Category Archives: Career Feature

Career Feature

Dr. Rasika Hudlikar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the NIH

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We invited Dr. Rasika Hudlikar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD to tell us about her career as a postdoctoral researcher. Here, Dr. Hudlikar talks about some responsibilities and expectations from her job and offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing a career in research at the NIH.

About Rasika Hudlikar, Ph.D.

LinkedIn

Rasika Hudlikar, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH working with diverse team that conducts clinical and translational projects in the area of lung cancer research. Her applied research spans the fields of microbiology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and in vitro and in vivo oncology. Alongside her multifaceted role as a postdoctoral research fellow at the NCI, Rasika is an editorial member and reviewer for multiple scientific publishing houses and a freelance science writer.

How did you get your current job? Describe the path to your current position.

I obtained my BS and MS degrees in Microbiology. I pursued my Ph.D. in Life Science (Cancer Biology) at The Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai, India. After obtaining my doctoral degree, I began to explore postdoctoral research opportunities, as I was primarily inclined towards conducting research in the field of disease biology. Although I received multiple offers, I decided to take up my first career opportunity as a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in a lab where my current research interests aligned with ongoing projects and provided me with opportunities to incorporate new techniques in lung cancer research. After serving 3 years as a postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers, my interests leaned toward application-oriented and patient-based projects. This led me to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, where I have been working since the last 6 months with a diverse research team, comprising head and associate surgeons, bioinformaticians, and senior scientists to conduct research aimed at understanding the complexity of lung cancer, particularly from a clinical standpoint.

 What is a usual day/week at your job position?

My day primarily involves conducting research/benchwork that consists of designing and performing experiments for both independent and collaborative research projects. I’ve listed three most important tasks in addition to my daily research activities:

  • Presenting/discussing research articles
  • Staying up to date with the latest publications in the research field
  • Discussing potential research ideas with my own team as well as with other clinicians at NCI.

My other research activities involve attending scientific conferences to present our work, collaborating with scientists and clinicians in the US, as well as facilitating international research collaborations to promote diversity from various ethnic backgrounds, which is a crucial aspect of scientific research. One of the ultimate goals of our research group is to disseminate the results of our work to the scientific community by publishing our findings in reputed international journals. As a postdoctoral fellow at NIH, we are always encouraged to actively participate in professional development activities outside the lab, for example attending seminars, colloquiums involving career and personal development, including CV/resume writing, job applications, preparing for the interview process, etc. The NIH provides an amazing opportunity for postdocs to acquire various skills, including mentoring students, judging poster presentations at conferences, and preparing candidates for taking up future career endeavors.

From your experience, what does a company/institution look for in candidates applying to your job position?

I believe that dedication to research is an extremely important aspect of working at the NIH. My background in cancer research spans a broad range of experiences, including working with in vitro model systems, experimental animal studies, and human tissue samples, all of which strengthened my application for a postdoctoral fellow at the NIH. From my experience, research institutions also look for candidates who are eager to take on completely new research projects with a diverse soft skillset, including quick learning ability, teamwork, collaborating, and multitasking! Furthermore, developing strong communication skills is an important aspect in postdoctoral research as most work responsibilities involve meeting with a diverse team, including surgeons, bioinformaticians, and global research collaborators where one is expected to not only explain the research with clarity but also understand the challenges at their respective ends. Overall, horizontal learning allowed me to focus on improving my research expertise, whereas vertical learning enabled me to put that knowledge into practice.

What skills have made you and others in your field successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you needed to learn?

Looking back, my career path involved a series of stepping stones, starting from conducting research involving handling organisms at a microscopic scale during my graduate studies in microbiology, to handling organisms at a macroscopic scale, with mice during my doctoral research to understand the complexity of diseases. The research experience I obtained during my Ph.D. was the primary step in learning the basic nuances in the research process, which involves 4 major steps: designing, executing, interpreting/analyzing, and troubleshooting experiments. To accomplish these steps, my mentors taught me in detail about how to dive into research literature to understand potential challenges and research gaps and troubleshoot experiments. After receiving my Ph.D., I began my journey as a postdoctoral fellow in the US with a diverse research culture, and it was thrilling to apply my knowledge/skills to understand different challenges in the field! Although postdoctoral research involves mentorship, I learned to how to independently conceptualize my own project, design the required experiments, conduct experiments, as well as troubleshooting them. My role as a postdoctoral fellow also gave me an amazing opportunity to mentor both Ph.D. candidates and undergraduate students with their research and thesis progress. Another important aspect of my career trajectory was my role in actively participating in professional development research opportunities, which included grant writing and evaluation, reviewing original research articles and literature reviews, as well as writing book chapters, and other university-related volunteering opportunities.

What advice do you have for current graduate students looking into work in this job position?

Learn, learn… and keep learning! Never ever give up on learning new things every day, let it be a new research paper, new techniques, new soft skills, or even new software/websites for analysis of your data. When I observe the working styles of well-renowned scientists, I noticed that the one thing common among all of them is that they never stop learning! Actively build your networking skills and stay up to date with the latest publications in your research lab as well as peers in your research field. Finally, I also suggest exploring traditional as well as non-traditional career paths associated in the STEM career to make this path more enjoying and fun!

The views expressed in this article belong to the authors and not the organization, its affiliates, or employers.

Interview by Janhavi Damani

Career Feature

Insights on Working in the Scholarly Publishing Industry

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We invited Candice Judith Dcosta to tell us about her career in the scholarly publishing industry. Here, Candice talks about some responsibilities and expectations from her job and offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing a career in the copyediting realm of the publishing industry.

About Candice Judith Dcosta, MSc, ELS

LinkedIn

Candice Judith Dcosta is the Head of Copyediting Services at JMIR Publications, an open access digital health science publisher in Toronto, Canada. Her academic background includes bachelor’s and master’s degrees in life sciences and multifaceted roles in the scholarly publishing industry. She is a leader and mentor, a published author, and a certified editor (Board of Editors in Life Sciences). At work, Candice enjoys coaching and training new employees and loves working on collaborative group projects. Outside of work, Candice loves spending time with her family, Netflixing, and drinking loads of coffee!

How did you get your current job? Describe the path to your current position.

My career spans a decade of varied roles in the scholarly publishing industry. I started my journey with biomedical editing in a scholarly publishing agency, where a combination of my background in life sciences and expertise in the English language served as a great foundation for the field. Owing to my inherent people and organizational skills, I progressed into management roles within a few years. For the next 5 years, I worked with several medical editing companies on a freelance basis while pursuing a master’s degree in life sciences, a research stint at a virology institute, and other academic interests. Soon after, I was offered an opportunity at an open-access digital health science publisher in Toronto, Canada. Over the past few years, I have been the Head of Copyediting at the organization; here, I manage a group of 20+ in-house and external copyeditors while overseeing the day-to-day copyediting operations for the organization.

What is a usual day/week at your job position?

My week typically involves an assortment of tasks; I’ve noted a few important ones below:

  • managing my team,
  • training and coaching copyeditors,
  • communicating with authors through our customer support desk or directly via email,
  • overseeing assignment of incoming manuscripts,
  • coordinating between departments to ensure smooth flow of manuscripts,
  • planning capacity and growth for the department,
  • scoping and implementing new projects,
  • troubleshooting technical problems with our technology team,
  • maintaining and updating the company’s Knowledge Base,
  • helping other departments in new ventures and projects, and
  • attending meetings with my team and senior management.

From your experience, what does a company/institution look for in candidates applying to your job position?

For a managerial role within the Copyediting sphere, prior copyediting experience of biomedical journal articles is essential (at least 3-5 years). As my role is a management position, previous management of external and/or internal teams is an asset. Progression into this position would ideally be gradual, from copyeditor to team lead to manager (possibly a few more steps in between). An organization would also look for several soft skills, as these would be required for anyone assuming a leadership role. Another important aspect to consider is the candidate’s academic background. A subject area match is important for specialist/substantiative editing. For example, a candidate applying for a medical editing position should have undertaken some coursework in biomedical sciences as part of their academic background. This will ensure that the candidate understands the content assigned for editing and can easily pick up any unfamiliar concepts within the subject area.

What skills have made you and others in your field successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you needed to learn?

From my experience working with effective leaders, I can tell you that leaders have an arsenal of skills at their disposal, ones they’ve learned and accrued throughout their career. They usually lead intuitively with what feels most appropriate for the situation. A leader’s skills are a result of their knowledge and life’s experiences and those are highly subjective. In my field, most leaders have long-standing experience in the publishing industry and broadly understand most parts of the business. It is important that seasoned leaders constantly learn and grow as the field and technology continue to advance. At the other end of the spectrum, I have also witnessed people who are born leaders, who have a knack for leadership and can ace any leadership role with limited knowledge of the field. In my opinion, becoming a leader depends on how well you’re able to present yourself (your skills and knowledge) and how open you are to learning. One may have expertise in the field, but every new organization, every new role, presents new information and new challenges—one’s success depends on how quickly they are able to grasp the newness, adapt to the changes, and contribute to the organization’s goals. I believe good leaders put their faith in their people, providing minimum oversight and maximum support for their employees to do their best work. Some of the best leaders I know are realistic, supportive, and encouraging. As a leader, me motto is to lead with empathy, and it has served me well. I must mention that I have had the good fortune of working with some of the most talented, brilliant people in the industry, which has made my career very fulfilling.

Every new role brought some unexpected challenges and required quick learning, be it with new software or processes or people. A large part of one’s success in this industry depends on how well they can manage pressure, adapt to change, and learn on the go.

What advice do you have for current graduate students looking into work in this job position?

Historically, there hasn’t been much information available on career paths or job options in the copyediting realm of the publishing industry, but there are many relevant jobs available, and you don’t always require formal training to break into the field. It is important to invest some time on building your portfolio before you start the job hunt, and I’d like to give you a few pointers on how you could prepare for it while still studying:

  • Get involved in editorial boards of your university’s magazines or newsletters. This is a good starting point to showcase your understanding of editorial work, and you could also highlight some soft skills gained from the experience.
  • Get your hands on any copyediting opportunities, even if it is proofreading a friend’s thesis. If it is an unofficial stint, you can still include it in your cover letter!
  • Take courses in publishing/academic writing and editing if you have the option. These don’t strictly have to be done through formal education and they don’t have to be expensive; free massive open online courses (MOOCs) count too.
  • Create a LinkedIn account and connect with people working in publishing organizations. There are plenty of tips for professional networking online on websites like LinkedIn and Indeed. If you’re interested in scholarly publishing, look up the employees of such publishers and introduce yourself. If you’re not sure what work you specifically want to do in publishing, connect with them nonetheless and ask if they’d be open to a chat to enlighten you on the subject. Most often, they’d be happy to lend their expertise. That way, when the time comes for you to begin your job hunt, you’ll have your connections ready to go. Once you have built those useful connections in the industry, reach out to them when you are ready to apply and express your interest in the field; inquire about any available opportunities. You could also go the other way around—find relevant opportunities in an organization and then reach out to your contacts for a referral.
  • Become members of professional publishing societies like the Society of Scholarly Publishing (SSP), Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE), and Council of Science Editors (CSE). These societies host many networking events and have their own job boards. Most of these societies also have special student membership rates, which are a fraction of their regular membership fees. They also conduct mentorship programs to help groom early career professionals and guide their career development in the field. Once you become a member of such a society, explore their benefits thoroughly and take advantage of their offerings.
  • Maintain an active, updated CV always and keep a digital copy handy. You never know when or with whom you may need to share it.
  • Don’t leave any typos in your CV! Proofread your CV at least twice and run spell checks on it. Language expertise and attention to detail are primary skills hiring managers will look for in these roles; a copyediting expert will evaluate the language presented in your CV too, to sniff out these skills.

Organizations are always on the lookout for recent graduates with potential. With a little bit of relevant experience, you can break into the field and chart your career path from there. I’d like to note here that scholarly publishers are not the only organizations that employ copyeditors. Some other types of organizations that have extensive scope for (copy)editing are (medical) communication agencies, universities, publishing vendors, pharmaceutical companies, banks, and tech companies, amongst others. Some companies also offer special programs for recent graduates where they provide intensive on-the-job training. In addition, copyediting can also be performed on contract/freelance basis while you are still at university or on a break.

Coming to the CV, a recent graduate should highlight a few core skills for copyediting positions in their CV (pick all that apply):

  • English language expertise
  • any writing/editing experience
  • ability to provide constructive feedback
  • academic background match
  • expertise with MS Office (specifically MS Word, or other editing software)
  • familiarity with style guides
  • ability to work with new/proprietary software
  • keen interest in learning the work

A hiring manager would also look for certain soft skills in an applicant, including time management, attention to detail, written and oral communication skills, organizational skills, and adaptability. These are standard skills required in the publishing industry, and any student who has had to work on assignments/presentations or held a part-time job would be able to speak to at least some of them. Because an applicant may not have all the skills required for the job, the application should be supplemented with a strong cover letter showing interest in the role and potential to learn and fill any gaps. Hiring managers are aware that recent graduates may not have all the skills required for the role, so they often look for potential that will allow a candidate to grow into an asset to the company. Copyediting is a skill that can be taught if you have fluent English language skills. So, upsell the skills you have and highlight what you are capable of in your cover letter. Lay out a couple of examples of instances where you have exercised the relevant skills and tie it into a neat package demonstrating how you can meet and even surpass expectations. Extra brownie points for reading up on an organization beforehand and addressing their mission or goals in your cover letter.

As we approach the end of this article, I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts: As a graduate student, you have many valuable skills and experiences to offer any employer. Present yourself confidently—that’s half the battle won! And remind yourself that everyone starts somewhere, so why not here?

Now, if you’ve made it to the end and you’d like to test that pesky attention to detail skill…did you spot the typo left in this article?

Interview by Janhavi Damani

Career Feature

Bridging Science and Medicine

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The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly highlighted the importance of connecting scientists with the healthcare industry. Read more to learn about a career at the interface of science and medicine. We invited Ashlyn Ritter to tell us about her role as a Medical Science Liaison. Here, Ashlyn tells us about her work and how she transitioned from being a PhD student to pursuing a career in the biopharmaceutical industry. She also offers some advice to those who are interested in becoming a Medical Science Liaison.

About Ashlyn Ritter

LinkedIn 

Ashlyn’s Ph.D. focused on the areas of gene expression in metabolism and aging. After her PhD, she currently works as a Senior Medical Science Liaison for Women’s Health Medical Affairs branch of AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company.

How did you get your current job? Describe the path to your current position.

Communicating science has always been my passion. While I love and appreciate the art of writing, I enjoy presenting and exchanging knowledge through conversations about data the most. I started to look at career options outside of academia where I could use my PhD training to improve our understanding of human diseases while utilizing the latest research.

I found out about the role of Medical Science Liaison (MSL) through a friend. MSLs—also called medical science associates/clinical science liaisons/medical science managers—lead scientific discussions with healthcare providers about new research regarding particular diseases, technologies, medical devices or therapies. They communicate the most recent research to help healthcare providers make informed decisions when caring for their patients. As opposed to sales representatives who work under a commercial organization, MSLs typically work within a medical affairs branch of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Therefore, MSLs do not sell or promote any product or its use. After reading about the core responsibility, I remember thinking, “I can get paid to stay plugged into cutting edge research and talk science all day? I have to check this out.”

What is a usual day/week at your job position?

Every day is different! MSLs visit healthcare providers and research institutions within their allocated regions, which usually include two to five states, spending time becoming familiar with the healthcare landscape and networking to establish relationships. While everyone manages their calendars a little differently, I typically allocate one day a week for administrative duties. MSLs also spend time staying up to date on the latest research through reading publications, attending conferences and reviewing new clinical trial data. My office is at home, which allows a lot of flexibility in scheduling but comes with unique challenges. You have to be self-driven, which most graduate students, postdocs and PIs understand!

From your experience, what does a company/institution look for in candidates applying to your job position?

Companies can have varying expectations for applicants. MSLs must have acquired advanced degrees like a PhD, PharmD, MD, PA and advanced nursing degrees.  Some companies might require previous MSL experience (which I’ve provided some advice for breaking through below), but many are open to hiring without experience, so long as you have completed a doctorate-level degree. Most companies seek candidates with experience in a particular disease or technology. Since we are often translating data from clinical trial studies, experience with clinical trials is a plus!

What skills have made you and others in your field successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you needed to learn?

Critical thinking, time management and independence is key to being a successful MSL – PhD training already hones these skills very well. The MSL role is inherently a social role too, which means you will have to be comfortable carrying on a conversation with a perfect stranger. I found that spending time on developing conversational skills really enhanced my ability to succeed.

I spent most of my academic career thinking that the industry was just about selling drugs and consumables. In reality, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are developing innovations that are empowering physicians and scientists to advance their work and patient care! Having an open mind, being willing to learn quickly and thinking creatively on how to educate scientists and healthcare providers are also skills that will help you succeed in the MSL role.

What advice do you have for the current graduate students looking into work in this job position?

Academia provides the foundational skills required to transfer into other fields. An MSL role would let you branch out a little from academia and gain experience in looking at human health and diseases from a different perspective. Here are some steps to get primed for this role: Learn what it takes to get FDA approval for a device or drug. Utilize LinkedIn and the mentorship program with the Medical Science Liaison Society to find individuals currently in this role. Set up some time for an informational interview and ask if they’d be willing to keep you posted on any opportunities in their company. In addition, many companies are running clinical trials within academic institutions—identify such principal investigators and reach out to them.

It can often be challenging to land your first MSL role, as most of these roles require experience. If you’re having difficulty getting interviews, try a different point of access. For example, you could assist clinical trials, create educational resources for pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, or work for a consulting company that specializes in materials for pharma or biotech. Gaining experience in scientific communication, learning about the industry and networking are key to landing your first MSL role!

Interview by Pankajam Thyagarajan

 

Career Feature

The work of a Licensing Associate for Life Sciences

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We invited Elisabeth Rutledge to tell us about her career as a Licensing Associate for Life Sciences. Here, Elisabeth tells us about her work and how she transitioned from being a PhD student to pursuing a career in technology transfer. She also offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing this career.

About Elisabeth Rutledge

LinkedIn 

Elisabeth’s Ph.D. focused on the areas of Development, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Medicine. She currently works at the technology transfer office of the University of Southern California (USC) – USC Stevens Center for Innovation. It aims at translating USC research into products for public benefit through licenses, collaborations, and the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation. In her role as a Licensing Associate, Elisabeth manages a portfolio across 21 departments with many inventions and patents.

How did you get your current job? Describe the path to your current position.

As I wrapped up my PhD, I was seeking ways of acquiring experience in a non-laboratory setting. I began volunteering at the USC Stevens Center for Innovation. After several months, I joined their internship program, which provided a structured learning experience while also assisting the licensing team with marketing and licensing efforts. During my internship, a position opened for a Life Sciences Licensing Associate. With encouragement from the staff, I applied for the position and was eventually hired.

What is a usual day/week at your job position?

I am responsible for managing a diverse group of university departments to promote and enable the commercialization of their technologies. During a usual week, I assess new inventions, market technologies to companies, negotiate licenses, and facilitate patent prosecution for intellectual property protection. I interact with USC researchers, patent attorneys, biomedical companies, and other offices within the university to direct and support these activities.

From your experience, what does a company/institution look for in candidates applying to your job position?

From my experience, tech transfer offices are looking for candidates with a strong scientific, legal, and/or business background. As a graduate student, it can be difficult to get any exposure to the legal or business sectors. I would highly encourage students interested in tech transfer or other related fields to look for opportunities that can provide that experience, whether that is through internships, relevant classes/programs offered at your institute (or elsewhere), etc.

What skills have made you and others in your field successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you needed to learn?

I’m very new to this field, so I still have much to learn! One important skill that I am learning is how to navigate the language within licensing agreements and patent applications. I was completely unfamiliar with both of these types of documents, each of which has its own unique format with specific guidelines and requirements for their context. I’ve received a tremendous amount of support and help from the USC Stevens team to understand these documents in order to effectively work with them.

What advice do you have for the current graduate students looking into work in this job position?

I encourage you to reach out to your institute’s own tech transfer office to ask for any opportunities for getting involved with them. Additionally, setting up informational interviews with tech transfer professionals can provide you some insights into their day-to-day tasks, what they like and don’t like about the job, and their own career journey. There are also several organizations that promote technology transfer, such as AUTM and LES (Licensing Executives Society), that have materials and courses to educate yourself on the field.

Interview by Pankajam Thyagarajan

Get into Technology transfer in Life Sciences

Career Feature

Bridging Science, Art and Design

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We invited Radhika Patnala to tell us about her career in Science Illustration. Here, Radhika talks about some responsibilities and skills in this unique field that combines science and art. She also offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing a career in science illustration.

About Radhika Patnala

LinkedIn | Twitter

Radhika’s Ph.D. focused on the areas of neuroscience, inflammation, and epigenetics. Currently, she strives to bridge the line between science, art, and design through her role as the Founder and Director of Sci-Illustrate. This creative agency based in Munich, Germany provides various Life Science companies, research universities, and organizations with a scientifically-informed platform for their needs in design, science communication, and marketing.

Describe the path to your current position. What role did your Ph.D. play?

Sci-Illustrate is a bootstrapped venture created by blending my passion for science and art with a goal to enhance science communication. It was built with a lot of resilience and immense support from my family. Giving myself permission to fail while carefully setting small but consistent milestones, paved the way for Sci-Illustrate to contribute in various spheres of biotechnology, healthcare, and science communication. 

My research experiences from versatile fields allow me to better understand and solve my clients’ problems in design and communication. My Ph.D. training helped in building resilience towards failure and uncertainty. Working in a research environment has taught me how to manage teams and collaborate with others – these qualities lay an essential foundation for any business. 

What is a typical day/week for your job position? Tell us about the different projects at Sci-Illustrate!

My typical week is filled with client meetings, internal meetings with team members for various projects and their execution.  Sci-Illustrate has worked with clients from various life-science and healthcare sectors spread across the world. We also conduct workshops regularly to train life scientists and healthcare professionals in science illustration. 

Examples of some projects at Sci-Illustrate include 2-D/3-D visualization of biomedical products; motion graphics and 2-D illustration to make compelling visuals to tell scientific, medical and pharmaceutical stories. I, with my team of artists and content editors work on an inspiring in-house project called the WIS series under Sci-Illustrate Stories, where we tell stories about Women in Science.

From your experience, what does a company/organization look for in candidates applying for a position in scientific illustration?

One will look for a candidate’s skills and interest in Science Communication. The following soft skills are essential to meet the demands of this field: Communication, Project management, Reliability and Organization to manage deadlines. Utilizing design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop is an important technical skill. Successful candidates show experience in leading different initiatives that can demonstrate these skills and their interests.

Why is science illustration important and what do you find most exciting in this field?

There is an unmet need for effectively communicating research among scientists themselves and further relaying it to non-scientists. Illustration is a highly efficient form of communication and it makes science more accessible. I love solving real-world science communication problems for researchers and science illustration allows me to bring science closer to the public.

What advice do you have for the current graduate students looking into work in this field?

It is crucial to be very clear about the kind of science communication avenue that you would be interested in pursuing: Is it science/medical illustration, public outreach, scientific/medical writing, or science journalism? All of these fields require very different skill sets. Once you gain clarity on the avenue of interest, you can begin to hone your skills in that specific direction.

Interview by Pankajam Thyagarajan

Get into Science Illustration

If you wish to explore a career in science or medical illustration/science communication, start now! Here are some resources to get you informed and active:

Career Feature

Insights on becoming a journal editor

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We invited Rita Strack to talk about her path into becoming a journal editor. Here, Rita talks about some responsibilities and expectations from her job and offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing an editorial career in science.

About Rita Strack

LinkedIn | Twitter

Rita received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago, and postdoctoral training at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her research experience propelled her to a position at Nature Methods, reviewing content related to imaging, microscopy, protein, and RNA biochemistry. 

Why did you choose to pursue a career as a science editor? 

Before becoming an editor, I obtained a Ph.D. and postdoc in the life sciences. I was originally on an academic track, however, I decided to switch to an editorial career after reviewing my personal and professional priorities. First off, I wanted a work-life balance, as I had just become a mom. I was concerned I would not have enough time and energy to be both a new parent and an assistant professor, although certainly many people have done it successfully. Second, I realized I could be happy doing something other than running a lab. This was a critical realization that changed how I thought of myself and my future and allowed me to cast a wider net of job possibilities. Third, I saw a job listing for an editorial position at Nature Methods that seemed written just for me. The job description matched my professional interests and expertise, so I applied. I love methods development, and I am not sure I would be happy as an editor anywhere else. Finally, I wanted to stay in New York because my husband has a great job here. Beyond these reasons, I wanted a job that kept me in science, a job that is engaging and has importance to me and others. I think being an editor satisfies all these criteria.

What is a usual day/week at your job?

I spend a typical day doing a variety of tasks. First and foremost are my duties to the journal. Each editor is responsible for handling all stages involving the publication of a manuscript. So, on any given day I am reading new papers, assigning referees, reading reviews that come in, talking to the editorial team about the papers, and sending decisions to authors. Beyond curating the research portion of the journal, I write content for the magazine portion of the journal, which includes the editorial and research highlights. I also provide input and developmental editing to other magazine sections, such as Reviews, Perspectives, Comments, and News and Views. Another big part of our job is networking, hearing about cutting edge research, and staying on top of trends. Thus, I am active on Twitter (@rita_strack) engaging with the scientific community and I often travel 5-8 times per year for campus visits to meet with faculty and students and to attend conferences.

From your experience, what does a journal look for in applicants to this job position?

In my view, the main quality we look for in candidates is the ability to critically read scientific articles and communicate about them. Our successful job candidates have impressed us with their ability to read and understand papers from their expertise areas, point out critical flaws, and speak clearly about whether a manuscript might be a good fit for our journal. Beyond this, we look for individuals with a specific interest in professional editing, a good understanding of the scientific fields we hope for the person to cover, familiarity with the journal, and willingness to learn new things.

What skills have made you and other science editors successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you had to learn?

Beyond all the training I got reading and writing papers while I was doing research, I think a few things have helped me be good at this job. I am good at time management, which is important because our job has a lot of deadlines. I am also a fast reader with high reading comprehension, and I am good at multitasking and staying organized. In addition, I love the journal. Our editorial team cares very deeply about making Nature Methods a journal everyone wants to read, and this care is reflected in our content.

Something unexpected I learned in my job was that I could trade an in-depth knowledge in a few topics for a larger knowledge in broad scientific areas. I have found this process a fun challenge. Any trained scientist who carefully reads ~500 diverse papers a year will naturally broaden their knowledge in different areas. This is one of the biggest perks that come from being an editor, getting to learn a lot of cool science.

What advice do you have for graduate students looking into work as a journal editor? 

I did not do any specific training to become an editor, but I think being actively involved with writing papers and doing peer reviews with my advisors helped me understand the editorial process better and ultimately be hired for my job. I encourage graduate students to attend journal clubs, participate in science writing or communication workshops and/or activities, and to reach out to editors for informational interviews.

Get into science writing

If you wish to explore a career in science writing, start now! Here are some resources to get you informed and active:

Interview by M. Isabel da Silva