I was super fortunate to be an invited speaker at the Science+ event in Bilbao, Spain last October, where I spoke to early career researchers about my experiences as a young scientist in academia.

With the help of my good friend Whit McFadden, MD/PhD student extraordinaire at Mt Sinai, we came up with some ideas that we wish we knew earlier or excellent advice that we would give to our younger selves.

Here is my talk, where I explain ten things I wish I knew at the beginning of my research studies. Things I cover are summarised here:

10 things I wish I knew at the beginning of my research career

1. Think about the future
2. Its about the journey, not the destination
   
3. Make the most of your down time
   
4. Work out your strengths
5. Enthusiasm is everything
6. Create a positive environment
   
7. Join internal support groups
8. Stay focused on the goal
9. Have many mentors
10. Believe in yourself

 

(Fast-forward 2min past the technical issues)