Category Archives: Careers

In which I embrace the literature

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

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 as much as … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, science funding, Scientific thinking, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which I embrace the literature

In which I avoid the topic

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

I have been downtrodden this week, struggling to stay afloat in this erratic and stormy sea we call academic science. I suspect there is a post in there waiting to get out, but I am too blue (and overworked) to … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Silliness, Staring into the abyss | 1 Comment

In which the small fish contemplates the bigger pond

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

The wandering path of my unconventional scientific life is about to shift yet again. It’s with mixed feelings that I report another lab move – same Division, another new campus. The retro digs in Bloomsbury, with its polished hardwood trimmings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | 2 Comments

In which the forest emerges

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

The clocks have gone forward, the crocuses wither, the tulips unfurl. The students have dispersed for Easter, full of dread about the immunology exam that will pounce on their return. Budding life forms I put one grant application to bed … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Gardening, Scientific thinking, Staring into the abyss, Students, Teaching, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which the forest emerges

In which the postdoc sell-by date continues to shrivel: The MRC comes to its senses

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

How do you judge the worth of a researcher? In particular, can you tell how excellent she is by how quickly she gets from point A to point B in her career? The funding bodies used to think speed was … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, science funding, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Women in science | 1 Comment

In which I grapple with my Inner Imposter

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

I’ve been thinking a lot about Imposter Syndrome this past week. It’s no surprise why: several funded positions have come up in the department recently, and the process of applying for science-related personal funding always brings out the worst feelings … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing | 17 Comments

In which the season turns

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

London is in the throes of springtime, and everything is in bud. Last year this time, my belly was swelling ever bigger in pregnancy. Now, my son – nearing the seven month mark – grows so fast that he seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Domestic bliss, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | Comments Off on In which the season turns

In which I multitask

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Less than two weeks remain until my big fellowship application is due – the one I’m banking on to rescue me from the dwindling life of my latest short-term contract. If I get the fellowship, my position should finally be … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Domestic bliss, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Women in science | 16 Comments

In which I find ‘it’

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

When I pictured my ‘adult’ life in academic science, it never looked anything like what it actually turned out to be. Trained as we are through the ranks, the neophyte scientist is constantly exposed to her bright future stretching ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science, Women in science | 16 Comments

In which the data get an outing

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

For the past few weeks I’ve been traveling the globe at back-to-back conferences – hence the silence here. The conference universe has its own natural laws, and time flows differently as its strict routines overwrite all of your own normal … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Scientific method, Scientific thinking, The profession of science | 6 Comments