Interesting Features at PWN for 5.26.14

News from the PWN Pipeline: 

Tips for following up after the job application and the interview

So you want to follow up with the hiring manager after you have applied for the job but you don't want to overstep any boundaries. This great article from Fast Company, linked above, provides some useful tips and sample scripts for how best to effectively communicate interest and motivation without appearing overzealous or desperate.


Take that vacation time now and see benefits at work later 

It is not always easy to unplug and take a vacation from work and emails, but traveling can be a 'reset' experience that makes you feel recharged and innovative when you eventually get back to your desk. Check out this interesting article (linked above), in which John Roa, a digital enhancement consultant and entrepreneur, shares some tips on how the experience of traveling has benefited his companies and his mindset.

Advancement Opportunities

Postdoctoral position available in chemistry/drug discovery group at Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina

Great opportunity for a postdoctoral candidate who is a synthetic organic/medicinal chemist. The work will involve the design, synthesis, purification and characterization of small molecules for CNS disorders and other diseases. Qualifications include experience in analytical methods including HPLC and strong research background and publications in multi-step synthesis of novel organic compounds. 

More details in the link

Apply: CV | 2 references | starting date preference  

Send to: Dr. Yanan Zhang | yzhang@rti.org

Interesting Features at PWN for 5.19.14

News from the PWN Pipeline:

'Women in Neuroscience: A Call to Action'

Dr. Carol Mason, president of the Society for Neuroscience, has issued a challenge for all women in neuroscience to strive towards and accept positions of leadership in order to correct the glaring lack of women in leadership positions in academia. Dr. Mason also provides a number of suggestions for how best to encourage and promote other women in neuroscience fields, including mentoring young aspiring scientists in high school and suggesting/nominating other women for feature speaker opportunities and major awards.

Advancement Opportunities

Postdoctoral research position in addiction biology available at Medical University of South Carolina

The postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Kalivas at MUSC. The candidate must be well-trained and published in whole cell patch slice electrophysiology, and motivated to apply this technique to studying addiction biology. Additional research training opportunities can include optogenetics and DREADDs and protein biochemistry.

Click the link above for more information
Position available summer 2014
Application: CV | Brief cover letter of research goals | names of 2 references
Send to: Peter Kalivas, PhD in care of Madura Athreya athreya@musc.edu


Postdoctoral research position in optogenetics and neuronal function at Pfizer Neusentis in Cambridge, UK

The postdoctoral position is open for a neurobiologist with a strong background in molecular and cell biology (particularly cell imaging). The candidate will use cutting edge optogenetic tools to examine if precise spatiotemporal control of pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neuron signaling will clarify subcellular contributions to nociceptor function.

Click the link above for more information

Interesting Features at PWN for 5.12.15

News from the PWN Pipeline

'10 ways to do what you don't want to do.'

It can be so easy to delay and procrastinate and succumb to distraction, but sometimes you need to get things done that you do not want to do. Writer Leo Babauta suggests 10 tips for getting these things done. The tips may be particularly timely now that the weather (at least in New England) is rapidly improving and making summer plans may be more appealing than getting certain tasks done. One great suggestion from the list is acknowledging and embracing the difficulty of getting a task done and doing it anyway.

Advancement Opportunities

Research Technician position available at the Mouse Behavior Core at Scripps Research Institute

Fantastic opportunity for acquiring additional experience and skills as a research technician in a preclinical laboratory. The applicant will have responsibilities that include helping to run behavioral experiments, performing data entry and basic data analysis, and managing the day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining the Mouse Behavior Core at SRI in Jupiter, Florida.

Previous experience working with rodents required
Additional details and application portal in the link

Interesting Features at PWN for 5.5.14

News from the PWN Pipeline

"Confidence matters just as much as competence."

The Atlantic features an interesting and sobering account of the vast 'confidence gap' that often separates successful women from men. The authors of the article, BBC World News America anchor Katty Kay and ABC News reporter Claire Shipman, posit that self-doubt and low confidence interfere with women receiving promotions faster, taking more risks in professional development, and overcoming doubt. Eliminating self-doubt and focusing more on developing and maintaining a sense of confidence will contribute to greater opportunities for advancement. Furthermore, they suggest that confidence is what accelerates judgment and opinion into action. The article is definitely worth a read, and I was particularly struck by one major 'confidence gap' issue elucidated by the authors: women apply for a promotion only when they met 100% of the qualifications but men applied for a promotion when they met 50%.  

"The female 'confidence gap' is a sham."

As a counterpoint to Kay and Shipman's Atlantic article, Jessica Valenti of The Guardian expresses frustration that the 'confidence gap' is seen as a personal shortcoming of poor self-value and not as a structural and cultural female discrimination issue. Valenti argues that a professional and cultural transformation should take place that will value and promote self-assured women, and consequently will end the gendered disparity in displaying confidence.