10 Tips To Pick A Lab
Featured Co-Author:
Elia Magrinelli is currently working on his second postdoc and has been in academia for nearly 10 years. He has worked in 3 different labs and has directly collaborated with people from 18 different countries. In addition to his academic background he has received training on leadership and communication.
Finding the right lab for you can be a tricky endeavour. There are so many factors to consider, and often little time to really gauge a new environment - a one day visit is great but remains a limited window into the life of that lab.
If you’re struggling to know what to pay attention to and what crucial questions to ask, we’ve got you. Here are…
10 things to consider when you are picking a lab:
Remember, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
Talk about meeting habits with your P.I. Will you have the opportunity to talk one-on-one as well as catch up with your group and close collaborators?
We’ve already mentioned it in “Advice from people who switched PhD Advisor” but it is worth repeating: Talk to lab members individually to ask them about their experience. This is where you will be most apt to catch any red flags — they may not feel comfortable disclosing sensitive tips in the presence of certain people
Making sure you’ll be able to collaborate and work with your lab mates is just as important as ensuring you’ll be able to have a good working relationship with a P.I. These are people with whom you will potentially spend years in close quarters. Keep that in mind when you talk to them. Asking how they socialise can be a great way to see if this lab is a good fit for you. And if you are applying in a different country, remember that cultural differences can change the way people communicate :)
A good tip when interviewing lab members or your P.I. is to ask open questions rather than “yes-no” questions. Instead of “Are you happy in this lab” you should ask “What’s your experience been like here?”. Instead of “Will we have the opportunity to meet one-on-one?”, you could ask “How do you prefer to catch up with your students to assess progress and set goals?” . You can prepare a list of questions before you get there - it’s easy to forget things in the heat of the moment!
Make sure you probe your P.I.’s and your lab-mate’s ability to effectively communicate. Ask them how they handle conflict or disagreements.
Enquire about the work culture: Are people often asked or pressured to work out of hours, on week-ends or relinquish holidays? This is a major red flag.
Ask whether you’ll be guaranteed clear supervision by existing lab members when you join. You can ask the P.I. if someone will be given this responsibility, and make sure to ask current lab members if this sort of collaboration and peer-to-peer mentoring is routine.
Although it might be tempting to lean towards prestigious labs as a PhD candidate, you should also consider the level or responsibility and agency you will be given on the project. This is your PhD after all
And finally, the most telling question of them all: Ask management (or the P.I.) them how they supported their lab members and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good luck on your path! If you have further questions, feel free to ask any questions to Elia on twitter.
PhD Tips is a series of dedicated to advice I wish I would have been given when I started my PhD. If you have anything else to add, or any request for a future blog, comment down bellow or ask me on twitter @Sydonahi :)