardly the strongest critique of the academic publishing industry. Academic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yikes! Your advisor is moving to another institution. Now what?
I thought it could never happen to me. I had been so careful, so strategic when choosing which graduate school to attend and which labs to join. But the bombshell came in my fourth year: my advisor...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Teaching Makes You Smarter
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. Mark van Doren Last fall, I taught for the Science Honors Program (SHP) at Columbia University. SHP is a highly selective Saturday...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Catch-22 in Minority Training: How to Maintain Balance
As an ECR, it is important to attend conferences and meetings in order to gain knowledge and build networks. Whether you attend a small, specialized conference or a huge international meeting, there is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Standing up for science – now more than ever
Science has never been an easy job, but in the tradition of great scientists, we should keep fighting for it. The current climate of uncertainty, oppression, and fear-mongering that extends far beyond...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Science is the name but collaboration is the game
The growing need for collaboration among young scientists is more essential now than ever before, with careers in research becoming more uncertain and perilous. In unfamiliar surroundings on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Funding Structure Offers Hope for Young U.S. Scientists
With all eyes on the current budget proceedings in Washington, D.C, scientists fear an uncertain funding landscape in the United States. Further funding cuts for institutional overhead costs, which...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Travel, science, and making friends: why you should go to a small conference
Last week, 200 myelin biologists met at a hotel in Ventura, California for five full days of hard-core science. If you’ve been to a Gordon Research Conference (GRC) before, you know what I mean by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Stop Acting Like A Grad Student’: review of “The Professor Is In”
0000-0002-5193-6605Roughly two years ago, a postdoc in my lab recommended a book to me called, “The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your PhD Into A Job,” by Dr. Karen Kelsky. A few...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NatPhil – A Memoir of Mentoring
As many of us know and may have experienced, good mentors can have a long-lasting, positive impact on a young researcher taking his or her first steps into academia and may even define the trajectory...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Elements of a positive academic environment for early career researchers, and...
Academia can be a very intellectually challenging place, but also frustrating for more vulnerable populations, including early career researchers (ECRs), due to power imbalances. Ultimately, we must...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Want to Write a Popular Science Book? Here’s What You Need to Know: A Guest...
0000-0002-6635-8182 Ever thought about writing a popular science book or rewriting and communicating your research in a more popular scientific way in general? As a researcher, I have always found...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Academic Mental Health: A Personal Story and How it Could Help Early Career...
The academic system of today is almost like a factory, becoming more and more focused on giving rise to products such as publications and grants. It is also geared towards producing more and more...
View Article