Main description:

Pursuing a career in biomedical research can be daunting, considering the stiffer competition and uncertain career prospects in academia. This book summarizes career advice gathered during in-depth interviews with 106 biomedical scientists who lead their own laboratories. The participating principal investigators are from 44 research institutions in 11 countries.

This book is unique in that it provides a glimpse into the mindset of principal investigators. Here, the reader will learn about common thought patterns and values, as well as the range of opinions and ways of thinking to be found among a large group of active principal investigators - without having to read more than a hundred individual autobiographies.

The book will benefit all PhD students who want to learn more about their supervisor's mindset in order to successfully complete their projects. It can help freshly graduated PhDs planning to pursue an academic career, and MDs contemplating a career in research, to decide whether they truly want to embark on this path. Lastly, it can offer young principal investigators a source of inspiration on how to succeed and achieve their goals.

Contents:

Table of Contents Chapter 1. "Carving Your Own Path" - shaping your scientific identity

Chapter 2. The Two Cornerstones of Academic Research: Writing Grant Applications and Publications

Chapter 3. Setting up a Successful Research Group

Chapter 4. Leading Your Research Group as a Principal Investigator

Chapter 5. The Daily Work of Principal Investigators

Chapter 6. Dealing with Failure and Stress in Academic Research

Chapter 7. Thoughts of Principal Investigators about Work, Science, and Themselves

Chapter 8. Under the Hood - Common Thinking Patterns of Principal Investigators

Chapter 9. Epilogue

Chapter 10. Methods

References

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