WTH!!!

Yesterday was 'lab clean up day' and PI basically created more of a problem a solution. I swear PI is mental, there is just no explanation. PI yelled, complained and screamed (all the stuff was things PI can't le go off because PI did this a million years ago when kits etc were not invented...) and then ditched us to Skype. Then came back and threw a tantrum (picture a 4 yr old having a fit in public) because PI wanted to dictate the toppings on the pizza we ordered, which we had to pay for and then PI wanted to share it with everyone in the department. We said 'NO!!!'.

PI proceeded to eat said pizza complaining the whole time about not eating meat, being lactose intolerant, too many calories, blah, blah, blah. OMG I cannot wait to get out of this lab/institution/academia. Can you imagine spending all day in a lab with this and 90% of the times it's worse.

Crazy Week

I have had a crazy week, juggling my own work and now three students. 'Cruella' had stated at the end of last year that she would be in charge of the undergrads (mind you stepping in after I taught them all the basics). She made a huge deal of this, I've never complained about doing it in fact I prefer one-on-one teaching than being a postdoc. So here we are in February and she has not even made an attempt to even talk to them. All she does is sit in her office, browse PubMed and terrorize the handful of people that actual decide to work for her. 

What she fails to realize is how much work goes into 'teaching' undergrads who are either non-bio majors (public heath to be precise) or just sophomore and take one bio class per semester. Each comes for six hours/week in addition to a an exchange student from a different country who follows me around all day long. I don't even have time to check my email, in fact I don't even have a computer. I use a lab desktop attach to a plate reader because she refuses to buy a computer, which other people use on and off during the day.

I should be in lab now but I'll go in later, I'm tired. I have to use the weekends to recuperate from the week with her and the lab and it's hard to get up out of bed. Plus I applied for a somewhat science related part-time job for which I have to do some training for which I want to get done this weekend.

..........................

In lab again

I really need to avoid coming to lab on the weekends. I'm only here because I'm doing a cell proliferation assay and I can actually get to think in peace and quite away from Cruella (also known as my PI). I was to go to a conference that was coming up in March and she informed me that she won't be paying for the registration fee. In other words she wanted me to shell out a $1000 to pay up front for this conference. Even if I had it I would not pay that much out of pocket. This particular conference wants you to pay up front and then if you get a travel award, they wil reimburse you the money. Still as a single postdoc I do not have $1000 lying around and it being winter all the money trees have lost their leaves.

On a more positive note I have a friend in industry who has been kind enough to serve as a sort of mentor and has looked over my CV/resume. So when I get home tonight I'll be working on that and some cover letters.

Happy 2012!!!!

I've been a post doc for 1 year and 41 days!!!!

This year has already started out rough. My current PI is officially certifiably crazy there is no pleasing her and today was a perfect example. She is applying for a grant in a field she has no, zero expertise in apart from what I bring to the table. From day one I have offered to help her with every and anything, the science, the admin, etc. she said no, she does not need or want help. But yet she ask me to make a check- list which I did, the budget which I did. Then she gave me a copy of the 6 page-grant and I read through it, highlighted keys experiments that only people in the field would know and the reviewers would expect to see, grammar, spelling etc. It was due at Admin yesterday, today she told me she's not going to pursue this one anymore because I DID NOT HELP HER. That is how my 10 days of 2012 have been. What she really wants is someone to be at her beckon call and to sort through all her issue and not actually do any science at all. Then where will the preliminary results come from? Mars

It's a good thing I am job hunting :)

Grants, Papers...OMG I need a real JOB

Well I've been a postdoc for 11 months and 20 days.....

My first paper has been officially accepted and is in print.

I spent a couple of days this month recruiting for my institution as an alum/postdoc at a national conference, where I also served as a judge (I also won a travel award). I like the recruiting aspect and could see myself doing it as a job, except for when the airline looses a piece of luggage.

My F32 was reviewed this week and went unscored, ouch. Am I upset, no because I knew it wouldn't stand a chance in the study section they assigned it to (which I didn't request). It was doomed from day one. Oh well maybe it was a good thing, now I won't be stuck in research with a grant and won't feel bad when I have to leave for a real job in a year (keeping my fingers crossed). I'm taking this as a sign that I really need to focus on what kind of a career I want and work towards it.

My two undergrads are getting ready to give their end of semester presentations. I have a new student coming for from France for Spring 2012.

My Ph.D lab is basically bankrupt and my advisor is desperate so he really wants to publish a part of my thesis (which he has turned into a lab effort). He also is making this a huge focus of his R01. If memory serves me right this was a project he had no interest in for years and I labored (without his knowledge) over it. Look whose still keeping this lab afloat even a year after she left? 

One thing I heard through the grape vine is how suddenly the author list has grown. I've made myself clear that I won't take anything less than second author or co-first author (I left the project to a postdoc whom I had asked to help me with it). And if there are any difficulties I just have to remind them that I copyrighted this project and all other work in my dissertation. 

I think I've made my first industry contact with a research and development rep from a big company. I need to nurture this because I'll be looking for a job soon.

Well that's all for now folks......

Still hanging on....

to the life raft of scientific research...


I have been a postdoc for 9 months and 6 days!!!!


F32 grant submitted to NIH, no errors or warnings. Keeping my fingers crossed. That was a rough experience not only writing the actual grant but going through my institutions administration.


Now on to exploring some non-goverment funding opportunities.


First manuscript of postdoc will be submitted next Tuesday. Again keeping fingers crossed.


I've been invited to be a reviewer for a journal.


Three papers maybe coming out of my thesis. Keeping my fingers crossed but not holding my breath.


My undergrad student comes back in the Fall must think up of a few projects.


Getting another student for 9 weeks in the spring.


Recently decided this may be my first and last postdoc; the stipend is barely keeping up with the cost of living and being single makes it worse.


I'll make an effort to update this blog more.

Update

Time as a postdoc: 4 months and 20 days

Today the department is having a retreat on campus and I have a poster to present. Things are moving along very well and I'm super busy I have a manuscript and a F32 due by June 30. The F32 this early because my PI and the administrator who submit the grants for our department are going on vacation 1st week of July for at least a few weeks. Once I get it in I can relax a bit, I'm planning on going to the mid-west for a few days while my PI is gone. I'm going a million different experiments for another paper due out later this year as well as teaching my undergraduate. We are doing a bioinformatic based project which my PI and I will do a review for later this year too. Also because the lab is small and the other two senior postdocs are useless I've somehow become the 'lab manager' making sure things are done and the lab tech gets her stuff plus lab stuff done.

So much to do and not enough hours in the day but I'm happy and pleased with the progress.