Case studies: Postdoctoral researcher: Sophie

Sophie got her degree in pharmacology from the University of Bath. She then completed her PhD studies at the Cancer Research UK London Institute in partnership with University College London. She is now a postdoctoral researcher with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in the USA

I enjoyed my pharmacology course very much. My particular year only had around 25 people. We spent a lot of time in practical classes and learnt most things at the bench rather than in lectures alone. The lecturers and professors who taught us were very supportive and continue to keep in contact with many of us years later.

To get hired in my current job, it was necessary to obtain a PhD. I then needed to apply for my own funding. I applied for three fellowships and accepted one which is administered through University College London. I am effectively employed and paid by UCL despite working in a lab in Boston.

The fellowship is for four years salary and research costs. I can use this money in any lab in the world, so it gives me freedom to travel during my postdoctoral years and gain the best experiences possible.

My degree was relevant when securing my current job. It provided me with the right background to pursue my PhD. The broad medical background from the pharmacology degree has also allowed me to work in a variety of research fields. I regularly use many of the techniques we were taught in practical classes.

My typical day involves arriving at the lab around 9am. I usually carry out a variety of experiments. I normally finish work by 6pm, but this is flexible depending on the experiments for that day. I can normally plan so that weekend work is not necessary.

I have complete control over my working day and plan each day/week/month myself. I only see my supervisor every few weeks to catch up on what I have achieved. As a postdoc, it is possible to have complete independence, especially if you have a grant that pays your salary and research costs.

I enjoy the creativity permitted with my job. As an academic scientist, I am free to follow ideas without worrying about profits (as is necessary working in industry). I also enjoy thinking about new ways to resolve problems.

I don't enjoy the time pressure. Each position is a fixed-term contract for three to four years. During that time, you must produce and publish high-quality research or you will not get to the next position. Getting funding is also very competitive, and it can feel like you are always racing other researchers in your field to get papers out first.

My advice for people going into this type of career is to choose a PhD where you will get the chance to learn as many different techniques as possible. Also read a lot and go to seminars. You need to be thinking about new ideas and directions for your research all of the time. Question everything, and don't believe everything you read in a textbook. As a postdoc, you will be rewriting those textbooks!

AGCAS

Sourced by Seth Coffelt, AGCAS

Date: 

February 2013

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