Double Shelix

How can you use the first year of your postdoctoral research position to set yourself up for long-term success? How do you decide if a postdoc is even right for you? In this episode, Sally and Kayla dive into reasons to do (or not to do) a postdoc, how to find a position, and how to get started. Kayla shares her personal experience and what she wishes all new postdocs would know.

If you or someone you're mentoring is new to writing peer reviewed papers, this episode is for you! Kayla and Sally break down the logistics to get you from blank page to final proofs. We discuss planning out your figures, managing your references, crafting an intro, choosing a journal, navigating coauthor drama, and more.What should you do if your PI is (really) slow to read your drafts? What actually is a good paper? (Spoiler alert: the conclusions match the data) What's the deal with review papers? Learn from our mistakes and set yourself (or your students/mentees) up for success!

After completing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Moore found herself burdened by substantial student debt, prompting her to address the critical issue of financial sustainability in academia. Through her own journey, she has developed an educational program aimed at empowering students with essential financial literacy skills. Dr. Moore candidly shares her personal experiences while discussing the barriers that student debt presents to budding scientists. Moore Wealthhttps://www.moorewealth.org/The Debt Traphttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35175812/Restructuring academic traineeship, with Dr. Shirley Malcomhttp://www.doubleshelix.com/podcast/restructuring-academic-traineeship-with-dr-shirley-malcom

It's all of our tips for applying to the NSF graduate research fellowship! The National Science Foundation GRFP can fund 3 years of your PhD, and there's a hidden curriculum for crafting a winning application. Sally and Kayla share their tips for how to prep your application to frame your Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit in the best possible light.

A well-crafted personal statement can make the difference between aspiration and reality. But what information should you include? What does "personal" really mean? In this episode Kayla and Sally dive into the hidden curriculum of personal statements to empower you when drafting your applications to graduate school, medical school, PhD programs, fellowships, and other exciting opportunities. Writing tips book: Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers by Mimi ZeigerLetters of Recommendation Episodehttp://www.doubleshelix.com/podcast/letters-of-recommendation-skill-shareNext Level Mentorship Episodehttp://www.doubleshelix.com/podcast/next-level-mentorship-for-mentors-and-mentees-with-julea-vlassakis

You won't get everything you apply for - and that's ok! In this episode Kayla and Sally dive into some of their biggest fails, rejections, and misses. We go through what we learned and how you can learn from our failures. Kayla shares hard-earned lessons from her (innumerable) application journeys as well as how to create a Rejection Ritual to quickly move on to the next opportunity. If LinkedIn is our professional highlight reel, this episode is the bloopers! 

Join Sally and Kayla as they explore the role of patient advocacy in biomedical research with Kevin Fowler, consultant and owner of "The Voice of the Patient."  Kevin shares insights on what patients want to know and how you can get involved in patient advocacy to drive meaningful change in healthcare related research. Kevin Fowler on Twitter: @gratefull080504Celeste Castillo Lee (with internal links to her work)https://www.rsnhope.org/loris-lines/remembering-celeste-castillo-lee/

Renowned public servant Dr. Shirley Malcom joins Kayla and Sally to discuss the challenges facing graduate students and postdocs during traineeship. We discuss structural barriers keeping trainees in underpaid roles and keeping out those who cannot afford to stay in such roles. Importantly, we consider how universities and funding agencies can perpetuate (or can act to stop!) toxic training environments. How can students and postdocs thrive in a system that's not designed for them? There are no easy answers, but it makes for an important, fascinating conversation!Dr Malcom is a pioneer in advancing STEMM equity, with four decades of experience working on science and technology equity initiatives, including as an advisor to the National Science Foundation and to President Clinton. In her current role as leader of the SEA Change initiative at AAAS, her team is seeking to "effect sustainable change with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEMM at U.S. institutions of higher education." SEA Change initiative: link https://seachange.aaas.org/Dr. Malcom's recent op ed in Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh0336

When Dr. Chrissy Stachl realized that her department's culture needed  an overhaul,  she turned the challenge into her thesis and a consulting career.  Using an evidenced-based approach,  Chrissy now helps universities and businesses find and implement pragmatic solutions to improve equity and inclusion.  Chrissy shares her experiences in developing survey and analysis methods, publishing her findings, and starting her business. She also shares tips for building an inclusive departmental culture.Noteshttps://www.reflectingequity.com/resourcesPublications mentioned:https://elifesciences.org/articles/71583https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.1c00491https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.1c01305https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00163https://www.reflectingequity.com/resources

Preparing to apply for industry jobs but have no idea what to expect? In this episode, Sally shares her personal experience and practical advice about finding a job in industry such as how to ace a phone screen and what even is a “hiring manager.” She spent 8 pandemic months looking for her first post-PhD role so you don't have to! In addition to going deep into her biggest job hunt heartbreaks, Sally reads some poetry she wrote about her job hunt journey - enjoy!

Plenty of PhDs go into consulting after graduation, but what do consultants actually do? Dr. Jessica Vargas from Exponent joins Kayla and Sally to discuss her journey from chemistry PhD to technical consultant. We chat about her grad school exit strategy and her transition from individual contributor to manager. We also address the most pressing questions such as... how many hours do consultants really work? We are stoked to share Jess's story with you all, and her team is hiring - search for polymer or analytical chemistry roles in Exponent's Menlo Park location! https://www.exponent.com/careers

Sally and Kayla welcome Dr. Serah Kang to discuss her experience applying for academic postdoc positions and industry roles. After completing her PhD, Serah spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Gladstone Institute and now is a senior scientist at Genetech. Serah also discusses how her applications and job decisions were impacted by transhood and how employers can attract and support trans scientists. This is the first in a new series about finding your path after getting your PhD! Stay tuned!! 

Caring for a new baby is a full-time job - and then some! In this episode, Sally and Kayla share their experience with parental leave and returning to work after the birth of their kiddos. This is a followup to our “Pregnancy in Graduate School” episode and is a must-listen for anyone thinking about becoming a parent or anyone wanting to be a better colleague or supervisor to (potential) new parents. We also discuss how institutional parental leave policies can support parents in STEM and the potential benefits of doing so.  Interviewing while pregnant or pumping - practical advice for making it work  University parental leave policies  -  discusses the value of accessible parental leave policies for graduate students and postdocs Pregnantscholar.org - generally useful resource for learning your Title IX rights and generating Title IX compliant policies for your university  Great water bottle for breastfeeding parents 

Is grad school the “right time” to have a baby? What is it like to be pregnant while working in a lab? How should you interact with your pregnant colleagues? In this episode, Sally and Kayla share their experiences and discuss what institutions can do to support pregnant students and student parents.

Ah, the slump - that mid-PhD abyss when goals are ambiguous, motivation is waning, and stress is overwhelming. Dr. Emily Lingeman joins Sally and Kayla to discuss her own PhD slump and how she got back on track. Dr. Lingerman also shares strategies to destress and know when "just exercise!" won't be enough. Don’t fear - the slump is normal and you can get through it!

Are you considering a PhD, but not sure if it's right for you? Or, are you deep into a PhD and trying to remember why you started in the first place? In this episode, Sally and Kayla interview Dr. Raj Kumar about the ins and outs of graduate school with a focus on PhDs in STEM. Topics include the differences between PhD and Masters degrees, how much graduate school costs, and reasons to (or not to) get a PhD. Raj is a recent PhD graduate turned Lecturer at Stanford University in the Materials Science and Engineering Department where he pursues his passion for mentoring and teaching.

How many women are working in STEM careers? What are the major hurdles to achieving gender equality? Claudine Schmuck founded Gender Scan to find out. While the project originates in France, Gender Scan is expanding to collect data from across the globe. In today’s episode, Kayla and Sally discuss the launch of the 2021 Gender Scan survey and how data collection is critical to supporting women in STEM. Show notes: Gender Scan Survey (scroll down and look left for the survey link) https://www.genderscan.org/ -Be sure to answer “Double Shelix” when asked “Are you answering to this survey following the suggestion of a partner of Gender Scan?” -The progress bar will make the survey seem quite long, but you actually only need to answer about a quarter of the questions to complete the general survey. You will then have the option to complete additional surveys about specific subtopics. Meet Time’s First-Ever Kid of the Year https://time.com/5916772/kid-of-the-year-2020/ Timnit Gebru’s Exit From Google Exposes a Crisis in AI https://www.wired.com/story/timnit-gebru-exit-google-exposes-crisis-in-ai/

Sally and Kayla GRADUATED! What were some highs and lows of graduate school? What did they wish they had known sooner? In this episode, Sally and Kayla reflect on their experiences while pursuing a PhD as well as share exciting updates for the next season of Double Shelix.

Are you a recent or soon-to-be graduate stressed about recruiting and how you will find your first "real" job? ​ In this episode, Kayla and Sally talk to Entrepreneur, Career Agent, and Advocate - Fatoumata Fall (Fatu) - about how graduating PhDs can optimize their job search experience. Fatu is a co-founder of Ralph, a company specializing in tech industry negotiations. They have supported over 130 STEM Ph. D.s in their negotiations, as well as their career decision-making and transition from Academia to Industry. In the episode, Fatu shares what she learned about the job search process from advising the most successful Ph. D.s. She also shares her own experience as an entrepreneur as well as her insights into the efforts tech companies are making to recruit underrepresented candidates.

What do you study? Whether it's to a leading faculty in your field or to your aunt's best friend, you have probably been asked to explain your research many, many times. How can you make your answer count without reciting an entire review paper? Sally and Kayla discuss how to craft an effective research “pitch" and then test their skills in real time. Spoiler alert: practice matters.

Sometimes bad projects happen to good people. Kayla and Sally discuss how to identify if your project may be in trouble, talk about these challenges with team members, and say good riddance to a bad project. We also talk about letting go of a good projects that come to an untimely conclusion due to circumstances outside your control - lost funding, changing priorities, or, you know, a global pandemic.

Requesting, writing, and stressing about letters of recommendation? Been there! Kayla and Sally cover all these letter of rec worries and more! We get into the weeds like what to do when a recommender asks you to "write the first draft for me" and how many "friendly reminder" emails are too many. Finally, we walk you through writing your first letter of rec about a trainee. It's the first of our Skill Share series - hope you enjoy!

How involved should graduate students be in activities outside of lab? Sally and Kayla discuss how to strategically choose personally- and professionally-fulfilling extracurriculars while still budgeting time for life.

Science policy panelists Andrew Bremer, Stephanie Mack, and Kathy Shield join Sally and Kayla again to discuss how scientific research is funded with a focus on the process of allocating and distributing government funding. The panelists also share how graduate students can be involved in this process and impact research funding for years to come. Links: Journal Science Policy and Governance http://www.sciencepolicyjournal.org/ National Science Policy Network https://scipolnetwork.org/ Science Policy Group of Berkeley https://sciencepolicy.berkeley.edu/ Twitter tags: @STEMvotes @UCB_SciPolicy

When her first career dreams were absolutely dashed, Dr. Maria Artunduaga reinvented herself, founded a company, and learned to thrive.Trained as a physician in her home country, Colombia, Maria dreamed of coming to the US to become a pediatric plastic surgeon and hustled to make it happen. When blatant discrimination and subsequent litigation forced her out of medicine forever, she felt stuck. Eventually, she trained and studied to become an engineer and entrepreneur. She founded Respira Labs and is using acoustics to identify COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) flareups. Maria shares her journey, her advice for others going through career hell or facing discrimination, and lessons learned as a CEO. We are honored to share her story as part of our Journeys series. Find Maria on Twitter @DrArtunduaga and Respira Labs @RespiraLabs or RespiraLabs.com. Subscribe to Double Shelix and tell your friends! Find us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod or email us - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks to the Berkeley Student Tech Fund for supporting the series and to Joel Wanek for editing and production.

Skydeck, UC Berkeley’s startup accelerator program, has created a new model for funding education. They provide resources and funding to help university-affiliated founders go from idea to startup, and profits from Skydeck’s venture fund go directly back to the University. Double Shelix is delighted to welcome Caroline Winnett, Skydeck’s Executive Director, to discuss her path from concert violinist to MBA grad to startup gamechanger. We also discuss some of Silicon Valley’s systemic issues and what needs to change to make entrepreneurship accessible to everyone. If you have a startup or are thinking about thinking about starting one, Caroline will inspire you to absolutely go for it! Berkeley Skydeck – https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/ UC Berkeley Entrepreneurship Resources – https://begin.berkeley.edu/ Thank you to Joel Wanek from Mind Space Time for editing and production of this episode! http://mindspacetime.squarespace.com/ Subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes, and tell a friend about our podcast! Feedback? DoubleShelixPodcast@gmail.com Twitter @doubleshelixpod Instagram @doubleshelix

Science policy has created some of the biggest research initiatives of our lifetimes, like the Human Genome Project, the Cancer Moonshot, and even the Original Moonshot. It also dictates more mundane (but vital) aspects of scientists' lives like grant funding, and how graduate students' tuition stipends are taxed. Science policy panelists Andrew Bremer, Stephanie Mack, and Kathy Shield join Sally and Kayla to discuss their work bringing a grad student science policy group to UC Berkeley and how science policy impacts all our lives. They also share tips for interacting with elected representatives and advocating for science policies you're passionate about. Finally, we chat about career opportunities in science policy and how scientists and people passionate about science and research can get involved and stay informed. Stay tuned for another episode with our amazing science policy panelists coming soon - we'll go deep on how taxpayer money leads to new technologies! Subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes! More on doubleshelix.com Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Email us - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Tell a friend or colleague about Double Shelix!

You’ve secured a coveted faculty position - now what? Double Shelix welcomes Helen Zha, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Helen started as a faculty in January 2018, and on this episode, we discuss her experiences on the faculty job market and how we can learn from her mistakes - and her successes! Helen shares the triumphs and challenges she has faced in the first year of running a brand new research group, and the best advice she’s gotten from her mentors about navigating this exciting career stage. Also, tenure is only 4 years away, so we discuss that terrifying situation, and why it doesn’t seem equally terrifying to all junior faculty. We also discover what motivated Helen to pursue an academic career, her ultimate career and life goals, and how she has perfected the art of the lipstick break. Oh, and her biohybrid materials research, of course! DOUBLE SHELIX LIVE - Tuesday, October 23 at 5:30 pm. UC Berkeley Hearst Mining Building, Room 290. All are welcome! Free food thanks to our partners, Berkeley Society of Women Engineers. We’ll be discussing how learning the hidden curriculum for success in STEM can help students overcome impostor syndrome and excel! More info: https://goo.gl/brDeto Hope to see you there! Helen Zha’s research group - https://www.biohybridmaterialslab.com/ Subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes! More on doubleshelix.com Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Email us - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Tell a friend or colleague about Double Shelix!

Heidi Norton joins Double Shelix to discuss her transition from graduate school to living her best life as a senior molecular biologist at Biomeme, a biotech startup in Philadelphia. She shares her tips for using enthusiasm as a networking tool, and how students and early career professionals can identify their strengths and demonstrate them to potential employers. Heidi shares some of the awesome science she does Biomeme, creating hand-held PCR machines to find endangered species, diagnose diseases in the field, and track high-value goods in the supply chain. Heidi tells us why she loves working at Biomeme and about current job openings at Biomeme - a technical sales/business development role and a software development role! If you love science and solving problems and want to learn more about the business of science, you should TOTALLY APPLY! Biomeme's open positions - biomeme.com/careers Biomeme on LinkedIn - https://goo.gl/uzmdEV Email Heidi for more inside scoop on the job postings - heidi@biomeme.com Biomeme on Instagram - @biomemeinc Biomeme on Twitter - @biomemeinc Awesome videos of Biomeme's technology out in the world - biomeme.com Heidi's blog, Beta Pleated Chic - betapleatedchic.com Thank you to Biomeme for supporting this episode! Please apply to their jobs or tell a friend or mentee to apply - we all could use a little encouragement to reach for our dreams! If you apply, tell Sally and Kayla (who couldn't join for this episode, but will be back!) and we will send you encouraging gifs! Subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes! More on doubleshelix.com Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Twitter - @doubleshelixpod

How can you make the most of a short research or work experience? Sally and Kayla give their tips for how to succeed in a summer internship or research rotation, including how to manage day-to-day responsibilities, demonstrate your curiosity and eagerness, and finish strong to leave a great impression. We give the inside scoop on asking for letters of recommendation and navigating tough conversations about authorship and publication goals. Also, what to do when you end up in a truly toxic situation (which you probably won’t, but still it’s scary). Other important things: great lab notebook habits and tips for all stakeholders to make a successful undergraduate poster fair. If you supervise interns or rotation students, or if you are one - this is the episode for you! Resources: All the best practical tips for crushing your summer research experience, from The STEM Squad https://goo.gl/AgsEQC Excellent tips about framing your summer work experiences in future job, school, or fellowship applications on our episode with Christina Fuentes and Shaheen Jeeawoody https://goo.gl/e8PHvm Stellar advice for becoming an amazing mentee and mentor, on our episode Next Level Mentorship for Mentors and Mentees with Julea Vlassakis https://goo.gl/H8HRLw Sally’s post on how to ask for a letter of recommendation on Beta Pleated Chic https://goo.gl/rNrey Thank you to our funders, the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering and the Berkeley Student Tech Fund. Share your thoughts on this episode on our voicemail 415-895-0850 or email us doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com. We're on Twitter @doubleshelixpod and on Instagram @doubleshelixpodcast - give us a follow! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed us on iTunes!

We wrap up the You do Belong in Science series with listener stories and lessons learned from this series. Listeners write in with stories about the importance of professors' LGBTQ allyship and dealing with chronic illness in graduate school. We reveal who does not belong in science (spoiler alert/content advisory, it's sexual harassers). We also welcome allyship correspondent Jon Muncie to discuss actions everyone can take to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace, fairly judge peers' research, and increase representation and promote inclusion of people from underrepresented groups in STEM. He reminds us that we need to get comfortable being uncomfortable when it comes to discussing and addressing these important issues facing our science workplaces. Resources * Resources for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty at Berkeley: https://queer.berkeley.edu/on-campus, at UCSF: https://lgbt.ucsf.edu, at U of Pennsylvania: https://bit.ly/2jJqjdZ * Proud and Prepared: A Guide for LGBT Students Navigating Graduate Training - resource from the American Psychological Association. Preview it here: http://www.apa.org/apags/resources/lgbt-guide.aspx * Dr. Kate Clancy's congressional testimony video (starts ~41:30) https://bit.ly/2oqm5dn and transcript https://bit.ly/2GUXtkB * Dr. Kate Clancy's amazing podcast, Period Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/period-podcast/period * Sexual harassment videos and NYT analysis: https://nyti.ms/2Gg4NHT * Resources for dealing with sexual harassment: rainn.org/thatsharassment Thank you to our funders, the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering and the Berkeley Student Tech Fund. Also thanks to Gustavo Villarreal @wikirascals for our amazing graphics. Get your Double Shelix and You do Belong in Science stickers at doubleshelix.com/stickers. Share your thoughts on this episode - or your belonging story - on our voicemail 415-895-0850 or email us doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com. We're on Twitter @doubleshelixpod and coming soon to Instagram @doubleshelixpodcast - give us a follow! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed us on the iTunes store! Keep penning those awesome reviews!

Professor Suhair Sunoqrot joins Sally and Kayla to discuss her experiences running her research lab at Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan and what she wishes international colleagues understood about the research climate in Jordan. Also on this episode, a listener is having a hard time fitting in while researching in another country, and we discuss Suhair's experience finding belonging in research labs in the US and Europe. Suhair successfully balances her nanoparticle and drug delivery research with a heavy teaching load, and we learn her secrets for making it work. Suhair is an outstanding researcher and mentor, and we're honored to have her on Double Shelix! Resources: * Suhair on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssunoqrot/ * Suhair Sunoqrot Lab at Al Zaytoonah University: https://nanolabzuj.wordpress.com/ Thank you to our funders, Penn Bioengineering Department and the Berkeley Student Tech Fund. Thanks to Gustavo Villarreal and Kaz Lewis for our awesome graphics and photos! Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Send us your stories of (not) belonging in science! Doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com, on doubleshelix.com, or our voicemail 1-415-895-0850. Stay tuned for our episode next week - it's the You do Belong in Science-stravaganza! You do belong in science!!!

A STEM graduate degree can be a gateway to an amazing career, but many undergraduate students are unaware that these opportunities exist or how to navigate the grad school admission process. Guests Christina Fuentes and Shaheen Jeeawoody join Sally and Kayla to discuss strategies for enabling students to learn about and successfully apply to graduate school. Shaheen and Christina are both leaders in Graduate Pathways to STEM, a grad student-run organization that brings students from non-research institutions to Berkeley or Stanford for a 1-day conference to learn about the opportunities a graduate degree presents, what grad school is like, and navigating the admissions process. Conference attendees are paired with peer mentors and have the opportunity to interact with STEM leaders. We also discuss strategies for successful grad school applications, writing strong essays that advocate for yourself, Shaheen and Christina's pathways to graduate school, and the value of peer mentorship - "Peer mentorship kept me in the PhD." If you're considering applying to graduate school, want to improve your writing, or want to understand how your community can be more welcoming to graduate students of all backgrounds, you will LOVE this episode. Resources: *Bay Area Graduate Pathways to STEM - https://stanford.io/2Fiojls *Christina Fuentes on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinamfuentes/ *Shaheen Jeeawoody on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaheenj/ Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill out the form on our website, or call our voicemail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers - DoubleShelix.com/stickers. Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod

Many students arrive in college under-prepared for success, and professors have the responsibility - and opportunity - to help them gain skills to enable their success and find belonging in STEM. However, few professors are trained to help students develop these skills, so our guest, Sherri Messersmith, incorporates them into her series of developmental math textbooks! On this episode, Sherri shares her journey in math, from besting elementary school bullies on every math test, to high school math teacher, to college math professor, and now author of 15 college math textbooks. We discuss how staying true to your passions outside your main focus area - like writing, cooking, and travel, for Sherri - can make you better at your job, and even open the door to new opportunities - like textbook authorship! Sherri tells us what departments can do to engage with students in introductory courses and how to build students' confidence in difficult material. As Sherri says, life is not linear, so follow your passions, work hard, and be ready if fortune strikes with an amazing opportunity! Sherri is an experienced educator and speaker on the topic of enabling student success, and we are honored to have her on Double Shelix!! Also on this episode, we hear from a listener who was told by professors that they didn't belong in their grad program because they went to a small liberal arts college, not a big research institution - what?! We discuss how students take these kinds of comments from faculty really harshly, and how faculty can do better. Also, the importance of peer support in making it through trying times when you're singled out or are the "only one." Resources: *Road Trip Nation, the book that inspired Sherri's career leap to textbook authorship: www.roadtripnation.com *Sherri's textbooks: https://amzn.to/2JRcHct *Follow Sally and Kayla on Twitter @sallywinkler and @Kayla_J_Wolf *Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill out the form on our website, or call our voicemail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. We're hoping to share a diverse set of experiences from our listeners, but we need your help to make that happen! Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers - DoubleShelix.com/stickers Check out our upcoming guests - DoubleShelix.com/flyer If you liked this episode, you will love our episode all about imposter syndrome and improving your writing - Episode 3, "Battling Imposter Syndrome // Writing is Part of Science." It's a few episodes back in this feed. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes! And please, tell your friends about Double Shelix!

The real value of STEM outreach is the positive youth development and mentorship that students receive. Being inspired to pursue a STEM career? That's just a welcome bonus, says our guest, math graduate student and data scientist Noni Williams. Noni joins Kayla and Sally to discuss effective strategies for STEM and professional development outreach to kids and teens and her extensive experience leading initiatives from robotics and digital art festivals to AP Computer Science and slam poetry. Also, our allyship correspondent Jon Muncie checks in to chat about how we can all work to distribute the burden of emotional labor equitably in our workplaces and beyond. We also discuss Noni's experiences being the only woman and/or student from an underrepresented background in her graduate mathematics courses and balancing work as a data scientist at United Way of the Midlands with graduate school. Noni gives advice for others in similar situations. Some of Noni's keys to success including tracking gratitude, finding peer mentors, and defining clear boundaries around her time. Noni brings her *extensive* experience leading STEM outreach initiatives for kids and teens to this episode, and we are honored to speak with her! Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill out the form on our website, doubleshelix.com, or call our voice mail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. We're hoping to share a diverse set of experiences from our listeners, but we you to help make that happen! Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers here - bit.ly/2Hppv99 - and tag us on social media #YouDoBelongInScience Resources *The nonprofit No More Empty Pots - visit their coffee shop No More Empty Cups near 10th and William in Omaha, www.nmepomaha.org *United Way of the Midlands Omaha, where Noni is Manager of Solutions and Continuous Improvement, www.unitedwaymidlands.org *Follow Noni on Instagram @nonihasknees *Follow Jon on Twitter @jmmuncie *Follow Sally and Kayla on Twitter @sallywinkler and @Kayla_J_Wolf *Follow @BetterMaleAllies on Twitter - more excellent allyship tips! *Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Check out our upcoming guests - DoubleShelix.com/flyer If you liked this episode, listen to our episode with mentorship expert Julea Vlassakis - "Next Level Mentorship for Mentees and Mentors." Check out it out, a few episodes back in this feed. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes! And please, tell your friends about this podcast!

We kick off our You do Belong in Science series with Dr. Tamara Alliston, PhD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF. Tamara discusses her journey into science and academia, and how she found belonging through peer mentorship, despite imposter syndrome. As a mentor, Tamara works to help mentees "stay connected to what gives them joy," and we also discuss what brings Tamara joy - musculoskeletal biology and surfing with her family! Tamara stresses the importance of STEM outreach to adult audiences, and shares her practical tips for "making this life work." Finally, we dispel myths about the Pipeline Problem, and Tamara shares some data about funding disparities in orthopedic surgery. We encourage everyone to dig into the data to learn about funding demographics in their own field; for most of us, there's still a long way to go. Bonus: Tamara's qualifying exam advice! Resources * Alliston Lab at UCSF - allistonlab.ucsf.edu * Musculskeletal Biology Gordon Research Conference - https://bit.ly/2H5wPqx * The importance of peer mentorship in graduate school - https://bit.ly/2InhBwj You do Belong in Science * Submit your story of belonging or ask a question - email us doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com or call our voicemail 415-895-0850! * Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers - email us! * Stay tuned for our next episode, out April 10 * Sign up for our mailing list - https://goo.gl/forms/hQm1Tl0UgPLx9rKi1 * Check out our *newly redesigned* website - doubleshelix.com * Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod. Join the conversation with #YouDoBelongInScience and #YDBIS * Recommended episode - Teaching for Active Learning with LeAnn Dourte (Double Shelix Episode 8) Many thanks to... * University of Pennsylvania, Department of Bioengineering * Berkeley Student Tech Fund * Gustavo Villarreal, @wikirascals on Twitter, for our amazing logo * Kaz Lewis, for our official portraits on our website - follow him on Instagram @kazlewis * You, our listeners, for telling your friends about our podcast and our #YouDoBelongInScience campaign

Going in, graduate students expect they'll have to work hard, but most students are unprepared for the mental anguish that grad school can induce - especially when experiments aren't going well, or when we compare to themselves to others' successes. Penn Bioengineering PhD students Meagan Ita and Michael Magaraci join Sally and Kayla to discuss wellness in graduate school. Meagan and Mike discuss the importance of taking charge of your own wellness, and what departments can do to support student wellness. Things also get real with discussions of the value therapy and/or medicine to address depression or anxiety, and we sound off on the harm caused by toxic mentor/mentee relationships. If you've struggled with being well, want to stay well, or want to support others on their journey to wellness, check this out! Resources: *Professor Arjun Raj's blog - truly, a font of knowledge - goo.gl/h2Wwi2 *UC Berkeley graduate student wellbeing survey results​ - goo.gl/kcby7w *FixYourRun.com *PhillySurgeRunning.com *Meagan's Lab, the Spine Pain Research Lab - goo.gl/Zq2nbK *Mike's Lab, the Chow Lab - https://goo.gl/BnYWtg *7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - goo.gl/SXgECv *Headspace, a meditation app - Headspace.com *The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - goo.gl/Jh5SLu *The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson - goo.gl/z4mmWq Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Feedback? We love it - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting our podcast and this episode!! We love their Twitter @pennbioeng and their blog - beblog.seas.upenn.edu

Zoe Leavitt, senior consumer product and retail analyst at CB Insights, joins Sally and Kayla to discuss what's hot at the intersection of tech and retail. She truly has her finger on the pulse of the latest trends - and the data to back that up! We also talk about her experiences working for Bank of China in Shanghai, and communicating technical content to lay audiences - like on Good Morning America! We also calls BS on VCs being "afraid to meet solo with women founders" in the post-#MeToo era and conclude that the future of futurism is female. Zoe's a master communicator, and shares some awesome tech communication tips. You'll love Zoe's insights!!! Resources: - Follow Zoe on Twitter @zoe_leavitt and on LinkedIn: https://goo.gl/Fkm24w - Find some of Zoe's analysis, including her work on coffee, Amazon drone warehouses, and more: https://goo.gl/D5xX3D - Zoe on Good Morning America: https://goo.gl/wB7Fqi - Subscribe to Zoe's newsletter to follow all the hottest trends in consumer goods! https://goo.gl/oQaHGq - CB insights blog - cbinsights.com/research

Dr. Kathleen Norton, obstetrician/gynecologist extraordinaire, joins Kayla and Sally to tell us what grad students need to know about women's health! She dispels contraceptive myths and gets real about HPV vaccines, Pap smears, and mammograms. Dr. Norton (Sally's mom, y'all) also discusses her work in hospitals in Kenya, early-career struggles, timing family and career, and dealing with difficult people in the workplace. There's something for everyone in this episode, even (especially?) if you don't have a vagina! The fun never ends on Twitter @doubleshelixpod. Who should we interview next? Other thoughts? doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Thanks again to University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting the production of this episode! https://www.seas.upenn.edu/be/

Julea Vlassakis, mentorship expert and Bioengineering PhD Candidate, joins Kayla and Sally to talk mentoring in academia and beyond. Lean how to establish productive mentor/mentee relationships and cultivate the next generation of scientists - yourself included! Beginning mentees and seasoned mentors alike will learn something new from Julea's wisdom. Discover strategies for breaking out of the cycle of mediocre mentorship, how to deal with underperforming mentees, tips for cultivating a community of mentors within your field, and how to get a mentor to step up for your career goals. Stay tuned to the end for Julea's list of mentor and mentee responsibilities - supported by peer-reviewed literature, of course! Fam, this is next-level mentorship. Spoiler alert: Mentor/Mentee Responsibility Number Zero is "Establish clear goals and expectations!" Resources: *Julea's work in the Herr Lab at UC Berkeley - herrlab.berkeley.edu/ *Profile of Julea's research in honor of her winning Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening graduate fellowship - https://goo.gl/ymPypB *"Getting Mentored in Graduate School," recommended book by Johnson and Huwe - https://goo.gl/ptefFT The fun never ends on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Who should we interview next? Other thoughts? doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Thanks again to University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for making this episode possible!

Award-winning engineering lecturer Dr. LeAnn Dourte joins Kayla and Sally to discuss active learning in engineering classrooms. LeAnn is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and has pioneered their biomechanics curricula - students build robo-arms to move PlayDough? Yes please! She shares her tips for setting classroom expectations in undergraduate vs. graduate courses, and doing academic research about engineering education! We also discuss LeAnn's experiences as a new mom in a dual-career family, and her Better Talk Next Time moment - spoiler alert: don't bully your professors to get better grades... This episode is a collaboration between Double Shelix and the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering! Thanks to UPenn BioE for funding this episode, and we are honored to share LeAnn's awesome work with you all! If there's someone else at UPenn BioE (or elsewhere!) that you think we should feature, give us a shout! Thanks for listening!! Resources: UPenn BioE Blog (featuring their famed This Week in BioE segments!): https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/ Research findings from LeAnn's SAIL studies: goo.gl/vjPtAJ LeAnn's biomechatronics students make robotic arms: goo.gl/rZYPPT Penn Bioengineering on Twitter @pennbioeng UPenn Center for Teaching and Learning: https://www.ctl.upenn.edu/ Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Be sure to subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes, and please leave us a review! Who should we interview next? Let us know - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com

We're back for Season 2, and this episode is inspired by what our listeners want to hear! Kayla and Sally are huge fans of listener-recommended science crush, the late MIT Prof. Millie Dresselhaus: Queen of Carbon Science, tireless advocate for women in STEM, and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science in Engineering. A recent GE commercial asks, "What if we treated female scientists like they were stars? What if Millie Dresselhaus was as famous as any celebrity?" Kayla and Sally are 100% behind this mission, and plot meet-cutes with the sci-lebrities in their lives. Also, in the first-ever listener-submitted Better Talk Next Time stories, listeners tackle biased perceptions of women in engineering, how to deal when your significant other believes damaging STEM stereotypes, and other *fun* themes. Don't worry, listeners - you do belong in science! Please rate us on the Apple Podcast app/iTunes store! Stay tuned to the end of the episode for overly detailed step-by-step instructions (methods section) about how to do this. We're keeping it real on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Follow us to be reassured that you do belong in science. Email us doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com - Have you had a sci-lebrity encounter? An experience you hope to Better Talk Next Time? Any sug*guest*ions? We love our listeners, so reach out and say hi! Millie's GE Commercial #goals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ6_fOX7ITQ

Megan interviews Molly Sheehan, a bioengineering post-doc who is running for US Congress in 2018. Molly grew up in Pennsylvania, studied biology at Haverford College, and received her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is now a post-doc in bioengineering developing new molecular imaging techniques. Today, we talk about what is motivating her to run for Congress, the issues she is most passionate about, and how she is getting her campaign up and running. Email us - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast More: doubleshelix.com & betapleatedchic.com Help spread the love - review us on iTunes!

How do you balance the fact that your happiness shouldn't be totally dependent on the outcome of your research with the fact that of course it is? Kayla and Sally tackle this listener question, and things get real. Conclusion: getting great results feels great, but if this is your only source of warm fuzzies, you're in trouble. But good friends and experience will get you through (probably). Also, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub is applying major Silicon Valley thinking - and money - to solve real problems. Yay! But is curing all diseases an excessively lofty goal, or is just the kind of attention that science funding needs? We discuss... Email us - doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com. Listener Better Talk Next time stories coming soon, so submit yours anonymously today! Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast More: doubleshelix.com & betapleatedchic.com Help spread the love - review us on iTunes!

Qualifying exams: who doesn't love months of preparation for a 3 hour oral exam that (potentially) covers everything you've ever learned? Sally and Kayla try to find the bright side, and are moderately successful, but quals are still rough you guys. They also argue that departments where passing quals is defined as being in the top X percentile really should reconsider, and set their students up for success! Also in this episode, conferences are exhausting, but Kayla has some strategies for pushing through. Finally, Kayla and Sally discuss soliciting effective feedback on your presentations. Spoiler alert: tell the audience what you want. Email us: doubleshelixpodcast@gmail.com Follow us: Twitter @doubleshelixpod, Instagram @doubleshelixpodcast More: www.doubleshelix.com, www.betapleatedchic.com

Imposter syndrome sucks, especially when it keeps you from doing your best work. In this episode, Kayla and Sally discuss their own experiences overcoming three types of imposter syndrome: feeling like you were invited by mistake, comparing yourself to a superstar, and realizing that everyone else's research is WAY cooler than yours. In Better Talk Next Time, a man says he would have won a major fellowship if he was a woman - greaaat. Finally, if you want money to be at the lab bench, you need to be able to write. How can you sell yourself and your work to reviewers and get meaningful feedback on your writing from peers?

Megan interviews scientist and entrepreneur, Katy Lassahn. Katy is a co-founder of BioIgnite, a non-profit focused on bringing STEM research and discovery to young students. Megan and Katy chat about BioIgnite's experience with the NSF Innovation Corps for Learning grant, building a business, and STEM education in the US. And, listen for a sneak peek into BioIgnite's summer camps! Find us and share your thoughts! Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Email - doubleshelixpodcast AT gmail DOT com Web - doubleshelix.com

What was your first job? The first thing you were paid to do? Your first position in your field? Kayla and Sally discuss first jobs and how to find your next first job. We argue that it’s silly that in academia your “first job” isn’t until you’re a tenure-track faculty, and that this undermines the hard work of students and trainees. Also on this episode, Kayla shares an Oh Shoot moment from the lab bench, and things get v. real in our Better Talk Next time segment. Finally, we learn about crosslinking gels in the Tech Talk, and on Stuff We Love, we love the Nikon Small World microscopy image competition and this awesome article by Sue Bird about the shameful lack of analytics in women’s sports. Find us and share your thoughts! Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Email – doubleshelixpodcast AT gmail DOT com Web – doubleshelix.com