Category Archives: PhD

I am evangelical about this

Posted on 14 January 2023 by Erika Cule

PhD students should* consider industry roles; academics should not dissuade them. Ten years ago today I began my career as a statistical consultant in the pharmaceutical industry. I went directly from my PhD: I submitted my PhD thesis on a … Continue reading →

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Notebooks

Posted on 29 December 2013 by Erika Cule

Back in 2009 the day, in a discussion on the recently archived Nature Network, I mentioned that I liked to draft blog posts the old-fashioned way. I wrote that “It is easier to get started with a pen and paper than a … Continue reading →

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The supporting cast

Posted on 15 September 2013 by Erika Cule

A PhD is, by definition, a lonely endeavour. My fellow students and I were taught the fundamentals of team work as part of our transferable skills training, only for one academic to comment that for a career in academia, they would … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Life, PhD | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dénouement

Posted on 18 March 2013 by Erika Cule

Last week: The ever-helpful @OccamT crew are giving @erikacule viva (thesis defense) tips & anecdotes via email. Hope we haven't scared her too much… — Cath Ennis (@enniscath) March 13, 2013 @enniscath we'll drive her to vodka yet @occamt @erikacule … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Life, PhD | 9 Comments

Sacrifice and Submission

Posted on 28 January 2013 by Erika Cule

Narratives of sacrifice are woven into many stories about research. Nobel laureate Dr Barry Marshall famously drank a culture of Helicobacter pylori in order to demonstrate that the bacterium is indeed the causative agent of stomach ulcers. Closer to my … Continue reading →

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Impressions of ASHG 2012

Posted on 15 November 2012 by Erika Cule

Whilst most of the science blogosphere my science blogging colleagues were getting stuck in to Science Online London 2012, I was at the closing plenary of the 62nd meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics. If solo12 is the home … Continue reading →

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An unexpected delight in the form of careers advice

Posted on 10 November 2012 by Erika Cule

This week I am attending the 62nd meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics here in San Francisco. Being a PhD student, I registered for several of the events aimed at Trainees. As well as attending talks, visiting posters, … Continue reading →

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Listen while you work

Posted on 9 September 2012 by Erika Cule

I feel sorry for PhD students who prefer to work in silence. Most students (and postdocs) will be assigned a desk in a shared office. Lab-dwelling students cannot realistically expect a quiet working environment. Jenny describes the sounds of science: … Continue reading →

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Talkin’ ’bout my PhD-work

Posted on 25 June 2012 by Erika Cule

For many (most?) PhD students, there comes a time when they must present their work at a conference, meeting or workshop. The student may have already spoken about their work within their department, for example at a departmental seminar. I … Continue reading →

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You’re turning into your supervisor

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Erika Cule

This week I met up with some collaborators. This was the trip that led to a chance encounter with fellow OT blogger Austin Small world, science – just bumped into @occamt's Cambridge-based PhD student blogger Erika Cule http://t.co/1G371GHQ in the … Continue reading →

Posted in PhD | Tagged , , | 6 Comments