Category Archives: The profession of science

In which I lose my way

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

An autumn breeze flutters the paperwork on my desk: a credit card bill; a daily report from my son’s nursery (complete with meals, sleep times and nappy composition); a manuscript I’m proofing for a colleague – all held down by … Continue reading →

Posted in Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | 4 Comments

In which we make do: live from the cash-freeze lab

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

The government loves to tell us scientists how good we are at doing ‘more with less’. Over at the Guardian, I’ve posted yesterday about how the UK’s core research budget is again under threat, with the possibility of up to … Continue reading →

Posted in science funding, The profession of science | 8 Comments

In which we kill the messenger: is Twitter dystopian?

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

In the past week there has been a lot of talk about sexism in science. I don’t want to rehash any of the arguments (though you can hear some of my views on Radio 4 and in the Telegraph). One … Continue reading →

Posted in The profession of science, Women in science | 16 Comments

In which you can take the girl out of the lab…

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Jennifer Rohn

I suppose most scientists have the problem of taking their work home with them. And by this I don’t mean the stacks of papers you need to read, or the manuscript you’re writing, or the grant application you’re still cobbling … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Scientific thinking, The profession of science | 2 Comments

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 am still largely at large: another mother in academia

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Blogging appearances to the contrary, I am still alive, clinging gamely to some semblance of work-life balance as a new mother in academia. Not so new anymore, I realize, as Joshua hurtles, one milestone at a time, toward his first … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Science fiction, Students, Teaching, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing | 10 Comments

In which I receive a gift

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

What do you buy the female scientist who has everything? A few days ago I noticed a news clip in the London Evening Standard, mentioning that a new line of Lego featuring women researchers had sold out within hours of … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, Stereotypes, The profession of science, Women in science | 8 Comments

In which I heart academia

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Jennifer Rohn

Say what you will against life in the upper echelons of higher education. By all means complain about the low pay, the long hours, and the increasingly desperate funding situation. Above all, rail against the crushing career insecurity, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in The profession of science | 4 Comments