- Taking a Break Without Losing Your Momentum (or Your Mind!)
We’ve all heard the adage “Vacation is a state of mind,” but some (or most) of us don’t embrace the core of this idea. In the competitive world of academic medicine, it’s easy to feel like you need to work 24/7/365 – after all, your colleagues, trainees and leaders often send y...
- A Recipe Gone Haywire (ARGH)
I don’t have a lot of time to cook, so I am always looking for new sources of easy and at least somewhat healthy recipes. Recently, I bought a cookbook titled Mediterranean Every Day (MED) by Sheela Prakash. This cookbook is great because the recipes usually have a short list of ...
- New Data Update on the All of Us Researcher Workbench
On Thursday, June 23, the All of Us Research Program announced a new data update to the Researcher Workbench. This refresh includes information donated by participants through January 1, 2022. Using this data, researchers will be able to tap into the dataset’s rich COVID-19 data,...
- Make It About the Science
Always percolating below the surface of biomedical science is the ever-important quest to distinguish ourselves and our research through the art of publishing. Inevitably our efforts lead us to the same gateway: passing muster with the dreaded Reviewer, who lurks in the shadow wo...
- Strategic Procrastination
Strategic Procrastination – transforming a time-killing obstacle into a time-saving life hack
Procrastination has a horrible reputation: It’s blamed for the many wasted hours and lack of productivity we all fear and to which we occasionally succumb. This is overly simplistic....
- Hiring tips for new group leaders
I became familiar with the hiring process from the standpoint of an applicant, most recently as a newly recruited Assistant Professor. Despite this lived experience, being at the leading edge of hiring my own team is much less familiar. Here, I share some tips and tricks for new ...
- Finding Community on Twitter: Why I Plugged In
I have to admit, I originally thought Twitter was a useless place full of what [crazy thing] that [pop star i don’t care about] did ten minutes ago combined with destructive ramblings by internet trolls. Full GenX disclosure: I remember when the internet wasn’t a thing and usin...
- Asking Questions at Talks: Curiosity is Best When Shared
Imagine that you put in lots of time to prepare for a talk, honed it down, practiced it, stood nervously, went brilliantly through your talk as planned, and bamm! No questions. I’ve had that occur – multiple times. Not getting questions feels like a door has been slammed in my...
- Let’s Talk About Sex as a Biological Variable
I just finished an NIH study section and noted that more than half of the applications discussed did not adequately address sex as a biological variable (SABV). This is a relatively new (for some grant types) component of your grant, and while it may seem relatively minor, it is ...
- Don’t Wait Until You’re Motivated to Write. Take Small Actions!
Like one of my earlier posts, the musings below were inspired by a tweet. Sara, a PhD student, asked, “Anyone with tips on how to stay motivated while writing your dissertation?!“
Anyone who has ever written a manuscript, funding application or PhD thesis knows that writing is a...
