Postdoctoral training is an intense period of personal and scientific growth. Transitioning from the postdoctoral stage to a future career in academia, industry, or beyond often requires developing a new set of skills to navigate these experiences. To help improve success during this transition, HSCRB postdocs Emily Scott-Solomon, Patti Murphy, and Heidi Kletzien have created a series of career development opportunities that aim to establish formal departmental training that will enrich the HSCRB postdoctoral experience.
The training activities held throughout the year utilize three pillars to support postdoc success: (1) frequent opportunities for peer-to-peer communication through a postdoc-only Data Club series, (2) formal professional development programming for postdocs pursuing careers in academia and other sectors and (3) dedicated mechanisms to build relationships with HSCRB faculty during Postdoc Appreciation Week and throughout the year.
The group recently hosted its first ever Data Club, which will continue meeting bi-monthly. These talks provide postdocs with the opportunity to receive feedback on projects and support from their peers with diverse expertise in a low-pressure setting.
Other planned activities for the year include a series of faculty-facilitated Research Vision Workshops for pursuing careers in academia, non-academic career talks and panels for postdocs pursuing careers in industry, non-profit, etc., and opportunities to network with both HSCRB faculty and local alumni.