Interesting Features at PWN for 9.15.14

News from the PWN Pipeline: 

'Women are given constructive suggestions-- and told to pipe down.'

Fortune's Kieran Snyder has penned a very illuminating column on how the perception of female "abrasiveness" or assertiveness plays a role in undermining women's careers in technology sector positions. Dr. Snyder assessed performance reviews gathered from men and women in tech positions, and found that women are often given negative feedback or are primarily given feedback with criticism. In contrast, men are overwhelmingly likely to receive only constructive feedback in their performance review. Furthermore, women are seldom given feedback without criticism, whereas men are far more likely to receive feedback without criticism. Overall, the findings of the review show a stark contrast between the evaluations of men and women in tech and merit a reexamination of systematic bias in review language.


'We can't 'ban bossy' if women in tech are being told to know their role.'

In reaction to Kieran Snyder's informal investigation, Jess Zimmerman from The Guardian has posted a response calling for the rise of more women in leadership roles in tech. Ms. Zimmerman rightly points out that encouraging women in early stages of STEM education to focus on their career goals and then exposing them to workplace gendered criticism, bigotry, and retrogressive attitudes regarding work performance and ability is completely counterproductive.

Interesting Features at PWN for 9.2.14

Hope you all had a fantastic summer and managed to take some time to relax and spend time away from the lab/office! We are excited for another great year with PWN and look forward to continuing to grow our network of professional women. We will be in touch soon about our upcoming annual PWN gathering during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in November.

News from the PWN Pipeline:

We absolutely need to take breaks at work

As the summer wraps up, vacations end, and we find ourselves back at our desks and in front of a computer screen, it is not too hard to rationalize taking a quick break. Fortunately, scientific studies fully support and encourage taking breaks, as these brief moments of downtime can improve productivity and facilitate more creative approaches. During the break, the brain is able to recharge and reevaluate task objectives at hand. Click the link above for more scientific reasons to prioritize downtime and great productivity-enhancing suggestions for the breaks you take.


'Women rate higher in overall competencies for senior leadership positions" 

Korn Ferry, a leadership and talent consulting firm, has found that women generally score higher than men in multiple dimensions of leadership style and, importantly, in the majority of skills and competencies critical for senior leadership success. These skills include employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and building talent. The limiting factor for women in the workplace is lack of experiences and assignments that challenge and grow their skill sets during mid-level business roles. Either women are not being offered these opportunities or they are not accepting them as frequently as they should, which is interfering with their progress in moving up leadership levels. Click the link above for more on Korn Ferry's findings and recommendations for overcoming obstacles that can stymie career growth.  

Interesting Features at PWN for 8.18.14

News from the PWN Pipeline:

Hope you are all having a fantastic summer and getting a bit of time off to relax and recharge. We'll be back in September with more regular weekly blog posts, but we wanted to share an important and interesting article regarding erosion of professionalism at conferences and meetings.


"Is this a professional conversation or a prelude to being asked out?" 

Dr. Meg Urry penned a CNN column describing her response to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the University of Illinois that examined field site work environments and experiences, particularly as they relate to sexual harassment and assault. The survey found that women (26%) were far more likely to report experiencing unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature (touching, physical threats, rape) than men (6%). Dr. Urry writes that it has become all too commonplace for young female scientists to experience unwanted attention and harassment, particularly at field sites and scientific meetings, by older male scientists who ignore scientific acumen in favor of flirtatious remarks. To overcome these types of comments or unsolicited propositions, she suggests always keeping the focus on your science and ignoring any inappropriate remarks.

Interesting Features at PWN for 6.16.14

News from the PWN Pipeline:

"Women can't consider failure as an option."

Only 5% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women. Research has shown that many women are promoted into leadership when the deck is stacked against them and/or the company is undergoing some sort of a crisis. Examples include Lynn Elsenhans becoming CEO of Sunoco after shares had fallen by 52% and Marissa Mayer being hired as CEO to save a dwindling Yahoo. This article, via Fast Company, delves a bit into some of the hidden challenges women in leadership can face and how best to approach them. One great tip is being aware of your leadership style and ensuring that you are being heard, even if that means being more flexible in how you exhibit leadership.

Advancement Opportunities

Postdoctoral position available in NIH/NIDA T32 Translational Addiction Research Fellowship in Department of Psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Fantastic position in the Department of Psychiatry at UPenn Perelman School of Medicine for a postdoctoral fellow with strong technical skills in neuroimaging and a potential interest in the clinical neuroscience of addiction. The successful candidate will have a consistent publication background, neuroimaging statistical package experience (e.g. SPM, FSL, AFNI), an MD or PhD or equivalent degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. engineering, neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, etc...), and strong communication skills. The candidate will be part of an inter-disciplinary clinical neuroimaging laboratory with ongoing funded projects in cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, and opiate addiction.

More details in the link above
Interested applicants: CV | 1-page letter of intent | names of 3 references
Send to: Laboratory and T32 Fellowship Director, Dr. Anna Rose Childress | childres@mail.med.upenn.edu


Postdoctoral position available in Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University and Neuroscience Program at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA

Excellent position for a postdoctoral candidate with experience in conducting behavioral studies, stereotactic surgery and immunohistochemistry, and an interest in studying neuroimaging of in vivo models of alcohol dependence, maintenance and withdrawal. The successful motivated candidate will have a consistent peer-reviewed publication record and a PhD or equivalent degree in a relevant discipline, and will be within a year of completing their degree. The candidate will be part of a team using translational and multi-disciplinary approaches to study animal models of alcohol dependence.

More details in the link above
Interested applicants: CV | Cover letter
Send to: Dr. Natalie Zahr, PhD | nzahr@stanford.edu

Interesting Features at PWN for 6.9.14

News from the PWN Pipeline:

Work smarter

This great article from a self-professed "reformed workaholic" published on Fast Company reminds us all that successful time and energy management starts with working smarter and negotiating long-term vs. short-term goals. Click the link above for some great tips on how to be a more effective worker. One great reminder is turning off email for long periods of time so that responding to other people's concerns does not interrupt or interfere with your own progress.

Abandoning the traditional cover letter and resume

New York Magazine published an interesting look at the disadvantages and pitfalls associated with the traditional cover letter and resume, including the many opportunities that invite race, gender and confirmation bias throughout the evaluation process. The article does also suggest some potential alternatives for evaluating applicants, such as anonymizing the application materials and requiring sample work assignments enlist skills important for the job.

Advancement Opportunities

Scientific Writer position available in Medical Communications and Training (MCaT) group at Biogen Idec in Cambridge, MA

A fantastic opportunity for a creative and analytical candidate with strong medical information or regulatory writing experience in the MCaT group within Global Medical Affairs at Biogen Idec. Among other responsibilities, the candidate will independently prepare moderate-complex documents and communication materials that educate professionals on relevant disease states as well as on the efficacy and safety of Biogen's marketed and investigational product. The candidate will also mentor junior writers, and represent the Scientific Writing department in cross-functional MCaT teams and initiatives. Masters or doctoral/terminal level degree as well as broad understanding of pharmaceutical industry and drug regulatory and healthcare compliance environments strongly preferred.

Details and Application portal in the link above (use Requisition/Job Search Number 22171BR)
For more info, interested applicants can also contact Dr. Stephanie Licata, Senior Scientific Writer at Biogen Idec and PWN member (use these connections!) at stephanie.licata@biogenidec.com