The Q: The Quartzy Blog for lab managers and scientists

So you’ve been asked to review your first scientific article - congratulations! Being asked to review an article indicates that you’ve made an impact through publishing and presenting your own research – whether you were invited directly, or

Gatherings of experts in the field play a major role in science. We all occasionally attend seminars, workshops and conferences – and not just because of the free coffee. We aspire to extend our scientific network, catch up on latest research or

We all feel it: the pressure of publishing. I first felt it when I was at the beginning of my second year as a PhD student. My group and I had flown overseas to the conference of the American Society of Cell Biology. A meeting that attracts each

Happy New Year! With the start of a new year often comes the opportunity to plan changes you want to change in the coming year. And while most people make resolutions related to their personal life, scientists should think about making

Labs always tend to be quieter during December, as people wind down their experiments and travel for the holidays. It can also be a challenging time, as reagent stocks, equipment, cell lines, and animal colonies still need to be maintained, but

In the short term, overseas research experience allows scientists to expand their network, acquire new experimental techniques, and become acquainted with a variety cultures. Long term, it enables one to collaborate with international colleagues,

Graduate students and postdocs looking to network for their future career prospects are often lacking in such opportunities at their universities. Instead, it can be useful to look outside of the university setting, to events organized in the

If you’re currently in science research then you’re well aware of the funding deficit, and it’s likely that at one point you or a fellow scientist friend has had research (or maybe even a job) on the line while eagerly awaiting a grant score. So,

Allow me to set the stage: a summer evening. A group of strangers pile into a cafe to play board games. Amid the discussion of what games to play and food to order, introductions abound. Then, you hear the fellow next to you say that he works at

As I enter into what is likely the final year of my PhD in the Biomedical Sciences program at the University of California San Diego, I regularly find myself contemplating the last four years. Although my experience has been a generally positive