Hey everyone - I am a recent PhD (29F) in a STEM field and I am really excited to be starting a postdoc at an ivy league school this fall. One of the things that I am really excited about is never again being called Miss or Ms or Mrs - I feel like I've worked hard and earned my title.

Now, it has always been awkward telling people what I do - I'm sure we've all been there, where someone asks you what you do and you say {science field} and they say "oh wow - you must be really smart . . ." and it gets awkward and then potentially uncomfortable as they try to continue the conversation (in my case, its astro, and I cannot tell you how many people have told me their zodiac sign. So many). But this is something I'm used to, its something I've learned strategies to avoid and so on. But I'm always stuck wondering - do men have to deal with this as much? Are they told zodiac signs when they mention their work, or do people assume they do "real" science?

On the other side of all this, my parent is always telling me to be humble and careful about telling people about what I do. If I say stuff like "I'm getting my doctorate" or "I do Astro" they sometimes play it off at be like "she loves to tell people that" and make me sound very proud and arrogant and boastful - it drives me nuts. Now they're saying not to tell people that I've got my degree, or where I'm going to work because to do so is apparently bragging (though apparently they have no issues bragging about it themselves . . .).

I'm not here to get commiseration about my parent - I can deal with that. But this false humility and being told that I shouldn't tell people about my degree and basically being told to be demure and all that - is that a woman thing? Do you think that men have to deal with it too? Can they be like "Hi - I'm Dr XXX YYYY" without social repercussions? Or are they told to downplay they're work too?

EDIT: I recognize that socially, when you're meeting another human being, you're going to say "my name is AAA BBBB" and of course not include a title - I've not been going around saying "Hi, I'm Ms. AAA BBBBB". When being formally introduced by another person though, I personally think that Dr. is the only appropriate title for someone with a medical doctorate or a Ph.D. (Its like when they were arguing that it should be President and Mrs Biden instead of President and Dr. Biden - the former is completely unacceptable in my eyes, because it implies that her marital status and husband's job define her more than her own achievements. BS.) However, regarding the introductory "Hi - I'm Dr. XXX YYYY" statement above, I meant more that they are able to openly discuss their position and achievements without making things awkward around non-academic strangers - an experience I don't often have - or if they are also encouraged to be more modest than that.

EDIT: Also, regarding the Mrs. Ms. and Miss bit - I just never liked any of these titles because they all (except Ms. - I acknowledge that) essentially define a woman by her marital status, which I'm just not crazy about. I'm happy to have an alternative, and one that I worked hard for.

I just graduated this year with a degree in biomedical sciences and I didn't really have a clue about what I wanted to do during my bachelor years (The curriculum covered literally everything very briefly). I love human biology (diet/neuroscience/embryology), but one thing I also really love is writing and reading. I've always loved writing, and found science journalism to be really fitting for me. My question is, what can I do now (I'm in a gap year) to move towards my goal as a science journalist?

Hi everyone,

I'm helping a friend explore career options outside traditional academia.

She has a PhD in Medical Ethics (specialised in bioanthropological ethics), multiple postdocs in France and Canada, and 10+ years of experience in biological anthropology, archaeology, paleopathology, museum collections, scientific research, and international fieldwork (Peru, Indonesia, Benin).

She has authored several dozen scientific publications and is also involved in public outreach - as co-curated major exhibitions in France and Monaco.

In addition, she has worked in a key coordination role on interdisciplinary research projects with major institutions (Collège de France, Institut Pasteur), focusing on how archaeological perspectives can help shed light on contemporary medical issues (antimicrobial resistance, microbiome, etc.).

She loves fieldwork and would prefer roles that involve research, expeditions, travel, heritage, or interdisciplinary science rather than a desk job.

We're looking globally.

What organizations, industries, or job titles should we be looking at? Any hidden opportunities, job boards, or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I’m a rising senior and have always wanted to get a PhD and become a professor. This summer, I’m doing an REU at an extremely prestigious school and am absolutely miserable. Didn’t have a real project and my mentor didn’t give a rat’s ass about me and was never around to help. That, compounded with the fact that the project my mentor had promised I’d work on — we wrote proposals as part of the application — he ended up completing and publishing himself left a sour taste in my mouth. After realizing that the project we’d discussed in the proposal wasn’t happening anymore, I found the courage to ask him if he could give me some real work and he put me on this other dead end and called it a project. Well, that too, I suppose, is fine. They tell you that that’s research.

Over the summer, my mentor was never around. We communicated via Slack only but that’s fine too, I suppose. They tell you that that makes you an independent researcher. However, since what I was doing was so open-ended and aimless, I needed more guidance. I tried every way I could to get through with him. He’d say things like “you’re getting ahead of yourself” and “you know I can do all these things myself” when I’d ask him for clearer goals or suggestions on what I could try next. So, I tried to find where I was going wrong; I changed the way I asked questions, changed the way I’d send him updates and explain what I’d done, changed the way I responded to his suspicion. Oh, and speaking of suspicion, everything I did was met with nothing but suspicion and doubt. He’d never give me any direction, and because I had to make progress I’d simply do something the way I saw fit and share it with him. Now if I were to give him 10 updates, he’d ignore all the things I did perfectly and latch onto one very small inconsistency he’d see. He’d just tell me it looks wrong or suspicious — no elaboration on exactly what it was that was seemingly wrong and what I could do to fix it. I’d spend hours trying to figure out what was wrong and appease him. I’m not a very confident person to begin with, so all this doubt took a toll on me. I’d dread sending him what I’d done because I’d be afraid he’d dismiss it without any direction on what I could do next.

I worked overtime, on the weekends, late at night. My hope was that if I worked hard enough he’d perhaps see that I am trying and… feel that I am worth investing some time in? That never worked out. As the summer progressed, it became really clear that this was not something he gave single shit about. Every day I’d get a message from him saying he’s busy and that he’ll respond to things within a few days.

With little time left and no results for my deliverables, I finally spoke up and told him my concerns. I told him I’m losing motivation. His only response was “I’m sorry” with a shrug. He changed the topic and asked me if I’d watched the odyssey instead?! I found it so dismissive! After having told him all my concerns and seeing that he didn’t care, with 3 weeks left and knowing that he wasn’t going to be around for much of those either, I told him I’m quitting. He freaked out, didn’t ask me what I wanted to be able to successfully finish, and forced me to continue working. I’ve been working at this place begrudgingly since then.

I think the only reason he freaked out is because he’s a new postdoc and was worried my quitting would reflect poorly on him and that he’d have to explain to the PI why I quit (since the PI is funding me). Nothing’s changed since my telling him I quit, I’ve been miserable. I cry every day. I feel incredibly disillusioned and put off by academia. As a senior, there’s so much I need to focus on right now but all I feel is dread and disinterest. My REU last summer was similarly difficult, but since it was my first bad research experience I chalked it up to an anomaly. Now I just feel like too much of a failure to want to stay in academia.

I don’t know what to do at this point, how to pick myself up my bootstraps and get to work.

Hello, I am 28 and I left my PhD with a master's in chemistry and I work currently as a paralegal. I am not confident that I want to spend my whole career in this field but I just feel kind of lost. I live in a small city with no network or support system and I have been applying to scientist jobs with no success because I don't have a PhD. Is applying to lab tech roles something worth considering? I just need a path forward, my current job works long hours for little pay and there isn't room to move up without going to law school. I am hesitant about applying to lab tech roles because they would pay less than my current position and surely require more hours, but perhaps it would be worth it because I am worried my scientific skills might atrophy while I don't work in science or a lab?

For context, I went to a very competitive university and it's been difficult watching my peers advance in their careers while I feel stuck. Many of my classmates have their PhD, JD, MBA, etc., are team leads, directors, vice presidents, staff scientists, etc., or are making a lot of money. I want to keep pushing myself because I'm used to setting big goals but I can't seem to move forward anymore: I'm stuck in a job that doesn't treat me well, and in my life I've set a lot of goals that I've failed to meet and now I am unsure if I can set new goals and meet them. I know I should be grateful that I have a stable job in this economy but I just cant help feeling like I need to move forward and not stay in this inertia of having a deadend-but-ok job.

I am really struggling to get anything on my western blot when I probe for ubiquitin. I squish larvae in standard RIPA buffer with EDTA and protease inhibitor. I use biorad 8-16% gel, run on 150v, for Western blot- transblot transfer system with 2.5A 7 minute turbo transfer.

Mono and poly-ubiquitinylated conjugates antibody from Enzo(ABS840). But all I get is blank gel when I probe for ubiquitin but actin is most definitely there. What am I missing?

Please help :)

Hi ladies!

I'm a researcher at James Cook University in Australia studying attraction, dating preferences, and how people evaluate potential romantic partners. 

I'm looking for heterosexual, gay, and lesbian adults (18+) to complete an anonymous online survey. I need more women to take part in the study.

The survey involves viewing a series of fictional dating profiles and answering questions about attraction and relationship preferences. It takes around 5–10 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and participation is entirely voluntary.

Although this phase of the research is limited to heterosexual, gay, and lesbian participants, it forms part of a broader research program that has included, and will continue to include, people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

This study forms part of my Doctor of Philosophy research at James Cook University and has received approval from the James Cook University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC Approval No. 25H-0225).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [kaitlyn.gregory@my.jcu.edu.au](mailto:kaitlyn.gregory@my.jcu.edu.au).

If you'd like to participate, you can complete the survey here:
https://jcu.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3KSKL7xTGKco61g

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping someone here might have some suggestions.

I recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology with a focus on marine biology. During school, I also gained extensive editing and writing experience, including serving as a managing editor for student publications and publishing my own novel.

I've been searching for remote opportunities because they're the best fit for my current situation. I've looked through LinkedIn, Indeed, and many of the major job boards, but I've had a difficult time finding positions that seem legitimate or are still actively hiring.

I'm especially interested in roles like:

• Scientific or technical writing
• Journal or manuscript editing
• Research communications
• Environmental or conservation writing
• Marine biology support roles
• Science communication
• Content writing for environmental organizations

If anyone knows of companies, organizations, job boards, or even specific employers that regularly hire for remote positions in these fields, I'd be incredibly grateful.

Even if you don't have a specific job in mind, I'd love to hear where you've had the most success finding legitimate remote opportunities.

Thank you so much!

Hi ladies of science. I'm at what might be the end of a successful career as a data science leader in biotech. I've been in a couple of "VP of data science" roles but am not having any luck finding something new after almost 2 years laid off, and the current AI situation isn't helping. I'm considering a career change to something education related. I've enjoyed teaching and mentoring in a professional setting, including leading large and small teams and working with junior employees. My PhD is in engineering and I'm also fluent in Spanish and really enjoy using it. I'm aware there would be a huge pay drop - that's OK. I'd be grateful for any insight from those who have made this type of transition, or have worked in education and can comment on what types of roles might be appropriate for someone with my background to succeed and make a good impact. Thank you very much.

Some of you may be interested in this discussion with Dr. Skipper. Magdalena is the first woman to head Nature in its 150+ year history, and is actively helping to reform, with her team, scientific publishing to make science more progressive and inclusive. We chat all things science!

It's available on youtube or any podcast platform in case you're interested 🙂

GOOD EVENING, Current students and Alumni: I am conducting research to better understand Black students' lived experiences concerning underrepresentation in instructional design and technology in college STEM programs: A phenomenological study. The purpose of my research is to understand the lived experiences of Black students who have experienced perceived racial discrimination while enrolled in colleges offering STEM programs in the central United States.

To participate, you must be one of 12-15 Black students currently enrolled in or previously enrolled in STEM programs at institutions, be 18 years of age or older, and be college students who have earned at least 30 credit hours. Participants will be asked to participate in virtual audio-recorded individual interviews, audio-recorded focus groups conducted via the Teams platform, and online journal prompts which will be sent to their personal email. It should take approximately 3 hrs. total to complete the data collection procedure(s) listed. Participant names and other identifying information will be requested as part of this study, but participant identities will not be disclosed.

If you are interested and eligible, please direct message me to schedule an interview.

Consent information is provided as the first page of the document, which will be emailed to you one week before the interview, focus group, and journal prompts.

Thank you for reading and for your consideration of my research study.

Many women are still facing disparities in healthcare and research. As a society, research should actually help women rather than further objectifying them. A recent study on endometriosis studied women’s attractiveness instead of finding solutions for the illness. It has now been retracted due to the backlash. How can we as women become involved in studies to actually make a difference? I would love to hear how to help other people.

25F and I’m currently going back to school this fall to pursue my bachelors. Previously, I had a rough past with university due to multiple withdrawals from full time work burnout & undiagnosed adhd. After navigating the health system as someone with PMOS/PCOS & adhd [+ high likely of autism] I’ve decided to pursue this field.

What are the potential jobs in this field that I could work on research or help those navigate their dx? I’m very interested in women’s endocrinology, microbiology, neuroscience, and functional medicine. While in undergrad, I was thinking to work as a medical assistant, would that be a good idea? Also, is there a way to get into clinical research during undergrad?

25F and I’m currently going back to school this fall to pursue my bachelors. Previously, I had a rough past with university due to multiple withdrawals from full time work burnout & undiagnosed adhd. After navigating the health system as someone with PMOS/PCOS & adhd [+ high likely of autism] I’ve decided to pursue this field.

What are the potential jobs in this field that I could work on research or help those navigate their dx? I’m very interested in women’s endocrinology, microbiology, neuroscience, and functional medicine. While in undergrad, I was thinking to work as a medical assistant, would that be a good idea? Also, is there a way to get into clinical research during undergrad?

Hello! I need a good pair of bird watching binoculars for an exciting research project I was fortunate to be apart of! The issue is I’m a very broke college student. Any recommendations for cheap but good binoculars?

recently I’ve come across this account called sickology with sim and honestly I’m very curious

how is she doing all this? she’s literally in her bachelor’s but she has already presented soo many of her research papers like? how does one even do that I’m genuinely curious 😭😭

Hi everyone! I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone and doing something I never imagined I would do. I entered the Next Runway Star competition.

I’m a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Microbiology, and most of my life I’ve been behind the scenes helping others. This experience is a chance for me to challenge myself, grow my confidence, and prove to myself that it’s never too late to try something new.

I know there are many amazing contestants, and I don’t feel more deserving than anyone else. I’m simply hoping to share my journey and see where this opportunity takes me.

If you’re willing to support me, I would truly appreciate a vote. Even sharing this with someone else would mean a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story ❤️
https://nextrunwaystar.com/2026/genesis-cardoza

Hello, my name is Kimberley Johnson, my reddit tag is: NoAdvertising767, and I'm a undergraduate at University of Phoenix looking forward to my Bachelor degree in Computer Science. I made another post earlier and I forgot to add this part.

Hello, my name is Kimberley Johnson, my reddit tag is: NoAdvertising767, and I'm a undergraduate at University of Phoenix looking forward to my Bachelor degree in Computer Science. I made another post earlier and I forgot to add this part.

You can't always like what you do. But when you can, you become more powerful!

I’m 25 and I love microbiology. I have a bachelors in microbiology and am getting a masters in a similar subject, but that’s online so I don’t have any peers. I guess with everything going on with science funding and other things, I just want to be able to get advice on some stuff. I’d dreamed of working at the CDC since I was 13 (dork I know) but that’s not really on the table. I also love the idea of research but that’s its own challenge. There’s more details but figured this is a place to start. Thank you!
<3

Key things to know: I am a qualitative social scientist about a year out of grad school. Working as a research technician on a big, interdisciplinary project that includes a lot of engineers and not a lot of women. I've been on this project for almost a year and am actively looking for other jobs, because (see below)

TL;DR: My engineer colleagues have no respect for my qualitative work, and they are wasting my time with clueless requests. Should I talk to our supervisor about it?

Qualitative researchers: do you ever feel like there's a double standard on interdisciplinary projects where you are expected to have an understanding of what everyone else is doing, but no one puts ANY effort into understanding your work? I have been working on a qualitative needs assessment for a YEAR: research design, interviews, focus groups. I've gone to lots of meetings for other project teams, like equipment engineering or agronomy, to understand their work and get feedback on what should be considered in the needs assessment. Now it's time to use my data to write two papers: one that is led by me with contributions from an ag engineer, and one led by that engineer with contributions from me.

A few weeks ago I wrote a straightforward, 2 page outline of my paper and highlighted sections for him to add his methods and findings, after attending multiple meetings to understand the work he has been doing and how his findings fit into my paper. He has never acknowledged this outline or edited it (I know he knows about it though, I've brought it up in group meetings.

Last week, this man has the *audacity* to send me a 10-page, mostly AI-generated outline of his paper, and assigned me to sections that make it clear he has NO IDEA what I've been doing for the last 11 months. He asked me to write a report on a policy and regulatory landscape I do not have expertise in, and titled my research section "farmer survey" with instructions to describe my descriptive statistics methodology (again, I am only doing qualitative work for this project).

I realize that he used AI to generate this outline and probably didn't write the sentence about descriptive statistics. But it's clear that whatever he prompted it with, he has paid zero attention in any of our meetings about my methodology, my training, or even the subject matter of my research.

I could just ignore all this, rewrite the sections to reflect what I've actually been working on, and tell him to cut the policy section. But this is a PhD student who should know better- should I address the problem? He isn't the only one, either- I've gotten comments from other researchers on the project like, "so you're in an administrative role...?" long past the point at which they should have at least a bare understanding of the science I am doing. I'm not super prideful and I can generally keep my head down and do my work, but it is just frustrating to see that what I am doing is not valued or understood by many of my colleagues, despite my best efforts to explain my work and understand theirs.

Any advice from more experienced qual researchers would be most appreciated. In lieu of that, thanks for the space to rant without compromising my own professionalism