Social Media LinkedIn/Networking for employment workshop

I was invited to speak at a student led session about networking and LinkedIn with the main aims of using these to get a job...

My talk looked at networking and social media in general and outlined some of my own examples

I put together a prezi presentation so I thought I would share it here. 

If you are interested in this you might want to look at my 'how to use twitter' and Social media and the PhD presentation.

The PhD Viva (survival)

On my very first day at university I was queuing at the bank and in front of me was another female student waiting to open a bank account. One of the bank assistants came over and started filling the form in with her and he asked,  "Are you Miss or Mrs"? neither, she replied, "I'm a Dr, I passed my PhD viva this morning". I was in complete awe. I was stood in a queue with someone that had just passed a viva (whatever that is) and she is now a DR. I never imagined that 8 years later that I would be sitting one...

I sat my PhD viva last week and I am writing this in the post exam glow exhaustion. For anyone unfamiliar with a viva they can take on slightly different forms with different numbers of examiners and different requirements, but essentially 'a viva' is an oral exam. My viva was with two examiners, one from my university and the other from another university. Both examiners were researchers in an area related to my PhD topic.

I handed my thesis in back in January so there has been a gap of around 3/4 months between me finishing writing and sitting my viva. Not an unusual amount of time. I am not working in a lab, or on the same project (at all) anymore. So I had been very much removed from my PhD life. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It allowed me to look at my thesis before my viva with relatively fresh eyes and pick out some errors and areas where I could add clarity. I flagged those up with markers and highlighter pens and spent some time refreshing my memory on recent research papers/reviews and points relative to my thesis and project.

One week before the viva I felt fine about it. I knew my project and I knew what extra bits of reading I needed to do. My biggest worry was what I was going to wear (I chose a smart but comfy dress).

Then the fear set in. I was imagining nightmare scenarios and fundamental problems with my project. My biggest worry was being asked a really simple question that I wouldn't be able to answer and humiliating myself.

PhD vivas are daunting. Imagine finding two people you don't know but are examples of fine upstanding citizens and asking 'hey, want to judge me on the past 3/4/5/6 years of my life and tell me if it was worthwhile or not?'

Two days before my viva I was pretty stressed out. I was trying to keep calm but the fear had taken hold. I know that it didn't really matter, but it did matter. Googling 'failed PhD viva' and 'PhD viva horror stories' is not a good idea.

Going into the room I was a bit of a nervous wreck but my examiners kindly put me at ease by telling me that they had enjoyed reading my thesis, that I didn't need to worry and to think of the viva as more of a conversation.

For the next 3.5 hours we looked through my thesis and discussed the wider implications of my work, what my work involved, and how that led to my results and conclusions. They spotted typos and added their thoughts to my project and conclusions. It was a conversation, but it was one more like mastermind than a friendly chat in the pub. They were tough they asked me a few curve ball questions that did throw me a bit and on one occasion I had a complete mental block about a series of experiments that I had planned to do, but for the life of me couldn't recall (I did recall them a few minutes later).

I don't think I really enjoyed the experience but I didn't hate it either. At times being allowed the time to discuss thoughts and ideas was nice but I always was acutely aware that this was my viva and although the examiners were smiling I was being judged.

After they had finished discussing my thesis I was asked to leave the room as they had a discussion regarding the outcome of the viva. I was out of the door just long enough to tweet 'I'm standing outside after my viva waiting to go back in' when they called me back into the room and told me the magic words, "congratulations you have passed". So I passed my PhD with minor corrections and I was very happy, but mostly very tired.

I was exhausted, really exhausted. It isn't like getting a good set of exam results after the stress has passed and you can just go out and celebrate. I went to the pub with some friends and was underwhelmed. I couldn't sleep the night after my viva because I was still so switched on (despite the gin and champers). The following day I was still exhausted. I woke up again about three days later.

Some people on twitter asked for tips for 'surviving' a viva. All I can say is what was passed on to me before my viva:

• know your stuff
• don't be defensive 
• try and relax
• clarify the question before you answer it
• be honest: theses aren't perfect 
• no research project is perfect be aware of the projects limitations and strengths
• take your thesis with you (with notes and things)
• think about your thesis and findings in the context of the 'bigger picture'
• be prepared to offer your own views where there is no right or wrong answer

Keep smiling :-)

For more info on PhD and survival tips see - http://thesiswhisperer.com/2012/07/16/surviving-a-phd-10-top-tips/

Preparing for a viva examination

My PhD viva is in two weeks (ish). I am remaining calm (ish) (so far). I do have one major question weighing on my mind though... what do I wear?!

Appropriate viva wear?

I handed my thesis in back in January and I am no-longer working in the lab, or on my project, so I have taken quite a break from it. It's an advantage in some ways as I can see what I have written in my thesis from a clearer perspective. However, I also think it is a bit of a disadvantage as some knowledge seems to have fallen out of my brain and been replaced by 'other stuff' like how to correctly grow strawberry plants from seed and the ability to have a lengthy conversation with friends rather than my mind drifting away to my thesis layout.

What I am finding my mind wandering to more than often though, is what on earth I am going to wear for the viva. I know this is a very minor point.. but I want to come across the best I can, so I feel confident and so I am comfortable  There's nothing worse than being stuck in a room for what could be 5+ hours with a waistband that is cutting the circulation off to the bottom half of my body. So, do I go with shirt and trouser combo? Smart dress? A SKIRT and a top?! I don't know..  I think making that decision will help me feel even more ready for the viva.. but I am not quite there yet!

For some resources and tips about what to do to prepare for your viva then others have covered it really well from using sticky notes to highlight typos, to what to expect and how to handle yourself check out these links:

• Vitae
• Dr Jill Stewart
• Dr Sustainable
• University of Leicester
• Thesis Whisperer 

This Valentines Day Ask for Evidence

Today (as with all days of significance) stories tend to appear that are linked to 'science', 'scientists' or 'experts'. Quite often loosely tied to a marketing campaign..

But what do you do if you spot something that might be a dubious claim or story? The Ask for Evidence campaign is a fantastic place to start... and this year they have sent everyone a lovely Valentines Day card titled 'Evidence is our aphrodisiac' .. find out what Voice of Young Science volunteers found out about aphrodisiacs when they asked researchers about various claims - click here (HT to @nonisa for sharing this!)

Some tips for spotting dubious claims and stories:

• Where is it published? (On a website? Daily Mail? On a product?) - If you think the source is dubious, then follow up the claim by seeing if anyone else is covering the story, or search for more information online. If they quote any sources or evidence, check those out. 
• Ask for evidence about the claim - and this is where Sense About Science can help. Click here for more info

Last year I started a scientifically correct Valentines day pinterest board.. you can see more by clicking the image below!

Source: health.howstuffworks.com via hapsci on Pinterest

Gender divide in science, what can we do?

An article on the Guardian website offers advice as to how to reduce the gender divide in science subjects and how to best teach science to girls.

There are a number of problems with the article, nicely outlined by @soozaphone in this blog post. In summary of the article, it was an amalgamation of some US government advice from a large study, some data from recent test results (US) and some strange tips and opinions from 'experts' about how best to teach science to girls, although it isn't entirely clear who provided which pieces of information and advice. For an overview of an evidence based approach to encouraging both genders in science subjects (and recognising potential differences) see this post by Chris Chambers and Kate Clancy in the Guardian.


I believe it needs to be a collaborative effort across society with many small changes that may, slowly create an impact. Kate and Chris discuss here how challenging societal constraints and identifying and addressing structural inequality in our societies can support this goal. They call for a systematic approach to encouraging girls and boys in science, and I couldn't agree more. 

I think the next level of the debate has to be, what good, sound advice is there for those that want to teach, and encourage girls in STEM subjects?

Looking at the government report mentioned in the first Guardian article, it pulls out some key advice points, backed by findings in the report 'Encouraging girls in maths and science' from the National Centre for Education (US). I wanted to highlight the study mentioned as a source for the article, as I haven't seen much discusson about it.

Recommendations (table from the National Centre for Education Website)

	Recommendation	Level of Evidence
1.	Teachers should explicitly teach students that academic abilities are expandable and improvable in order to enhance girls’ beliefs about their abilities. Students who view their cognitive abilities as fixed from birth or unchangeable are more likely to experience decreased confidence and performance when faced with difficulties or setbacks. Students who are more confident about their abilities in math and science are more likely to choose elective math and science courses in high school and more likely to select math and science-related college majors and careers.Source  – 1249 KB	Strong
2.	Teachers should provide students with prescriptive, informational feedback regarding their performance. Prescriptive, informational feedback focuses on strategies, effort, and the process of learning (e.g., identifying gains in children’s use of particular strategies or specific errors in problem solving). Such feedback enhances students’ beliefs about their abilities, typically improves persistence, and improves performance on tasks.Source  – 1249 KB	Moderate
3.	Teachers should expose girls to female role models who have achieved in math or science in order to promote positive beliefs regarding women’s abilities in math and science. Even in elementary school, girls are aware of the stereotype that men are better in math and science than women are. Exposing girls to female role models (e.g., through biographies, guest speakers, or tutoring by older female students) can invalidate these stereotypes. Source  – 1249 KB	Minimal
4.	Teachers can foster girls’ long-term interest in math and science by choosing activities connecting math and science activities to careers in ways that do not reinforce existing gender stereotypes and choosing activities that spark initial curiosity about math and science content. Teachers can provide ongoing access to resources for students who continue to express interest in a topic after the class has moved on to other areas.Source  – 1249 KB	Moderate
5.	Teachers should provide opportunities for students to engage in spatial skills training. Spatial skills training is associated with performance in mathematics and science. Source  – 1249 KB	Minimal

This study and advice was offered back in 2007 and it seems fairly sound. What would be interesting would be to see if any of these methods had an impact on girls in science, maths and engineering between 2007-2012.

Everyone has lots of opinions on what should be done to encourage and reduce the divide. But are there any measures and evaluated advice that can really show if we are making a difference or not? 

Saying Thanks

I am just about to send my thesis to the printers and the last part I did was my acknowledgements. I still have to do my viva examination, and I will have corrections but I couldn't wait to share this (and yes, I have thanked Twitter). 

There are also many more people I want to thank for helping me along the way. I could have written about 15 pages. 

Acknowledgements 


Firstly I would like to thank my Mum, Dad, sister Joanne and Grandparents for being there throughout my whole education and always supporting me even if they lost track of where I was, didn’t quite understand what I was doing or didn’t have a clue what I was trying to achieve. They have continually challenged me in many ways but have always been there for me, and explaining my work to them was a starting platform for my other passion, sharing the wonders of biology with others.

My deepest appreciation goes to my supervisor Professor Ruth Ross and my PhD collaborators at Selcia. I want to thank them for believing in me, and giving me this opportunity. Working with such talented and inspirational supervisors has made this project an absolute pleasure. To those that have helped me in the lab who are now my friends I want to say a big  thank you, especially to Lesley Taylor for all the guidance at the start of my project (and continual guidance in my life), Lauren Whyte who is always available for a chat and without whom I would never have finished the final year of my project, Daniele Bolognini without whom I would probably be a lot thinner but not as happy, to Hollie Vase who has shared the ups and downs of the whole of my PhD and also to Gemma Baillie, Irene Hunter and Lesley Stevenson for their continued help, support and chats. I also want to thank Douglas McHugh and Heather Bradshaw at the University of Indiana for offering me the opportunity to spend time in their lab, welcoming me, and supporting my project.

To the Au Science Magazine team, sharing PhD stories and advice helped me throughout the whole process, provided me with great ideas and I want to thank you for your friendship, especially Gina Maffey, Sean McMahon and Kirsty Nutt. 

Sonia Watson and Alun Hughes, thanks for being my buddies in the pursuit of evidence based thinking and the battle against pseudoscience, a welcome pastime when I wasn’t working on my PhD.
I want to thank all my friends who haven’t forgotten me despite living 500 miles away and have still offered me support throughout my PhD and my life, Sarah Harrison (Sazzle), Joanne Thompson, Gemma Craig, Claire Collins, Lara Maisey, Katie (Mc)Tween(igal) and Sophie Dunne. I wouldn’t be here and couldn’t have done this without you.  And to those friends that have welcomed me in Aberdeen, especially the Phil’s (and Ryan) thank you for all the tea, cake and fun times. 

I want to offer a thanks to Jack Dorsey for inventing Twitter, and for those on Twitter that have offered advice and support and allowed me to connect with and present my work with the rest of the world, despite living in the north of Scotland.

Finally, but not least I want to thank Ben Frizzell (friend and husband-to-be) for his seemingly never ending patience and support throughout the ups and downs of the whole of my PhD.  

Finishing a PhD and managing an industrial partnership

Finishing up a PhD isn't a swift and easy process (something my family can find difficult to understand). It's made slightly more difficult if you move away, start a new job, or if your supervisor moves half way across the globe which is something many PhD students have to contend with. Although, supervisors are always busy, even if they are in the same city as you are.

I'm reaching the final stretch now. My final hand in date is the 29th of January. I wrote my first full draft back in October and immediately sent it to my supervisor to look over. I took a break over Christmas, and I started my new job in October, went to the Abu Dhabi science festival and then went home ...  all great career stuff, but it delayed me a little getting the final bits of thesis completed.

My supervisor didn't have too many comments or corrections, so I have only got a few final tweaks (and the dreaded references) to sort out before the end of January. I am finding it useful to have had a complete break from it for a few months. Getting back into it feels less of a drag, and I don't feel like I have read every sentence 500 times which I did when it came to proof reading my final draft. Sending my completed draft of my thesis seemed to work well with my supervisor too. I was planning on sending drafts chapter by chapter but I got carried away and just wrote the whole thing.

I think it might be difficult reading a lone chapter without the introduction (I didn't write everything in order.. it went something like this -

1. 3/4 of methods
2. 3/4 of chapter 1 (which is the biggest chapter)
3. all of chapter 2 (when I went back in the lab to do some extra bits)
4. half of chapter 3
5. the final quarter of chapter 1
6. chapter 4
7. rest of the methods
8. introduction
9. discussion/conclusion

I had discussed before I started writing anything the chapter structure, order and flow of my thesis with my supervisor. So she was aware of what I was doing. We were in agreement on how it should work too which was nice. I know many people have arguments at this stage about what should/shouldn't go in the thesis and the order it is written.

One thing I wasn't quite expecting is the amount of results I have. My thesis would have been a 700 page epic with them all in.

My PhD is funded by an industrial partner and I have spent a good portion of my time screening certain compounds (drugs) that they have created. I developed the screening and that is detailed in my thesis.  I/we didn't feel that endless drugs in a thesis would make very interesting reading, especially as I don't have the chemical structure of them. So I have concentrated on what we have learnt (or in some cases not learnt) about cell signaling pathways and behaviour in response to the common agonist and antagonist (pharmacology chat, apologies) that is well known in the literature.

So I have found myself writing two theses, one for my final examiners and another for our partners that contains all the work I have completed with their compounds. My PhD life has two sides. I have enjoyed the partnership and like working with our partners. The big downside to this is the lack of publications, as a lot of the data will be held by the company and permission needs to be sought about everything we wish to publish and talk about. My topic is a very new area too, so there is a delicate balance between holding on to information you have discovered before sharing it with the world (when you have confirmed it) and sharing it, as that is what gives you credibility in research. I was only able to present my work externally in my 3rd year at a conference.

Some of the things I have found could give the company a competitive advantage over others when it comes to drug development. I'm not saying that this is right or wrong. It's just the way it is with this kind of work and PhD at the current time. We aren't hiding things either. I have been working on this project as a lone ranger for 3 years only. Most of the 'findings' have been found in the last year and a half, and we are putting papers together to publish it at the minute. The way publications work at the minute means this process takes time.

Doing it this way also means my PhD thesis can be made public, if I had results on unpublished compounds in there, we would have to make it confidential.

I will let you all know as I start preparing for my viva... and when it is available online....