While navigating these unprecedented times, many postdoctoral scholars have felt the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as concerns about interruptions in research, job instability, and professional development have increased. In a 2020 survey conducted by Nature, 61 percent of 7,670 postdoctoral scholars felt that the COVID-19 pandemic had harmed their career trajectories. While postdoctoral scholars cannot change how this pandemic and its aftermath will affect their research plans and career goals, they can use this as an opportunity to enrich their academic and professional networks. This article will describe some ways to network virtually.

Evaluate your current network:

Before jumping into the networking pond, postdoctoral scholars should assess their networking needs. For example, will this network be used to develop scientific collaborations, finalize a career plan, transition into another field, or all of these? Without assessing the reasons for developing a network, the efforts might be hit and miss.

Target your network:

After assessing your networking needs, postdoctoral scholars can begin to take inventory of who is in their networks. Making a networking spreadsheet is a great way to segment a networking plan. For instance, postdoctoral scholars can create spreadsheets specifically for forming scientific collaborations, engaging with recruiters and hiring managers, or contacting former postdoctoral scholars in roles outside Academia. On the most basic level, the spreadsheet should contain the following information:

• Name and contact information
• Relationship (personal or professional)
• Strength of connection (strong, moderate, weak, no connection)
• Current and 1–4 previous roles
• Last date of contact
• Notes from recent interactions

Since most postdoctoral scholars have a LinkedIn profile, this platform is an effective first step to begin a networking campaign. In fact, this LinkedIn article describes how postdoctoral scholars can export their LinkedIn contacts into a spreadsheet. In addition, for postdoctoral scholars who have a LinkedIn profile (or want to improve their profile), this LinkedIn article provides some great advice and suggestions on doing so.

Postdoctoral scholars should devote a block of time in their schedules for the sole purpose of reaching out to new contacts or maintaining relationships with current contacts.

Build a networking schedule or routine:

Now that the networking spreadsheet has been created, it is time to reach out to contacts. Since some may view networking as an “extracurricular” activity, it is very easy to push this activity to the wayside when faced with looming deadlines, pandemic fatigue, and efforts to maintain work/life balance. Best practices in networking suggest developing a weekly or monthly schedule to focus on networking efforts. Postdoctoral scholars should devote a block of time in their schedules for the sole purpose of reaching out to new contacts or maintaining relationships with current contacts. One networking goal is to regularly build and (more importantly) cultivate relationships as a mechanism to avoid making random “out of the blue” requests.

Take advantage of virtual events and digital social media platforms:

While many conferences and meetings are beginning to move from virtual to in-person format, most will have some type of virtual/in-person hybrid model. Taking advantage of the virtual components of these hybrid events is essential for building a professional network. For example, the 20th Annual NPA Conference (April 1–2, 2022) will have both in-person and virtual components. When participating in these virtual events, postdoctoral scholars should ACTIVELY engage with other attendees during the networking sessions.

A recent New York Times article described how to network via social media to expand one’s professional network or obtain a new role. Here are five social media platforms that postdoctoral scholars from various disciplines can use to develop and build their networks: Researchgate, LinkedIn, Mendeley, Scientisty, and Twitter. In addition to using these social media platforms, postdoctoral scholars should join professional associations and groups to supplement these networking efforts. For example, postdoctoral scholars are more than welcome to visit the NPA's website to connect with a large community of postdoctoral scholars.

NPA members can access the NPA Communities area of the site to engage with each other. Learn more about how to join NPA membership.

Set up informational interviews and meetings:

Postdoctoral scholars should schedule informational interviews/meetings at some stage in these networking efforts. These “interviews” will allow learning about the feasibility of establishing a scientific collaboration and new roles inside and outside of Academia. Nature Jobs and Science Magazine have published guides regarding the importance of scheduling and attending informational interviews/meetings.

Patience is a virtue:

Since we live in an age of instant gratification, one can easily be discouraged when responses to networking inquiries are not received promptly (or at all). In this case, the old adage, Rome was not built in a day, rings true. Postdoctoral scholars should remember that networking is a lifelong activity, and it can take some time to form significant professional relationships. Also, if you are not getting the results from your networking efforts, there is nothing wrong with revisiting and readjusting your networking strategies - a recent article in Forbes Magazine has outlined some approaches that you can use to modify your networking campaign.

In conclusion:

The NPA hopes that some of the tips and resources mentioned in this article will be useful for postdoctoral scholars interested in building and strengthening their academic and professional networks. While creating these networks will take some time and effort, the benefits of forming these networks will pay off in the long run.

Members of the NPA communications subcommittee include Florence Flick, Ph.D., Cristina Florio, Ph.D., and Kwame Osei-Sarfo, Ph.D. (LinkedIn: koseisarfo Twitter: @smokinscientist)

The newly revitalized NPA Advocacy Committee (AdCom), one of the core membership committees of the NPA as stated in its bylaws, is an action-oriented collegial community consisting of more than thirty volunteers committed to “advocating for public and institutional policies that support career advancement, wellness, and equitable training environments for all postdoctoral scholars.”

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPA developed its 2021-2024 Strategic Plan to bring focus to the areas of greatest value and importance to postdocs and the institutions that support them. The 2020 NPA Postdoc Needs Assessment Survey revealed that “more than 75 percent of postdocs indicated that NPA should prioritize advocating for public policy.” This signaled that advocacy should function as a core component of the NPA’s activities, and “Advocate for Our Constituents” became the first pillar of the NPA strategic plan.

With these two key areas of focus, the NPA AdCom hopes to advance the postdoctoral experience by improving public policy and incentivizing better practices at the institutional level to help postdocs and their institutions alike.

In 2021, the NPA took action to elect new committee leadership with a chair and vice-chair who could further energize the committee. Soon after, the beginning of the new AdCom took root, calling for new volunteers and forming two subcommittees with distinct areas of focus:

• The institutional policy subcommittee provides institutions with NPA-endorsed best practices and recognizes institutions that implement them.
• Current agenda: Develop a method to formally recognize institutions that implement best practices for postdocs.
• The public policy subcommittee engages with national policymakers to advocate for policies that support the success of postdocs.
• Current agenda: Reduce or remove barriers that cause inequity among postdoc compensation and benefit packages.

With these two key areas of focus, the NPA AdCom hopes to advance the postdoctoral experience by improving public policy and incentivizing better practices at the institutional level to help postdocs and their institutions alike. The committee hopes to move the metaphorical needle toward true equity for the entire postdoctoral community with continued effort in these critical areas.

The NPA AdCom is led by the chair, Lily Lewis, Ph.D., and the vice chair, Mallory Smith, Ph.D., with oversight from Tom Kimbis, J.D., NPA executive director & CEO, and Andrea Pereyra, M.D., Ph.D., NPA Board liaison.

In 2016, Lewis, a former academic biologist, decided to dedicate herself to supporting and advocating for postdocs as the director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at the University of Florida. After nearly four years of service to the postdoctoral community paired with her personal experience as a postdoctoral scholar, she joined AdCom with a keen sense of the challenges faced by postdocs and the institutional processes and norms that impact postdocs’ wellbeing, security, and advancement. Lewis is personally driven to advocate and finds “a great amount of joy in empowering others and, when necessary, standing in as their advocate to amplify their voices.”

Smith, a former structural biologist and current science policy manager at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), is passionate about improving the STEM workforce pipeline and supporting the postdoctoral community. Having served as a leader in her institutional and local communities for almost four years, Smith came to the NPA “ready to take her advocacy to a national level and motivated to make a difference for the vital but under-resourced postdoctoral career stage.” As a leader of AdCom, Smith hopes to improve the training experiences for all postdocs in a tangible and meaningful way.

Additionally, each of the NPA subcommittees has two co-chairs who assist in developing and executing the subcommittee. The institutional policy subcommittee is supported by co-chairs Janet Fields, postdoctoral coordinator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Ericka Peterson, Ph.D., executive director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Columbia University. The public policy subcommittee is supported by John Ryan, Ph.D., professor and associate vice president for research development at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Misty Treanor, M.S., postdoctoral coordinator at Iowa State University.

The NPA AdCom is always open to new and vibrant committee members. The committee asks that volunteers contribute toward core tasks during meetings and through independent assignments related to communications and policy. Recently, in a show of true teamwork, the full slate of AdCom volunteers helped modernize the NPA’s advocacy resources. Volunteers from various backgrounds and institutions provide the AdCom with diverse perspectives that uniquely position the committee to tackle the postdoctoral community's systemic problems.

AdCom meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 4-5 p.m. ET. Interested volunteers can sign up at bit.ly/NPA-AdCom or email advocacy@nationalpostdoc.org with any questions!

Mallory Smith, Ph.D., is the NPA Advocacy Committee vice-chair. She earned her doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Kansas Medical Center. She held a postdoc appointment at the National Institutes of Health before joining the ASBMB as a science policy manager. Smith is passionate about improving the STEM workforce pipeline, supporting early-career researchers, and advocating for basic science at the institutional, local, and national levels.

A Road to Research Guided by Improving Patient Care

Upon learning that Aileen I. Fernandez, Ph.D. began her career in cancer research at the early age of 17, one might assume a conventional road to her current role as a postdoctoral scholar at the Yale School of Medicine. However, a closer look at her journey reveals a more complex portrait of a student who might have been excluded from the academic pipeline altogether. “I was attending community college because I could not afford to leave [New York] for school,” explains Fernandez. Her initial foray into research began when she was accepted into a Bridges to Baccalaureate summer program at Purchase College SUNY. Then 17, Fernandez spent five weeks in a laboratory studying cancer, and she has continued in the cancer research space ever since.

Fernandez went on to earn a master’s degree through a joint program with the University of the District of Columbia and Georgetown University and a doctorate in tumor biology from Georgetown University. As a graduate student, Fernandez sought out research projects that could address the needs of marginalized patient populations. Her doctoral research focused on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which, she explains, “is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that disproportionately affects Black-American women and lacks targeted therapies.”

Today, Fernandez hopes her research at Yale toward biomarker discovery and development will improve patient care by helping to match patients with different treatments. She received a grant through the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation Multidisciplinary Post-Doctoral Training Program and recently published her first paper on this work in JAMA Oncology.

Broadening the Reach of Cancer Research

Through her basic and translational cancer research work, Fernandez has recognized the importance of effective communication between bench scientists and the public- especially the patients her research aims to serve. She is actively honing her science communication skills through blogging about cancer research with an emphasis on racial and ethnic disparities. She also meets with patient advocates to discuss scientific presentations during conferences. “They are always very patient as I continue to work on my science communication and are willing to give honest and useful feedback,” says Fernandez.

Through her basic and translational cancer research work, Fernandez has recognized the importance of effective communication between bench scientists and the public- especially the patients her research aims to serve.

Building an Inclusive Academic Community

At each stage of her career, Fernandez has labored not only for her success in research but also to build a more supportive structure for her peers and successors. For example, while pursuing her doctoral degree at Georgetown, she co-founded the Women in Science and Education (WISE) group to increase awareness of gender bias in academia and served as a strategist, secretary, and diversity liaison.

In her early postdoc years, Fernandez, Afro-Latina, wanted to address the lack of support and sense of community for underrepresented minority groups in academia. In the summer of 2020, the growing social movement towards recognizing long standing racial injustice spurred new connections among previously isolated Black postdocs. Fernandez met like-minded scholars and co-founded the Racial Justice Subcommittee (RJS) of the Yale Postdoctoral Association as well as the Yale Black Postdoctoral Association (YBPA), which has quickly blossomed into what she describes as a “home” for postdocs from underrepresented groups.

Fernandez continues to assist with RJS and YBPA programming, aiming to level accessibility in science education and re-shape the culture of academia into one more conducive to retaining postdocs and faculty from diverse backgrounds. The YBPA has offered programs to support and educate all members of the Yale and broader communities, including providing science kits to local schoolchildren, organizing seminars to discuss examples of discrimination, and arranging workshops to promote professional development and wellness.

The connections fostered through the RJS and YBPA have led to numerous other collaborations. Fernandez is especially proud of her work co-leading the inaugural Intersections Science Fellows Symposium, a multi-institutional networking opportunity for “visionary early-career scientists.” In a recent interview with Shirley Malcolm, Ph.D., senior advisor to the CEO and director of SEA Change at AAAS, Fernandez discussed the symposium’s inception, explaining that the leadership sought to respond to a perception that “there aren’t any postdocs of color available for jobs,” by providing a platform to elevate “people working in the diversity, equity, and inclusion spaces who are also excellent scientists.”

Beyond Academia

Fernandez’s drive and passion for uplifting those around her shine through in everything she does, from her research to her efforts in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. When asked about how she unwinds amid her busy schedule, Fernandez shared that she enjoys boxing, cycling, “terrible Christmas romance movies,” and spending time with her cats, JJ and Luciano (“Luci”). Perhaps unsurprisingly, Fernandez’s commitment to supporting others extends beyond her human community: she also finds time to volunteer with the Greater New Haven Cat Project.

To nominate a postdoc for a future postdoc spotlight, please email postdocket@nationalpostdoc.org.

Jacqueline Mann, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University and an associate editor of The POSTDOCket.

Feelings of impostorism are quite common in academia. Having been through the grind of a doctorate, postdoctoral scholars can certainly relate to what feeling like an imposter means. Despite impostorism being ubiquitous among researchers, discussions on why and how it manifests are often limited to specific contexts. Most often, impostorism among postdoctoral researchers is attributed to the overwhelming self-doubt when faced with challenges and uncertainties in the career ahead. A postdoctoral scholar, from day one, is on the job market and should focus on acquiring specific skills in preparation to transition to a full-fledged job opportunity in industry or academia. Pursuing industry jobs is often challenging for postdocs, not for lack of skills or credentials, but for lack of the ability to project how one fits into a prospective employer’s portfolio and mission. Landing a tenure-track position in academia is even more challenging because of the stiff competition and fewer job postings that align with one’s research niche and expertise. At the outset, the job market for postdocs might seem to be driven by factors within the intellectual realm, such as abilities, skills, and effort. However, other factors are at play, and impostorism is known to manifest around one’s inability to claim control over proceedings that can make or break career prospects. It is important to underline how uncertainties stemming from cultural differences and immigration scenarios drive impostorism, specifically among immigrant postdoctoral scholars in the United States.

For immigrant postdoctoral scholars with no prior academic exposure in the United States, understanding how federally-sponsored research programs and funding mechanisms are structured is crucial yet challenging. While principal investigators typically sponsor postdoctoral positions using funds from research grants, postdoctoral scholars are strongly encouraged to submit grant proposals with support from their mentors. Most grant proposal applications in the United States are elaborate and require well-thought-out research statements. The experience gained by working on such proposals, irrespective of the outcome, is beneficial when applying for academic and industry jobs and is undoubtedly an excellent way to improve one’s science writing skills. However, the eligibility to apply for federally-sponsored grants and jobs is contingent mainly on the immigration status of postdoctoral scholars. For example, with a J-visa, immigrant postdoctoral scholars are allowed a maximum of a five-year stay and require sponsorship for change in visa status from prospective employers to switch to a full-time position. However, to be eligible to switch visa status, J-visa visa holders must apply with the United States Department of Homeland Security to waive the ‘exchange visitor two-year home-country physical presence requirement.’ This rule requires most postdoctoral scholars with J-1 visas to return to their home countries for two calendar years upon the expiration of J-visa or the end of five years, whichever comes first. This waiver application process typically takes eight to fifteen months and requires the postdoctoral scholar to maintain an active visa status in the meantime, which is further contingent on the availability of research grants to support the current position. This whole process is a vicious cycle that has further been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.

Landing a tenure-track position in academia is even more challenging because of the stiff competition and fewer job postings that align with one’s research niche and expertise.

Dealing with these non-academic uncertainties, in addition to being productive at research, identifying a research niche, improving teaching and science communication skills, and preparing job application packages, drive immigrant postdoctoral scholars towards imposter feelings. When not falling in place, any aspect of these non-academic criteria can render their academic efforts futile, thus leaving the postdoctoral scholar with the only option of exiting the county. Hence, immigrant postdoctoral scholars are required to race against a ticking clock to defy the odds and latch on to job opportunities. Pragmatically, these uncertainties are not expected to ease anytime soon, and therefore, immigrant postdoctoral scholars must develop a career plan early in their postdoc years. In this context, guidance from mentors and the larger academic network becomes indispensable in enabling immigrant postdoctoral mentees to defy imposter feelings and head towards successful careers.

Karthikeyan Chandrasegaran, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research associate in the Vinauger Lab at the Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

I’ve had several mentors throughout my training – some good, some not so good. Here are three tips I’ve learned while navigating relationships with mentors. Hopefully, these tips will help you in your quest to establish relationships with new mentors and ultimately get the mentorship that you need.

Tip 1: Have more than one mentor

Now that I’m a postdoctoral scholar, I miss having a thesis advisory committee. As a doctorate student, I took having a required committee of mentors for granted. When I needed advice or guidance on a topic outside the purview of my doctoral advisor, it was so nice to be able to contact another mentor to help me. While my primary postdoctoral mentor is a great resource, she doesn’t meet all of my mentorship needs, but that’s okay. It’s unreasonable to expect one person to meet all of your professional, career development, and research needs. I encourage you to identify areas where you need more mentorship and seek individuals to meet those mentorship roles. I’m looking for mentors to help me explore and provide advice for careers outside academia. What are you looking for in a mentor?

It’s unreasonable to expect one person to meet all of your professional, career development, and research needs.

Tip 2: Don’t pick a mentor based solely on their accolades

Most of my past mentor relationships have been beneficial, rewarding, and respectful. However, I’ve had one past mentor who was demanding, demeaning, stress-inducing, and a poor communicator. Before entering into a mentor/mentee relationship with this individual, I had a gut feeling that this relationship wasn’t going to be a great fit for me. I knew that our communication styles didn’t match and that her hands-off approach to teaching meant that I would spend a lot of time teaching myself. Underneath was a feeling of unease, that something was off. My gut was telling me to walk away and find another mentor. However, I naively dismissed those concerns and focused instead on her accolades, on her track record of funding and publications. Consequently, I was miserable and frustrated throughout my entire time with her. Looking back, I realize that I did learn a lot during my time with her – not necessarily from her teaching me, but from my observations of her. Most importantly, I learned to trust my gut feelings about individuals and not choose mentors based on how flashy their resumes are.

Tip 3: Communicate expectations and needs

When I experience disappointment or frustration in a professional situation, it’s usually because expectations were not communicated. To get the most out of your mentor/mentee relationships, I would suggest having frequent conversations regarding mentor and mentee expectations and needs. Communicate why you’ve asked an individual to be your mentor and how you envision that mentorship. For example, let’s say you’ve identified a mentor to help you learn a new and challenging experimental technique. Maybe you want to meet in person once a week to get hands-on mentoring in that technique, or perhaps you want troubleshooting advice via email. Communicate this to prospective mentors. Not only does this allow you to communicate your needs, but it also allows the prospective mentors to realistically assess whether they can commit to mentoring you. Know that you may not have all of your needs met (maybe the prospective mentor in the above example can only meet with you twice a month instead of weekly). Still, you can craft a functional and rewarding mentor/mentee relationship through compromise and open communication. (This tip is also important if you are a mentor. Communicate your expectations to your mentees).

Want more information on mentor/mentee relationships? Check out the NPA SmartSkill session “How to Find, Utilize, and Be a Great Mentor” with speaker Joanne Kamens, Ph.D. senior consultant at The Impact Seat, that took place on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

Megan Vogt, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is a member of the Executive Board of the Virginia Tech postdoctoral association.

According to the 2020 Survey of Earned Doctorates from the National Science Foundation, 55.8 percent of all life science doctorates were granted to women. However, only 39 percent of biomedical faculty members at universities and 35 percent of medical school faculty members are women. Furthermore, many postdoctoral scholars, including postdoctoral women, find themselves drawn to non-academic science careers due to work-life balance, family responsibility, and financial security. Science careers outside of academia may be very rewarding to postdoctoral women considering a career change, but building an entirely new network and support system is a daunting task. As a postdoc, I remember struggling to connect with other female scientists in policy and advocacy-focused careers, even before experiencing a global pandemic. Women In Bio (WIB) aims to provide professional development and networking opportunities to women of all career stages, including postdoctoral women.

The HER-story of WIB

In 2002, WIB was founded as a response to the scarcity of professional opportunities for women employed by the bio health sector in the greater Washington D.C.-Baltimore-Northern Virginia region. Since its initial establishment, WIB has grown to include over 14 local chapters and over 3,000 members in North America. Although biomedical entrepreneurship remains a major focal point of the organization, WIB members are based in academia, government, finance, and legal careers. Furthermore, the mission of WIB focuses on nurturing women in the life sciences “from the bench to the boardroom” and “from first job to last.”

“Being a part of WIB has helped me gain professional and leadership skills such as networking, teamwork, communication, and coming up with new ideas. It also brought along many new friendships.”

Connecting with the Experts

One valuable aspect of WIB events is meeting and listening to the experiences of women who have found success in their fields. At WIB events, attendees can easily connect with speakers or other attendees to ask questions or even set up an informational interview. Another advantage of virtual programming, which has become commonplace during the pandemic, is connecting with experts outside of your geographical area by attending the events for other chapters. Christina Cunha, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar at Loyola University Chicago who also serves as the Chicago Chapter vice-chair, mentioned WIB programming as a valuable resource for networking in her field.

“I have done several informational interviews with other WIB members, and it has opened my eyes to so many types of jobs that I knew nothing about. WIB members are actively helping me find a niche in the industry that I am passionate about and have been recommending people to talk to to find a job,” said Cunha.

Road MAPS to Success

Postdoctoral women are encouraged to build a “constellation” of mentoring relationships that may offer them a wide range of perspectives. WIB’s Mentorship, Advisors, Peers, and Sponsorship (MAPS) program allows early-career women in science to help build these relationships by allowing them to participate in small group discussions about themes related to professional and personal development. One initiative of this program, MAPS University, connects postdoctoral and graduate WIB members at local research institutions with members with established careers in the life sciences sector. MAPS University provides opportunities for postdoctoral women to gain additional mentor figures, explore career options, and gain perspective from women outside of their institutional “bubble.” Additionally, WIB members involved with the MAPS University Program may also guide postdocs on the job market, providing tips for navigating the WIB Career Center. Roberta Sala, Ph.D., a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University who also serves as the communications committee chair for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, credits her MAPS group with helping her choose a career path.

“MAPS has also given me a fantastic opportunity to connect with women professionals close to where I live. These relationships certainly helped me make some of my career choices, to the point that I am now transitioning to local industry. I am sure that I will still learn a lot from everyone as I settle into this new environment,” said Sala.

Building Transferable Skills

Besides connecting with potential mentors and colleagues, WIB also provides postdoctoral women opportunities to strengthen their transferable skills by serving in leadership positions on various committees. Volunteering as a committee leader requires one to train and supervise volunteers, use effective written and oral communication, solve problems/manage risks, and manage projects. While these skills may prove useful for jobs outside of academia, they may also provide postdoctoral women interested in pursuing tenure-track academic positions with the skills needed to run an independent lab. For example, Somayeh Hooshmand, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar at the National Institutes of Health, credits her experience as co-vice chair of the WIB Capital Region Chapter with helping her grow as a leader. When asked about this experience, Hooshmand stated:

“Being a part of WIB has helped me gain professional and leadership skills such as networking, teamwork, communication, and coming up with new ideas. It also brought along many new friendships.”

Paying it Forward

When I became involved with WIB in 2019, I had only recently left my postdoc position at the University of Kentucky for a job in the federal service. Upon meeting fellow members, I felt regret knowing that I could not connect with these successful women when I was preparing to leave the academic world. This feeling stuck with me, and it serves as a constant reminder to provide guidance and support to other graduate students and postdoc WIB members. With the pandemic disproportionately impacting the careers of women and early career scientists, building a supportive community for postdoctoral women is key to ensuring that they have the resources they need to reach their full career potential.

To learn more about getting involved with WIB, please visit the WIB Membership home page or email info@womeninbio.org.

Stephanie M. Davis, Ph.D., has served as an associate editor for The POSTDOCket since 2019. Upon receiving her doctorate in molecular pharmacology from the University of South Florida, she was a postdoctoral scholar in the University of Kentucky Department of Neurology from 2016 to 2019. She served as an AAAS science and technology policy fellow at the NIH from 2019 until 2020 and currently works as a program officer at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. She also serves as the current chair of the WIB Capital Region Chapter in her spare time.

Disclaimer: Davis wrote this article in her personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.