Sendurai Mani: Navigating the challenging transition from postdoc to running a successful lab

Sendurai Mani, Associate Director for Translational Oncology at Brown University Legorreta Cancer Center, shared on LinkedIn:

“Navigating the challenging transition from postdoc to running a successful lab

Embarking on the journey from a postdoctoral fellow to starting a lab as an assistant professor is a significant transition. As postdocs, scientists are adept at thinking critically, writing papers, and drafting grants. However, stepping into a faculty role expands these responsibilities.

As a faculty, one must learn to manage startup funds wisely, recruit the right mix of Ph.D. students, postdocs, and scientists, and ensure their team is well-trained to excel in science. Part of this role involves guiding those who face challenges and sometimes assisting them in finding alternative career paths. Financial planning becomes crucial to maintain the lab’s operations, ensuring salaries and stipends are secured.

Beyond this, there’s a continuous flow of tasks such as reviewing papers, evaluating grants, building team science, organizing conferences, and much more, all without any formal training in these new responsibilities. Wishing the very best to the young scientists who are skillfully juggling complex and demanding roles, and making significant contributions to the advancement of science.”

Source: Sendurai Mani/LinkedIn