Time To Say Goodbye...

Science is one of those areas in which you constantly learn, and also try to teach others about what you're doing & how to do it. This is one of the best parts of the job, as it keeps things fresh, it also keeps your mind active, plus it makes sure every day is different, and a challenge.

I've been so lucky to make some wonderful friends in the lab over the past few years - and recently I supervised a masters student, who turned out to be one of the sweetest girls I know! Not only is it great to meet someone in the lab that you can work with, but we also had so much in common when it came to fashion, hair & makeup, and of course the Kardashians!

Today is her last day & she brought me in this gorgeous surprise, I love it! I've never tried any Inglot makeup before, so I'm super excited to wear both the nail varnish & lipstick out tonight.

Thanks so much Zee! Xxx

PhD...Plenty of Huge Decisions

You've reached the summit, surpassed your own expectations, the final hurdle has been cleared...and now what. It’s almost an anticlimax (and a huge relief) to be finished your PhD. Thesis is done & dusted, the ordeal that is your viva wasn’t as hellish as you’d imagined it would be, and the graduation ceremony was quite pleasant (apart from the silly hat). So, where to next? The obvious choice is to Post Doc. Yet in the current economic climate, where once there may have been 15 post doctoral positions, there are now perhaps 3. And as budding researchers, is bench work really our only option?

I finished my PhD about 6 months ago and since then I’ve been having quite a professional identity crisis. I love the lab, however, more frequently I’m finding myself frustrated with the limitations of my work. When experiments go right, there’s no better feeling. Chances are though; you’ll spend months on optimisation & heart breaking preliminary work, which can sometimes lead to no real results at all. Another drawback of the Post Doc route is the lack of stability or permanency; 2 or 3 year contracts don’t make the bank manager happy, nor do they put your mind at ease in terms of job security and making solid future plans. So I asked myself 2 questions; what do I really want to do for the rest of my life, and what are my options?

Surprisingly, there are many avenues that one can travel down after you’ve received your PhD. The most exciting and interesting to me were in the areas of management consultancy, science journalism, and even patent law. I confess that I did buy a book on this topic: Alternative Careers in Science by Cynthia Robbins-Roth. It has many helpful tips and over 20 different categories of jobs that are available to new PhD graduates. While I’m not ready to delve into industry just yet, nor to sever all of my academic ties, I’m tempted to use the skills I’ve acquired that don’t necessarily translate on the bench; communication, investigation & management.

Most of all, like everyone, I want job satisfaction, a career that's challenging, while also rewarding & provides stability. This may indeed be via the academic career track, but it's reassuring to know there are plenty of other options out there; in case I decide to hang up the pipette once & for all.

Rachel xxx

When Experiments Fail...And Keep On Failing

We've all been there. You've followed the protocol to a T, you've made sure you've bought all the reagents from the exact same suppliers, you've tried it at different temperatures, for different time periods, even gotten other students/lab staff to look over what you're doing coz you're fearful that you're losing your mind. Troublesome experiments are easily the worst part of working in a lab. It's unbelieveably frustrating when it just will not go right, especially when you know you're doing everything in your power to ensure that it does!

The best advice I can give is try to keep your head up, we've ALL been there, some of us more than others, but there's no one who has done a PhD or who's working in a lab now that will tell you it's plain sailing, and if they do it's a big fat fib. If possible, talk to your peers or supervisors as much as you can, having support of others is essential, helpful tips and even an ear to moan in can make all the difference sometimes. Read lots of papers or try to get information on protocols online. Try not to get overwhelmed or stuck doing the same thing over and over, it's great to have side projects to turn to when things aren't working. Take a break from it completely for a few days, don't think about it, look at it or research it at all, sometimes a fresh look at things can make a big difference. And if all else fails, just go shopping instead! ;)

Share your tips on surviving the bad times in labs here; any advice for us scientists when we're struggling to make things work will be much appreciated!

Rachel xxx

Fascinating Figures

When you get to that all important stage of putting your results together for a publication, it's vital to have the figures in the correct order & telling the story in the right way. Figures are the most important part of a research paper, as well as your interpretation of them. Writing papers and arranging figures gets easier with time & practice, here are a few helpful tips that I found useful when I was starting out in the writing game...

1. Smile! If you've gotten this far then congratulations! Paper writing is a daunting task that like everything, seems much more complcated and difficult before you start it. But it's all about practice and lots of drafts & re-drafts, it's a skill that can be developed and honed over time. You have the hard part over with, I'm sure getting that data together took a lot of time, stress & heartbreak, so enjoy this brief respite from the bench!

2. Put the figures together first. Once you have them ordered, it's much easier to write the results section, as you know what to say/describe and when. The same goes for materials and methods, much more straightforward when the figures are in place.

3. The first figure should be ticking the boxes/showing preliminary data/highlighting the result that made you study this topic in the first place. This may seem like an obvious statement but sometimes panels are added to figures as an after thought or aside when they should have been right at the beginning.

4. Use panels wisely. Don't jam 8 panels together just to fill space, some results can stand alone, others are better grouped together as they highlight eachother's findings or may be several ways of showing a similar thing. On the other hand, 6 individual results may not be enough on their own (unless they're fantastic) so it's hard to know how to best lay things out, once it's clear and easy to follow, that's the main thing.

5. Size matters! Font is hugely important; figures are often shrunk right down to accomodate the size of the journals pages, so it's vital to have huge lettering and numbering-especially on axes and labels. I use font 20 and above, it looks a bit ridiculous in word but it makes reading the paper a lot easier in the long run.

6. Make sure figures in the correct order; which experiment should naturally follow the next, what way is it best to present the data such that the story is told well etc.

7. Legends are also a fundamental part of getting figures right. Don't overload them with info about the method, but make sure every part of the graph is explained clearly. A short succint statement about the main finding is good too. Reviewers can often ask for more or less text in legends so check what's the norm for the particular journal you're aiming towards.

Of course your boss will have final say on which way things will appear in the publication, but it's good to have a headstart & always helpful to practice for that big day when we'll have to do things on our own! But that scary time is far far away...for now!

Any questions or comments, just let me know.

Rachel xxx

Presentation Station

Part of the job as a scientist, be it an undergrad, postgrad or employee, is presenting your work, either to members of your lab group, or others in your field of research at conferences. This can be quite a daunting and nerve-wracking experience, especially when it comes to question time afterwards. Like everything in life, presentations get easier with experience and practice, but pangs of nerves will always get you; the most important thing is to be familiar with what you're saying and to try to relax-you will know your work better than anyone, and if there is a tricky question, there's always an answer to it. Here are my tips for making presentations as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

1. Less text-more figures. When first putting slides together, the first inclination is to write up all the text, so you know what you're going to say, and the audience can read along with you. This makes sense, but it is quite counter productive, as the best presentations are the naturally flowing ones that talk around figures and results and don't just involve reading sentences from a slide. Write notes about what you want to say & put key words and phrases on the slides to emphasise what you're discussing.

2. Use animation. If you have several panels or sentences on one slide, it can be distracting for the viewer to see everything at once, and it makes it harder for you to talk through it while trying to remain clear and understandable. Use fade in animations, let one item appear at a time, talk about it, then the next item should appear. This makes your job much easier and also helps to remind you in which order you should be discussing things.

3. Reminder tricks. This is a handy one if there's a lot of data on a particular slide, or if you have one 'hit home phrase or sentence' that's difficult to remember. Arrows that appear before you go onto the next slide are a great way of pointing out the key finding on a slide and can be a fail-safe way of remembering that key point that's really going to sell your results.

4. Practice! The more you go through your presentation out loud, the more comfortable you become with it. Practice with your fellow PhD students or members of the lab group, especially if you have a meeting with your supervisor coming up. If the first time you go through it is in front of your boss then you're bound to get tongue tied (speaking from experience here) so go into an empty office or presentation room with the lab gang and get familiar with it.

5. Have certain answers prepared. Ask others in the lab or your supervisor for potential questions. It's hard to predict what will be asked, it can be something specific and technical, or something much more broad, dealing with translational or physiological significance. You will know the answers to these questions, just keep your mind clear and answer as succinctly as possible; keep everything short and on point. If something comes up that you're not sure of then the old faithful 'that's a very interesting point, and something we hope to look at in the future, however, we have no data on this particular aspect at the moment' is always a handy last minute save!

6. Relax & enjoy it. If you've been selected to speak at a conference, it is a fantastic achievement and speaks highly of your work. Speaking in public is very scary, but often the thought of it is a lot worse than the oral itself; most people say that after the first slide you get into a rhythm and it goes by smoothly. Nerves can also be a good thing, the adrenaline rush makes sure you're awake and on the ball. We all look forward to the day when there are no nerves before a presentation, in my case I can't see that happening until I'm at least 40 though!

These tips don't just apply for science, no matter what the topic, good presenting is easy to achieve and is a fantastic skill to have in all career paths.

If anyone has other tips or advice please feel free to share.

Rachel xxx

Power Dressing/Dresses

Being a scientist means working in a lab for most of the day and therefore wearing a labcoat. So not only is it a bit pointless wearing nice outfits, it's also important to make sure what you're wearing is comfortable, as you need to be free to stretch from the incubator to the fridge etc.

However, there are times when us science girls can embrace our stylish sides, such as presentations, meetings and conferences (and those reading & writing only days). Recently, I found some lovely dresses in Dunnes (www.dunnesstores.ie) that were really reasonably priced (between €18-€25) and perfect for work. They're to the knee or below the knee shift dresses available in a range of colours and all with fabulous shoulder details-see the pics below. The shape of each is super flattering and the high neckline makes them sophisticated yet still slightly sexy. I can't wait to wear them at a conference this weekend, and I'm hoping they can double up for a few nights out coming up to Christmas!

Other high street shops that stock nice work wear lines include New Look, Penney's, Zara & Oasis. Opaque tights, suede wedges or embellished pumps, and light cardigans/long sheer waistcoats finish the look nicely.

Rachel xxx

Being Stylishly Organised

It's not always possible to combine science & fashion at the same time...however, yesterday I got a little carried away when I was looking for an academic year diary & bought a filofax!

I was surprised at how many colours & styles there are, I got a red personal sized one for €16.99 which I think is pretty good value. There were others there including a beautiful purple leather one that was €75, but I couldn't justify spending that much (yet!).

So this has to be my most sensible buy in a long time-it looks cool, it'll help me to organise my days & stay on top of what I need to do week in week out in the lab, plus it looks cute & professional in my handbag! It's a win all round :)

As one of the girls in the lab pointed out to me though, filofaxes & diaries are a bit out of date now, since we all use email & have smartphones. This is true, but I kind of like the old fashioned feel of writing something down, plus it'll stop me getting distracted by facebook & twitter-which inevitably happens as soon as I go online or turn my phone on!

Does anyone else use a filofax? What's the nicest/most fashionable one you've seen? I have my eye on the black patent leather one (picture below)...very chic.

Rachel xxx

Conference Abstracts

It's that time of year again when abstract deadlines are approaching. Writing abstracts is quite tricky, it can be hard to get your point across, especially when there's a crazy limit of something like 250 words. The most important advice I was given is to know your audience. Depending on who will be reading or assessing the abstract will define the structure and tone of it. For example, if it's a medical conference, then you should discuss the translational significance of your findings in the conclusions section. If it's a more basic science audience, then detailed methods, statistical analyses and definitive scientific conclusions are vital.

Most abstract submission guidelines advise breaking the main body of text into several sections; usually introduction, methods, results and conclusions. Each of these parts is just as important as the next, concise sentences describing exactly what you did, why you did it, and what the results mean are the basic requirements for a good abstract. Get another PhD student to read through it to make sure it flows before sending to your boss for correction. And don't be disheartened if they change or re-organise most of it, abstract writing is an art that comes with time and practice.

Conferences are fantastic for networking, appreciating the field you're woring in, and also to remind you that there's life in a science career outside of the lab/bench (which is extremely important when those experiments aren't working)! I've been so fortunate to travel to some amazing places over the past few years thanks to accepted abstracts and posters/presentations, it makes slaving away at all hours over a tube, dish or apparatus seem worthwhile.

Rachel xxx

Lab Pet Peeves...Most Annoying Tasks

I always said I'd post light hearted and positive posts, but since it's Friday the 13th and several things have already gone wrong for me today...I'm going to make a list of the most annoying/mundane/monotonous tasks in the lab that I wish I could get someone else to do for me! (That's a bit of a fib - I don't mind doing these things, but they always have to be done at the most inconvenient time so perhaps 2 spare arms to help me get them done would be the best solution).

1. Aliquot-ing.

2. pHing buffers.

3. Washing 2 units of platelets (don't ask).

4. Refilling tips boxes manually (one by one).

5. Searching in the -80 freezer for a box/sample that you know you left at the front on the left in the middle shelf but somehow mysteriously it has moved/vanished.

Let me know your least favourite lab tasks that are trivial or boring-but must be done for a fully functional and operational experiment/laboratory!

Rachel xxx

PS I feel a lot better after that rant-blogging can be cathartic! And I also have to say that I love my job & I wouldn't change it for the world...but seriously, a few spare arms would be very very handy once in a while ;)

My first post...

Hi!

So I was watching The City this morning and it got me thinking...I love to shop, and I love clothes, so why not write about both! Except...I know what I like to wear...but that's about it.

What I do know a lot about is science (specifically haemostasis with a dash of biochemistry)...but I don't think I fancy writing much about that, when we can all go onto pubmed and various other websites to do our reading and research!

I'd love to create a community where girls in science can chat about clothes and fashion, plus the ups and downs of day-to-day lab life. Perhaps these two things don't really go hand in hand, but for me they do; so I'd love to find other like minded ladies who feel the same way.

Not all scientists are nerds, although it helps to have a nerdy side. Science is amazing...but so is shopping! ;)

Please feel free to comment or write anything at all that you feel is relevant.

Rachel xxx