AsianScientist (May 18, 2018) – The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only constant.” And so it is with the life of a researcher. Changing labs, switching PIs, getting to know new colleagues are all part and parcel of academic life.
Change and the unknown are scary things, but with the right mindset, they need not be. This month, in the third of our four-part series on transitions, we offer you tips from award-winning Asian scientists to help make the move to a new lab a smooth one.
1. Know the lay of the land
Before moving to a new lab, it helps to do your homework, says biologist Arun K. Shukla, an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
“Read their papers, have some sort of idea where the lab is headed… the key is really to understand what kind of research is going on,” says Shukla, who moved to Germany and the US to pursue his PhD under the tutelage of Nobel Laureates Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka.
Of course, there will be things you can only figure out once you get there, he says, but grasping the lab’s overarching research goals will allow you to “have an idea so you can quickly decide what kind of direction you want to take.” Do that, and you’ll hit the ground running when you start.
At the same time, familiarize yourself with other aspects of your new lab, such as its culture and what’s expected of you—this is Assistant Professor Lynette Cheah’s top tip. Cheah spent a decade studying and working in the US, first at Northwestern University, then Stanford and later MIT, before returning to Singapore to pursue research on sustainable urban mobility at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
“Different jobs will have different amounts of effort dedicated to lab admin, team management, sponsored project work and pure research,” she says. “Some labs are run with frequent meetings. In other places, you’re expected to lead an independent research effort.”
But wherever you go, “initiative is expected and generally appreciated,” says Cheah.
Regardless of what your position in the new lab may be, demonstrate that you’re a self-motivated go-getter, and you’ll be off on the right foot.
2. Think team
Research is rarely ever a solitary endeavor and good communication is key to being productive and successful. Shukla thus encourages young scientists to “talk, talk, talk.”
“Interact with your new colleagues and PI as much as possible… Because in the field of research, the most important thing is to be collegial and to work as a team,” he says.
Be friendly and open, even if you naturally tend towards being an introvert. “Go out to lunch with your new colleagues, participate actively in lab gatherings, volunteer for assignments and tasks that you think you can contribute towards,” suggests Cheah.
Conversations with colleagues can also be information goldmines. It’s how you learn about new cultures and pick up on the nuances of living in a new country if you’ve moved abroad to a new lab, says Shukla.
It’s also where you get inspiration for your research. “In science, the more you chat about it, new ideas and new directions come just like that,” he says. “But if you just work in isolation and are very introverted, I think that’s a recipe for disaster.”
3. Be patient with yourself
When starting out in a new lab, it’s easy to want to jump in headfirst and begin churning out results straight away. But it’s important to give yourself time and space to adapt to a new working environment, says cell and molecular biologist Suidjit Luanpitpong, a senior researcher at Thailand’s Mahidol University.
“Get familiar with the surroundings, observe and be comfortable before you really get to work,” she says. When Luanpitpong moved from her native Thailand to West Virginia University to pursue a PhD and later back home again, she found it useful to “try to be normal.”
For her, that meant working, but not on a project per se. “I work in the field of biology,” she explains, “so I try to start growing some cells and make things normal so it will be easier to blend into the lab.”
Also, she advises that one should not be afraid to ask questions and seek help whenever necessary.
“You shouldn’t try to do everything yourself or to try to keep everything to yourself. Remember that everyone wants to help you make the move as smooth as possible,” says Luanpitpong. “Don’t panic and don’t stress yourself out—you have to think positive and remember why you decided to move and come to a new lab.”
4. Reframe the situation
A common conundrum that many Asian researchers find themselves faced with at some point in their career is: should I move back home after having spent time working in labs overseas? There’s trepidation that the research culture may not be as vibrant in the East, or that infrastructure, resources and funding aren’t as advanced or abundant as they may be in the US or Europe.
“It may have to do with the management system that’s different, but you just have to accept that this is how the system is operated,” says Luanpitpong, who moved back to Thailand after five years in the US. “It’s a bit like living in dorms—if you follow the rules, you’ll live happily.”
“People always fear change and think that coming back to your home town might not be as great as staying abroad,” she says. But a lot of it has to do with changing your perspective and embracing the different opportunities back home that are available to a researcher with your experience. “Don’t always expect that it’s going to be bad,” says Luanpitpong.
Shukla agrees. He returned to India following his time abroad to become a PI and set up his own lab. He cautions against naysayers and disbelievers, words that speak to his own experience but can be applied across the board.
“A challenge in the Indian context is to keep the fire in the belly alive despite all the odds, and to engage in cutting edge research. Don’t let anybody tell you that this or that type of research is not feasible in the local context,” he says.
This article is from a monthly column called Beyond The Bench. Click here to see the other articles in this series.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
