Anthony (Tony) Patelunas is an Early Career Leadership Program alum who served as co-chair of the Early Career Scientist Career Development Subcommittee during his time in the program.  

The ECLP, which is currently accepting applications, teaches early career scientists leadership, writing, and networking skills, among other important tools that can be applied to careers in academia and industry. 

Tony gained many essential skills through his participation in the ECLP but one particular lesson stands out to him, “The most important skill I gained is learning to proactively manage my own career,” he shared. Through many conversations with mid- and senior-level professionals who started their careers from a similar place and pursued graduate studies in genetics, Tony was able to create a mental picture of how different careers progress, and envision what he wanted his own career journey to look like. “Spoiler: It’s often unexpected and serendipitous!” he pointed out. He started planning for the next two, five, and 10 years and was more intentional in considering and planning his own skill development and the positions he was willing to accept. 

Through the ECLP, Tony made connections that he maintains until today–his new network supports his decision-making as he consults these trusted colleagues before making big career moves. “The combination of a strong network and the opportunity to build skills and experiences beyond my research environment was irreplaceable to my success afterward,” he explained. 

As he continues to plan his career journey over the next couple of years, Tony hopes to pursue committee work and eventually a Board position with GSA and other professional societies. “The ECLP and the ECS Career Development Subcommittee highlighted the importance of building a strong network in my professional community, and the value of early leadership experience for long-term growth,” he shared. Tony sees serving on committees as another opportunity to continue building and expanding one’s network through regular interactions with individuals sharing a common mission. He also sees this as a chance to develop strategic thinking skills which are key to the growth of an organization, as well as an individual and their career. 

Like Tony, many in the ECLP chose to pursue a career in industry, while others have moved on to positions in academia. Through growing their network and skillset, participants can thrive in whatever career path they choose to take. Apply to the Early Career Leadership Program to gain the skills that will help you succeed as well. 

Applications are due October 16, 2024.

Dr. Lanre Morenikeji received his PhD in animal genetics at the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Nigeria. With a strong interest in genetics and immunology, he pursued a pre-doctoral program at Cornell University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Rochester Institute of Technology. As an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, he focuses his research on understanding the mechanisms that regulate immune response during infectious diseases. He’s been working on noncoding RNAs associated with disease susceptibility and tolerance. In addition to research, he is passionate about teaching science to his students.

How did your academic background prepare you for your present position?

I had a background in genetics, where I started as an animal science student. I liked the health aspect of my course because I did stuff like immunology, parasitology, and genetics, which sparked my interest in molecular genetics. During my Master’s, I signed up for some courses in immunology due to my interest in health, even though they were not required for my graduation, and I did quite well in them. My interest in integrating genetics and immunology informed my decision to do a postdoc in immunology. Because of my love of biomedical science, combining my genetics and immunology background positioned me well for what I’m doing now.

What barriers did you have to overcome, having envisioned your future career in biomedical science?

I’m originally from Nigeria, where we have minimal resources to conduct research. Although we can access the theoretical aspects through reading textbooks and taking courses, doing hands-on work is limited. I started looking for opportunities to further my studies abroad early on. During my Master’s, I did molecular characterization of some proteins associated with feed efficiency and some growth parameters in pigs. Performing protein analysis, gel electrophoresis, and PCR were difficult, but I leveraged a professor who studied in India and brought some equipment to his lab. Most of my professors considered my PhD research proposal ambitious except one (who had gone abroad and done some work in genetics). The latter said, “Let’s give him the opportunity. He said he wanted to do it, let him do it. We’ll be here.” He encouraged me, and I brought him on as my co-advisor for my PhD to benefit from his mentorship and experience. Funding is a major problem when conducting research in Nigeria, so I started looking for scholarships. I received many rejections and once received an admission offer with a partial scholarship to a university in the U.S., but I couldn’t attend because there was no further funding support. So, I kept on doing my research and didn’t limit myself due to limited resources. Because of my interest in doing my PhD in the U.S., when I got the opportunity, I moved to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, to do the most important part of my PhD research and returned to Nigeria to graduate with a PhD.

Also, the language or accent barrier was a challenge when I came to the U.S. We speak English in Nigeria, but it’s different from how it’s spoken in the United States. Sometimes, it isn’t easy to communicate with colleagues, and I have to repeat things multiple times to aid comprehension. So, it’s something that I had to overcome over time by watching videos, listening a lot, listening to the news, and practicing my communication. Likewise, I think the pace of work is another challenge. The pace is a bit faster. The volume is much higher than what I had in Nigeria. And, of course, the resources are available, so I just plug into it and then keep moving.

How did your pre-doctoral program experience spur your interest in a postdoc in the U.S.?

When I came to the U.S. for my pre-doc, the first time I resumed my lab, I looked at everything and said a statement to myself because I like to speak to myself a lot. I said, “Lanre, you have everything now. Become whatever you want to become.” I needed to learn a lot and work independently when I got here. As soon as I resumed in the lab, they gave me my bench, and I met with my advisor on Fridays to give reports of what I’d done and discuss progress. We also had lab meetings, but everybody in the lab focused on their research, so I had to work independently on my research. This attribute helped me and positioned me well for my postdoc because I learned a lot of techniques. During that time, I attended meetings, met many other scientists, and made friends, including my postdoc advisor, whom I met while I was at Cornell University. Most of my collaborators today were people I knew at Cornell. In fact, a professor called me after a presentation and commended me on my presentation. Since then, we’ve been friends and collaborators and won some grants together. So, that experience helped me to transition into my postdoc research, especially doing my pre-doctoral fellowship at a prestigious institution like Cornell University, which also influenced my postdoc offers. When I came for a postdoc, I had three different offers, two in the United States and one in India, and I chose one in the U.S.

How do you navigate research expectations as a scientist from a minority group while training your students?

As I love research and discovering new things, I exert myself a lot beyond an average person. If you want to be outstanding, nothing comes cheaply, and you need to exert yourself to do more than an average person will do. As a minority scientist, you compete with people around you and have to extend yourself to do more, to get a lot done. Sometimes, I had to stay in the lab until night. It requires a lot for you to be able to do many research projects and publish multiple papers. Currently, I have four students doing research with me and I also collaborate with other professors in my school and other universities. So, collaboration also helped me to be able to get more research output. Also, I read a lot to understand current research trends, identify gaps, and then try to create something novel to fill the gaps. As research results come out, I take students to conferences to present and prepare papers for publication afterward. I believe there is time for everything, so I maintain a work-life balance. I have time to spend with my family, visiting places and spending time playing with my kids. I just have a principle to focus on whatever I need to do and attend to other things later.

Part of the reward is recognition of my work, like the Excellence in Research and Teaching Award I received in the overall Pitts system, which is great and highly competitive. Also, my campus shares news and publishes my successes with my students.

As a professor, how do you mentor students, and what is your mentorship philosophy? How do you measure mentorship success?

First, mentoring is work, as it requires time, patience, and applying different methods and pedagogy to train students. My goal is to be able to communicate science to my students and give them a platform to become what they want to be. So, it’s always exciting for me when my students can take the techniques, the spirit of excellence, and commitment and it reflects in their work. That will position them well for whatever they want to do, either going to medical school or graduate school. Also, honesty is the first thing I require of students who come to my lab. This is because honesty is required to be a scientist. Therefore, they don’t need to manipulate or make things up but report whatever results they get from an experiment. I also teach them to work hard and not be afraid of making mistakes. Because they are undergraduate students, I train them through examples and demonstrations and allow them to try it out even when their hands are shaky. My goal is to transform them from being dependent to independent. After they are gone, many of them send thank you emails for the training, and I write them strong references when needed.

One of the ways I measure my success is to see my students being successful by fulfilling their goals in life and being where they desire to be. This brings me joy. Sometime last year, I visited a lab at West Virginia University, where I met a former student from Nigeria who is now a postdoc in that lab. Seeing my students succeed brings me joy, which is how I measure mentorship success.

Any final words for Black students and early career scientists?

To Black students and early career scientists: Be strong, courageous, and believe in yourself. You have the best in you; therefore, be confident in expressing that and reaching your greatest potential by acting it out. Disprove any labels or stereotypes by doing your best to shine. Also, mentorship is very important. Seek opportunities to connect with mentors and climb on their shoulders to reach your goals. Lastly, explore opportunities directed toward minorities and take advantage of them.

About the Author:

Blessing Olabosoye is a member of the Early Career Scientist Career Development Committee and a Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant at Iowa State University.

Learn more about the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Leadership Program.

A new associate editor is joining GENETICS. We’re excited to welcome Xin Li to the editorial team.

Xin Li
Associate Editor

Xin Li is the Qiushi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University and serves as the Executive Director of the Center for RNA Medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tsinghua University in the Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, followed by a PhD from Cornell University under the mentorship of John Schimenti and Bik Tye. His postdoctoral training was conducted at the RNA Therapy Institute at University of Massachusetts Medical School/Howard Hughes Medical Institute with Phillip Zamore and Melissa Moore. Prior to his return to China, he held positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at the RNA Center of the University of Rochester. Throughout his career, Professor Li has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to the field. These include the Liu Memorial Award, the Hsien Wu and Daisy Yen Wu Scholarship, the Lalor Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Foundation for Medical Research Fellowship, the NIH Pathway to Independence Award, the AFRI Award, the MIRA, the Kun Peng Award, and the Zhejiang Talent Award.

The primary objective of the Li Lab is to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing the fate of cytoplasmic RNA. This includes why some RNA molecules in the cell last longer and are more active than others, and why the same RNA can behave differently in different types of cells. These variations play a pivotal role in molecular mechanism underlying development and pathogenesis and the conceptualization of RNA-targeted pharmacological interventions.

Employing an integrative methodology that combines wet lab techniques with in silico (dry lab) analysis and comparative genomic studies across a spectrum of animal models, the Li Lab seeks to decode the cell-specific principles underlying cytosolic RNA translation and degradation. The ultimate goal is to harness these insights for the innovation of RNA-based therapeutic modalities.

The Presidential Membership Initiative was launched in 2020 as a way for the Genetics Society of America to invite talented and creative individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community. We are pleased to introduce the next cohort of Presidential Members. Throughout 2024, they will network with one another and with other Society and Board members, participate in GSA Conferences, and be valued additions to our community. Welcome, Presidential Members!

We are introducing Presidential Members this week, so be sure to check back and meet your new colleagues.

Alexandra McElwee-Adame

Graduate Student, San Diego State University
I am exploring the evolutionary history and genomics of Humulus lupulus (hops) domestication and the effects of climate change on future production.

Anvita Kulshrestha

Graduate Student, Duke University
I am working on identifying genetic factors that predispose Sickle Cell Disease patients to develop specific end-organ complications and to experience more or less severe clinical courses.

Carolyn Damilola Ekpruke

Postdoctoral Researcher, Indiana University, Bloomington
I am investigating mediators of sex disparities in asthma.

Debraj Manna

Graduate Student, Indian Institute of Science
I study the intricate regulation of translation in mammalian cells, primarily focusing on exploring non-canonical protein translation. This involves investigating non-canonical translation initiation sites and mechanisms to contribute to understanding alternative protein isoforms and translational efficiency.

Derica Tavares

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Berkeley
I study transcriptomic and histochemical analysis of plant-pathogen interactions with an emphasis on fungi.

Eve Kakudji

Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley
My research focuses on understanding how mitochondrial metabolites contribute to changes in gene expression in the nuclear genome.

Faith Olusegun

Graduate Student, Federal University of Technology, Akure
Benchmarking is a crucial step in evaluating the effectiveness of sequence alignment algorithms and it involves comparing the results of different algorithms on the same dataset to determine their accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Benchmarking helps researchers like me to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different bioinformatics algorithms and to select the best one for a given application.

Faye Romero

Graduate Student, University of Rochester
I study the genetic causes and consequences of inbreeding in small populations, specifically in the threatened bird, the Florida Scrub-Jay.

Fiona Nelima Mumoki

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pretoria, South Africa
My research focuses on unpacking the communication signals of eusocial insects such as the honey bee Apis mellifera, with particular emphasis on reproductive conflicts. These conflicts often lead to the collapse or destruction of the insect colony, posing significant implications for apiculturists’ livelihoods and exerting repercussions on food security.

Flor-Anita Corredor

Graduate Student, Institutio Nacional de Innovación Agraria, Peru
My research centers on population studies and genetic improvement of livestock species in Peru, aiming to provide valuable insights for farmers, inform policymaking, and contribute substantively to the scientific community. The ultimate objective of my projects is to offer pertinent information that aids both agricultural practices and informed decision-making in the realms of farming policies.

Jennyfer Mora Mitchell

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
I am studying the role of the Alx family of transcription factors during the patterning and development of the midface in zebrafish relating to the pathogenesis of frontonasal dysplasia.

Joseph Stewart

Graduate Student, Colorado State University
Our lab focuses on genome instability and genomic rearrangements. My work addresses systemic genomic instability in the context of mutation bursts.

Continue to 2024 Presidential Members (Part 2) »

A new associate editor is joining GENETICS. We’re excited to welcome Xiajing Tong to the editorial team.

Xiajing Tong
Associate Editor

Xiajing Tong obtained her BS from the University of Science and Technology of China and earned her PhD from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She conducted her postdoctoral training with Joshua Kaplan at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, focusing on the regulation of synaptic transmission by autism-associated genes using C. elegans as a model organism. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Biology at ShanghaiTech University. Her lab utilizes C. elegans as a model organism, along with studies in mammals, to investigate how sex-specific synaptic transmission and neural circuits mediate sex-differential physiology and behaviors.

Accessibility

Career Development Subcommittee

Communications & Outreach

Community & Membership

Ikele Chinyere Mary-Cynthia, member
Graduate student, Osaka University, Japan
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Edward Pietryk, member
Graduate student, Baylor College of Medicine
Preferred pronouns: he/him/his

Haoran Cai, member
Graduate student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mahmoud Izadi, member
Graduate student, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
Preferred pronouns: he/him/his

Rebecca Arnold, member
Graduate student, Institute of Science and Technology, Austria
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Multimedia

Alex McElwee-Adame, co-chair
Graduate Student, San Diego State University

Debraj Manna, member
Graduate student, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Preferred pronouns: he/him/his

Faye Romero, member
Graduate student, University of Rochester
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Jevithen Nehru, member
Graduate student, University of Toronto

Kazeem Alayande, member
Postdoc, North-West University, South Africa
Preferred pronouns: he/him/his

Laetitia Chauve, member
Postdoc, Trinity College Dublin
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Policy & Advocacy

Bahaar Chawla, member
Graduate student, University of Michigan
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Maddelyn Harden, co-chair
Graduate Student, University of Southern California
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Montana Kay Lara, member
Postdoc, University of California, San Diego
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Oluwabukola Mary Farodoye, member
Graduate student, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Rosty Brichko, member
Graduate student, University of California, Irvine

Ujani Hazra, member
Graduate student, Georgia Institute of Technology
Preferred pronouns: she/her/hers

Graduate programs are well-suited to preparing students for a career in academia, but only 23 percent of postdoctoral researchers in life sciences pursue a tenure-track position (Denton, Borrego, and Knight, 2022). So, informing graduate students about non-academic career choices helps them navigate their career trajectories early on in graduate school. An approach to achieve this goal is by organizing a career exploration event where graduate students can learn about non-academic career paths and establish connections with industry professionals. This approach has been successful and adopted by many institutions and scientific societies. In our case, the first career exploration event was organized in 2016 by the University of Kansas graduate students from the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. In 2019, the Chemistry Department joined the effort and helped organize the third symposium. As former organizers of the Scientists Exploring Non-Academic Career Choices (SEARCH) Symposia, we have compiled this guide to provide you with a foundational framework for your own career exploration event, saving you time and effort. So, let’s get into it. 

Before you start planning the event, it is important to answer three questions:

1. Why do you want to host a career symposium?  

Think about what gap there is at your university and what you want your audience to gain from your event. These answers can help determine what format will work best for the symposium. 

2. Who is your audience? 

Is the event for STEM PhD and master’s students, or are you also considering non-STEM graduate programs? Do you want to open up the event to neighboring universities or even to all universities? The answer to these questions will guide not only the type of event you host (in person versus virtual) but also who can assist in organizing the event, what types of speakers you will invite, and what fundraising sources you can seek out. 

As you are considering this, begin to build a team by reaching out to students and postdocs in other departments to gauge interest in who is likely to attend, and who might help organize the event. Once there are people interested in getting involved, you can begin to schedule planning meetings.

3. How will you structure the event? 

Since 2020, a key question for organizing any event is whether you would like to host it in person or virtually. If networking is the main purpose of the event, in-person may be best. However, if your main goal is to expose your audience to a broader array of careers or provide resources, these objectives could be met just as effectively virtually while making the event more accessible to attendees from all over. 

Another consideration is the timeline for planning the event. Fundraising and planning for an in-person event with many external speakers takes significant time and effort, while a virtual symposium could be organized with minimal budget on a shorter time frame. 

At least six months before the event date:

Once you have answered the questions above, it is time to assemble your organizing team and start planning the event. For the purpose of this guide, we will assign the main tasks to four committees: content organization, fundraising, logistics, and communication. Next, we will walk you through the major decision points and milestones each of our hypothetical committees should reach in the course of planning the event. 

1. Content organization
   • Create the event structure and decide if you want to include keynote speakers, panels, Q&A, informal networking time, and/or workshops. 
   • Search for keynote speakers and panelists and finalize a list, keeping in mind that an effective career symposium should feature diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and demographics.   
   • Assign the invited speakers into panels as you receive confirmations, and identify whether there are any remaining gaps that need to be filled. 
   • Include professional development seminars or workshops. Reach out to your university career services or graduate advising groups for facilitator recommendations. To support the international students at your university, contact your university legal services, international student services office, or independent immigration lawyers to see if they can provide a session covering special considerations for international students.

2. Logistics
   • If you are hosting an in-person event,
     • Allow people to register at least six weeks in advance, which will help you estimate the number of attendees and determine the appropriate venue and catering budget.  
     • Decide on the event date. Before you reach out to the speakers, review national and religious holidays to ensure the event does not overlap with these dates. 
     • Venue reservation may require a serious budget, especially if you want to book multiple rooms. For a less expensive option, you could take advantage of venues at your university. In addition, through the university you will have access to well-equipped facilities with technological tools and on-site IT assistance.  
     • Catering is an important aspect of organizing the event. Include a question in the registration form about any food restrictions, so you are able to accommodate any food allergies or preferences. 
     • Ensure your event is inclusive by providing accessibility accommodations. 
     • Gather materials for the event by printing name tags, buying name tag holders, and designing and printing banners. Create a symposium booklet with the event schedule and any important information regarding the event. Ask speakers for a short biography and headshot to include in the booklet.
   • Source platforms if you are hosting a virtual event. Compare options based on what is available for free through your university or what is available externally for a fee, keeping in mind what features you need to accomplish your goals. Ensure all attendees can access the event regardless of their affiliation with your university. 

3. Fundraising
   • Estimate the budget for the event, considering registrant numbers, venue fees, IT equipment, printing, catering, and speakers. Out-of-state speakers require travel bookings and hotel reservations as well as transportation to and from hotels and airports. Local speakers may require gas reimbursement.
   • Determine where you will hold the money you fundraise and how you plan to keep track of it. If you choose to hold your money in a university-associated account, ensure you understand the rules for what you can and can not pay for and how to access the money before you begin asking for donations. 
   • Identify external funding sources, such as scientific organizations and professional societies, research programs, grants, and industry sponsorships. There are many organizations and companies that would be excited to sponsor a career event in exchange for the opportunity to build a relationship with students at the university. Some companies already have programs where you can apply for funding.
   • Identify internal funding sources, such as relevant departments within the university, graduate and international student services offices, or university fundraising programs. 
   • Draft a form letter explaining the goals of your symposium and why you think it would be of interest to the audience. You will use this letter for fundraising and inviting speakers. 
   • Begin to fundraise far in advance of the event so you can finalize decisions, such as how many non-local speakers to invite or whether you need to charge admission to your event.

4. Communication
   • Promote your event by sending emails to graduate program officers, posting flyers on departmental advertisement boards, and taking advantage of social media, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. When you confirm your keynote speaker and event dates, update the flyers so potential donors and attendees are kept up-to-date.
   • Figure out how to collect data, such as registrations before the event and feedback after the event.
   • Share updates on your funding efforts and confirmed speakers with donors and graduate programs. 
   • Reach out to the university communication and media department for media coverage or hire a photographer.
   • Create an event website, where you can post the event schedule and list of speakers and sponsors.

Two weeks before the event:

1. For virtual or in-person events,
   • Reach out to your speakers with the final schedule and any other important information.
   • Assign tasks and share them with the organizers.  
2. If you are hosting an in-person event,
   • Print essential documents (e.g., the booklets, name tags, and banners). 
   • Print the registrants list to keep track of who attended the event.
   • Inform your speakers about the transportation schedule. 
   • Exchange contact information with representatives of the venue, catering, photography, and IT.
   • Invite your speakers for dinner with the organizers the night before the event. This is a great way to break the ice and meet your speakers in person. 
3. If you are hosting a virtual event,
   • Test your platform and troubleshoot any problems. 

On the day of the event:

1. If you are hosting an in-person event,
   • Arrive at the event venue early, at least an hour before the event starts.
   • Test the equipment, including computers, projectors, pointers, and microphones.  
   • Set up your stations with name tags, banners, and booklets.
   • Keep in touch with the representatives from catering, the venue, photography, and IT department. 
   • Ensure your speakers are being taken care of throughout the event.
2. If you are hosting a virtual event,
   • Connect to the platform an hour before the event starts.
   • Invite your speakers for a 10-minute meet and greet with the organizers.
   • Test the presentations and audio on the platform. 
   • Keep the IT representative updated as you go through the event.

Within two weeks after the event:

1. Send a thank you email to all donors, speakers, and attendees for their support and attendance. 
2. Reimburse your speakers in a timely manner. 
3. Design and share a survey to gather feedback on the event. Analyze and store the data for future organizers to use. 
4. Meet with your team one more time to gather their feedback and tie up any loose ends before wrapping up the symposium. 
5. Make sure all of the documents (receipts, important contact points, funding spreadsheets, speakers list, email templates, etc.) are up-to-date and shared on Google Drive. These documents will be helpful for future organizers. 
6. Deposit any leftover funds into your student organization financial account or into your department account under the symposium’s name.  

Want to learn more about SEARCH?

Overall, the University of Kansas SEARCH Symposia invited 53 diverse speakers, raised more than $40,000, and hosted more than 250 attendees. Our speakers represented a broad array of careers and employers, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Estée Lauder Companies, and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, who introduced our attendees to the wide variety of careers possible after completing their graduate studies at the University of Kansas. 

We would like to acknowledge the SEARCH symposia organizers, without which the events would not have happened. We also would like to thank our donors, including the Genetics Society of America, and sponsors who financially supported our events.

References:

U.S. postdoctoral careers in life sciences, physical sciences and engineering: Government, industry, and academia – PMC

In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the GSA Early Career Scientist Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee.

We interviewed Vence Bonham, who is the acting deputy director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the head of the Health Disparities Unit in NHGRI’s Social and Behavioral Research Branch. He provides leadership for the Institute’s health equity and workforce diversity programs. As an associate investigator, Bonham’s research focuses on the social implications of genomic knowledge​​ and the use of social constructs, like race and ethnicity, in biomedical research and clinical care. In addition, Bonham studies sickle cell disease.

I wanted to start with a question about your career path. As someone who started his career with a Juris Doctor degree, what sparked your interest in pursuing an academic career in genetics? 

I came to genomics through my interest in health disparities. I always wanted to be an advocate, particularly to address inequities in our society. I saw my role as a lawyer as an opportunity to address those issues. So, I made a decision to go to law school at Ohio State University with the expectation that I would work on legal and equity issues around education. I later became a healthcare lawyer as my interests grew in health equity. That brought me to medicine and to my engagements in medicine and research. I started doing research with several faculty members, and I loved it. After a well-established career as a university attorney at one institution, associate general counsel at another, and being on the board of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, I decided to make a shift. I went back and did a Health Services Research Fellowship at the American Association of Medical Colleges. Because my real passion was around issues of health disparities, my research interests as a faculty member gravitated to work around that, and I gravitated to people who were scholars and experts in health disparities research. That’s what brought me into genomics.

As an investigator, much of your work explores the use of race and ethnicity data in biomedical research. Racial and ethnic categories are very commonly used to recruit participants in genetic and genomic studies. How do you envision the future of bringing people into studies if we no longer use race and ethnicity as a way to diversify the data? Do you think individuals would know their ancestry prior to being in studies? 

How do we identify individuals? We all have so many different identities, including genetic identities. How do we help scientists, the participants in studies, and the general public understand the nuance of identity? I believe that for the foreseeable future, we will use race, in a variety of areas, in our society and in science because race is real and has an impact on people’s lives. If we didn’t have information about racial and ethnic differences, we would be missing important information, and that includes the issue of who’s participating in studies. Now, as geneticists, I think when you’re designing your study, and you’re describing your populations, it doesn’t have to be the same as NIH inclusion reports. If your study is studying an issue about genetic variation and a specific disease, where it’s really much more about understanding ancestral background, then it may be important that you frame and talk about your study populations in a different way than an inclusion report. So I think that’s the key message with moving beyond race in genomic studies. 

Will people start to know their ancestry? I actually think we already see examples of that with large companies like 23andme and ancestry.com, where people are seeking more information about their background. Receiving that information gives people exposure to their genetic ancestry. So I expect that there will be more understanding that individual participants have about the complexity and the richness of their background. What’s really important right now is that the scientists do a better job with regards to how they describe the populations in their studies, because of the implications it has, both for their own studies and the implementation of new knowledge in healthcare and medicine and for the general public’s understanding of findings within studies.

With descriptions of four categories of race and ethnicity, I do still think that they are limited, right? Because people are a lot more nuanced than one category of something. I don’t know if you have any thoughts on that as well with other social constructs like gender. Do you also think that is where the future is moving away from?

I think the answer is definitely yes. And I think the complexity of our identities is so evolving in our ability to talk about it in a way that we used to be so binary, and we’re no longer that. I think it’s important for people to understand those complexities.

How do you think your research influences the policy work that you do? And vice versa? How does that relationship work?

I believe that my research informs my work as an administrator and policymaker. It really enhances my ability to look at issues. I see my research really helping me to understand issues, to be able to communicate examples, and to talk about issues that are important around equity. I see my research being really informed by that. But then, it also flips around. What I’m hearing and what I’m learning from a policy perspective gives me an opportunity for new types of questions to ask in my research. So, it’s really a cycle, but that also makes it fun! 

It seems like science policy in the US is in constant flux, depending on who is in power. In your opinion, what do you think are some of the challenges that we’ll see in the United States? What advice would you give an early career scientist interested in policy?

I would encourage people, while they’re in their fellowships, in their trades, in graduate school, or postdocs, to get exposed and be an engaged citizen. From there, you can determine whether a policy shift is what you’re interested in. Your expertise as a scientist is important to policy making, and there is recognition of that. There are always talks and engagement activities. Each district has a congress member, the state legislators, so get involved. I think that also shows the sincerity of your interest in policy to show that you’re spending your own time getting engaged in the process.

Any concluding remarks?

What I hope came across in this conversation is that careers are not straight lines. People can make different decisions along their careers. There are ways to bridge your knowledge to help your next step in your career. 

Jadson C. Santos (Jall)

Career Development Subcommittee

University of São Paulo

Research Interest

I have carried out research in various scientific areas—among them, human genetics, bioinformatics, structural biology of proteins, and molecular immunology. I’ve always been passionate about science, but the molecular world sparked my imagination and attracted me more than any other area.

Currently, as a third-year PhD student in genetics, I integrate computational and experimental methodologies to understand the impact of pathogenic mutations on the 3D structure of proteins important to the immune system. In parallel, as part of my MBA in project management, I conducted research on leadership and working in scientific teams to understand the main interpersonal challenges that those teams face in scientific projects.

As a PhD-trained scientist, you have many career options. What interests you the most?

As a scientist, my main interests are in transdisciplinary research, which integrates different areas of knowledge in the search for innovations and discoveries that can solve complex world challenges, such as biodiversity loss, species extinction, the climate crisis, education, water scarcity, and global health.

To this end, I find myself applying the transferable skills I’ve learned during my scientific journey—combined with the management and leadership skills I’ve gained over the past four years—to connect knowledge and people with a common purpose. More specifically, I’m interested in working in management positions of international scientific societies to increase the visibility of science and its social impact, as well as catalyze scientists’ potential to innovate and discover “new worlds” through well-designed and well-executed projects.

Additionally, I am deeply interested in work that involves the career development of scientists and early career professionals. Therefore, since 2020, I have been mentoring undergraduate and graduate students on skills and career development in my country. This activity is a service of great social value and brings me immense satisfaction in knowing that I am directly contributing to the lives and careers of other scientists along my journey.

As a project consultant and trainer in project management, leadership, and communication, I aim to develop professional activities for scientists and research groups around the world. I am deeply fascinated by the academic/scientific environment. In my career vision, I will have the opportunity to visit different research groups and universities around the world, witnessing firsthand the places where knowledge arises while contributing to this process throughout my career. In short, I see myself as a scientist working to create the project, management, and leadership structures that can catalyze the results of scientists and generate impact beyond universities and research institutes. Science plays a central role in the development of the world and being involved in this development inspires me to do my best daily.

In addition to your research, how do you want to advance the scientific enterprise?

The collaborative nature of my PhD research made it clear to me that we need to continuously improve our interpersonal and intercultural skills. In most scientific and technical fields, more than 90 percent of research project studies and publications are collaborative, with collaboration skills being a prerequisite for scientists. Also, the increasing internationalization of scientific research makes such skills crucial in this environment.

In recent years, I’ve focused on training that can enhance my management and leadership skills to make a solid contribution to science by helping scientists strengthen their collaborations. This investment in learning outside academia was crucial to my understanding of the complexity of the challenges we face not only as scientists but also as individuals with different cultures, values, and life/career goals.

My broader career goal is to contribute to the creation of a more collaborative and productive scientific culture. Such a challenge requires a broad integration between science and other areas of knowledge. Likewise, it is essential to understand the dynamics of research teams and groups—an understanding that is facilitated when we live in this scientific environment. For this reason, my scientific journey forms the basis of my career, as it allows me to deeply understand the day-to-day challenges that scientists face in their research. I am also developing my collaborative knowledge and skills by writing a newsletter on leadership and collaboration in the research environment (with 8,000 subscribers, mostly graduate students and postdocs) and managing a community of more than 900 scientists and professionals interested in collaboration in life sciences. Being part of GSA’s Early Career Leadership Program is therefore a great opportunity for fostering a collaborative environment and improving my skills in this area.

As a leader within the Genetics Society of America, what do you hope to accomplish?

Before officially joining the program, I was already collaborating with GSA. In 2021, I was an organizer and moderator of the Portuguese Multilingual Seminar Series, along with two other Brazilian partners. At another scientific event, I hosted a virtual room for Portuguese-speaking scientists to integrate them into the event via their native language, thereby strengthening networking.

As co-chair of the Career Development Subcommittee, I look forward to continuing to learn from my partners inside and outside the subcommittee. Additionally, I intend to bring to our projects a vision from beyond academia that improves existing processes to better support the professional development of the scientific community.

The events that I have already organized together with the subcommittee members have proven relevant to the scientific community, especially early career scientists. I often receive positive feedback from my professional connections, informing me how crucial our content was to their lives and careers. This positive impact on the community motivates me to continue improving my ability to create value through my activities at GSA.

In the long term, I intend to broaden my experience in management and leadership in a multicultural environment and establish long-lasting collaborations with my Early Career Leadership Program partners. These long-term collaborations will be essential, allowing me to continue learning, engaging with the GSA community, and generating value for early career scientists and society.

Previous leadership experience

• Founder and Mentor for Career Development, SSK Mentoring, 2020 – Present
• Community Manager, Leadership and Collaboration in Science (Virtual Community), 2021 – Present
• Advisor, Mendeley Community, 2020 – 2021
• Tutor, theVirtual University of São Paulo, 2019 – 2020
• Expert Volunteer, Science Buddies Ask an Expert Program, 2018 – 2019

You can contact Jadson C. Santos (Jall) on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. You can find his newsletter on LinkedIn here.

By Melissa Drown

Early career research experiences can be instrumental in leading science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors into scientific careers. Unfortunately, with limited time for mentoring and a high faculty-to-undergraduate student ratio, providing undergraduates with meaningful research experiences can be challenging. Below are some recommendations for providing meaningful undergraduate research experiences (UREs). These recommendations are based on a structured URE implemented in the Marine Genomics Lab at the University of Miami. 

Considerations:

Compensation

Undergraduate students often participate in extracurricular activities, hold jobs, and register for a full course load each semester. This can make participating in a URE difficult, as many are offered as volunteer positions where students are not compensated for their time. To remove barriers to participation, faculty can:

• Provide support for students to apply for institutional undergraduate research grants when available. Examples: University of Miami Small Undergraduate Research Grant Experience (SURGE), University of Minnesota Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project (UROP), 
• Advertise work-study opportunities when possible. Work-study students have their income supplemented by the university making it very cost-effective to hire them.
  Contact your university work study office for details.
• Offer research credit for completed lab work. Students can often earn research credits towards their degree, making it possible for them to reduce their course load while still making progress toward graduation. 

Independent project selection

Working on independent projects allows undergraduate students to develop project ownership and feelings of responsibility for project success. Simply put, students are essential to the project and are not a “pair of hands” doing predetermined work for others. Some suggestions include having undergraduate students doing the following:

• Have students brainstorm project ideas that are within the expertise of your lab
• Have students refine ideas through discussion with graduate students and faculty
• Have them write an abstract and receive feedback from graduate students. 

Expectations and outcomes

At the start of the semester, weekly expectations should be set and discussed with participating undergraduate students. This includes the number of hours students will be in the lab, the progress they will be expected to make by specific dates, and deliverables that will be produced throughout the semester to demonstrate their progress. Examples of deliverables used in the Marine Genomics Lab at the University of Miami are detailed in the table below. Intermediate products are important for maintaining a connection with the students and preventing them from being “left to their own devices” or set to work on a project without accountability, which can lead to failed research experiences. 

Mentoring

It is recommended to have no more than two undergraduate students paired with graduate student mentors. Graduate-undergraduate student pairs can schedule meetings at their chosen frequency (20 minute long weekly meetings work well). In addition, undergraduate students should be encouraged to meet with faculty mentors at least twice during the semester. 

It is important to consider practices for inclusive mentoring by providing a safe environment for all students to learn and work. This can be accomplished, for example, by sharing pronouns at lab meetings, being aware of explicit and implicit barriers to participation (e.g., can all students get to your lab easily, is the training they need to participate in research free and available, are you providing paid and/or for-credit opportunities), and creating a lab “contract” that outlines expectations including a statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion in your lab and at your institution. 

Community

One important outcome of undergraduate research experiences is the potential to increase feelings of inclusion in academia among mentees. Below are a few ways this can be accomplished:

• Involve students in journal clubs, lab meetings, and lab outings 
• Put undergraduate researchers into small groups and have them present chosen papers at journal club
• Use lab time to hear undergraduate research updates
• Help students apply and prepare presentations for campus undergraduate research symposiums or conferences when appropriate 

Professional development

In addition to building research skills, undergraduates benefit from UREs because they get to interact with graduate students and faculty. Additional opportunities for professional development can be readily implemented into a URE by using lab time for intentional non-research activities. Some examples include:

• Converting a resume to a CV
• How to write a cover letter
• Maintaining a good lab notebook
• Using R for data analysis and visualization
• How to use a citation manager
• Effective scientific poster design

These topics can be covered in ~1-hour workshop-style seminars led by graduate students at the lab or departmental level. 

Key takeaways

1. Set expectations early, use intermediate deliverables, and plan your time
2. Teach key skills including lab notebook maintenance, scientific writing, citation management, and presentation skills
3. Integrate undergraduates into the lab group to build community

References and resources

1. Brown, Anne M., Stephanie N. Lewis, and David R. Bevan. “Development of a structured undergraduate research experience: Framework and implications.” Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 44.5 (2016): 463-474.
2. Keeping a lab Notebook – NIH Office of Intramural Training
3. Mentoring LGBTQ+ Students in STEM
4. Setting Expectations in Writing for New Lab Members
5. A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Marine Genomics Laboratory
   1. This includes an example of a written expectations guide for new students and has resources for professional development (e.g., citation managers, writing a good CV, learning coding, general lab techniques)