Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which work-life balance wobbles

Posted on 2 May 2016 by Jennifer Rohn

As with most academics, evenings and weekends often provide the extra time I need to stay on top of my workload. I’d rather sacrifice some family time than get behind – because once you’re behind, the anxiety sets in, making … Continue reading →

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In which I feel a bit too old for this game sometimes

Posted on 15 April 2016 by Jennifer Rohn

Age is a slippery thing. Most days I still feel like that tentative new PhD student, pulling 80-hour weeks at the University of Washington Health Sciences Center in Seattle. By the red glow of the safelight, I’d feed dusky rectangles … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Scientific method, students, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which I feel a bit too old for this game sometimes

In which fiction infiltrates science

Posted on 9 March 2016 by Jennifer Rohn

Two years ago I was honored to have been one of the recipients of the Suffrage Science award. Launched in 2011 by the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, this program involves heirloom jewelry, originally designed by art students at … Continue reading →

Posted in Lablit, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing | Comments Off on In which fiction infiltrates science

In which we are unlucky: on lab superstitions

Posted on 5 March 2016 by Jennifer Rohn

I was thinking the other day that if academia were a mental illness, it would be bipolar. One day it treats me well: a student shows me an experiment that shows great promise. I have a spirited chat with a … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, careers, Research, Scientific thinking, Silliness, staring into the abyss, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which we are unlucky: on lab superstitions

In which I finally get it: multitasking is evil

Posted on 25 January 2016 by Jennifer Rohn

It’s a new year, and the academic term has kicked in with renewed vigor. I haven’t written here for a while because I simply didn’t have the mental capacity. I collapsed into the Christmas holidays nearly flattened with exhaustion and … Continue reading →

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In which I lose my tubes, and other manifestations of lab rustiness

Posted on 11 December 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

When you’re a young scientist, it’s the done thing to poke gentle fun at the lab head for being out of touch. For example, when I was a graduate student, we’d all pretend to be horrified whenever our boss, wearing … Continue reading →

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In which we are funded: urinary infection in people with multiple sclerosis

Posted on 18 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

The big announcement! I wanted to thank the good folks at the Multiple Sclerosis Society for awarding me an Innovation Grant. With Government funding for research dwindling, life scientists rely increasingly on charities to help us answer the important questions … Continue reading →

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In which I embrace the literature

Posted on 17 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

Work from home I think I’ve earned a five-minute break. I’ve been working hard to ready myself ahead of a big interview for a significant funding scheme. I’m being subjected to a series of mock interviews, and I’ve been reading … Continue reading →

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Too many jobs, not enough quiet: In which I am spread too thin

Posted on 12 November 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

My group office, in a rare quiet moment To be in academia is to multitask. As a principal investigator in a big university, it is becoming increasingly apparent that investigation is not my principal role. Yes, I run a lab … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific thinking, Teaching, The profession of science, Writing | Comments Off on Too many jobs, not enough quiet: In which I am spread too thin

In which I get angry (again): Science, as vital as ever

Posted on 23 September 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

Hopefully most of you have heard about the upcoming campaign that we at Science is Vital are frantically working on. The background can be found in our recent Guardian piece, and the fine details are on our website. But for … Continue reading →

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