Category Archives: career

Noooo! No more reading!

Posted on November 11, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

The new job is going really well so far. I feel as if I’ve been genuinely useful in my first week, which included an important postdoctoral fellowship application deadline. It’s been very intense though, which caused the inevitable dreams to … Continue reading →

Posted in career, journal club, personal, science, silliness | 3 Comments

First day…

Posted on November 5, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’m ready one hour early for the first day of my new job. I’ve got a new haircut, new shoes – I feel like a kid going back to school after the summer. All I’m missing is the new lunchbox … Continue reading →

Posted in career, personal | 5 Comments

New Job’s Resolutions

Posted on October 25, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I’m getting a good workout as I gradually clear my desk and locker of all the stuff I’ve accumulated in the last two and a half years. Bags and bags of shoes, text books and all kinds of other stuff … Continue reading →

Posted in career, personal | 2 Comments

Lab Dreams

Posted on October 23, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

So last night I dreamed I was back in the lab. I didn’t recognise the room, but some of my old lab mates were there. I was radiolabelling a probe for a Southern blot using my old protocol, which I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in career, personal | Comments Off on Lab Dreams

B(academia) to the Future

Posted on October 21, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I have a new job! As of November 5th, I will be back in the academic institute where I did my postdoctoral research (different department, same building.) It’s a new position whose main role is to help increase the amount … Continue reading →

Posted in career, communication, personal, science | Comments Off on B(academia) to the Future

Why I got out of research

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

My last post explained how I got into research. This post concerns why I got out*. I loved many aspects of bench research. I think that performing original research is a privilege that few people are lucky enough to experience. … Continue reading →

Posted in career, personal, rants, science | 10 Comments

Why I got into science

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I don’t usually believe in fate, but I do believe that I was meant to be a scientist. Whether it’s innate curiosity and logic, or a mixture of other traits, I seem to be very well suited to biology in … Continue reading →

Posted in career, education, personal, science | 2 Comments

I’m a specialised generalist

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

Another month, another conference. This is June, so it must be clinical immunology in San Diego. As a postdoctoral researcher I used to go to one major meeting per year, usually the American Society of Human Genetics. That was when … Continue reading →

Posted in career, conferences, science | 1 Comment

Career advice for aspiring scientists

Posted on May 16, 2007 by Cath@VWXYNot?

I freely admit that I am a huge geek. I knew from a very early age (around 15 or 16) that I wanted to be a professional geek, also known as a scientist. As soon as I realised that there … Continue reading →

Posted in career, conferences, science | 2 Comments