Questions tagged [biology]
On standards or conventions specific to biology as an academic discipline, and programs that lead to a degree in this field
130
questions
6
votes
4answers
686 views
How to move from a physics background to a career in biology research
I have a bachelor's degree in physics and I am finishing my master's degree in applied physics, in the field of biophysics. So, in particular, I study methods typical of physics to investigate ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Redundant academic recommendation letter vs. a professional one?
I am applying for a PhD in tumor biology in the United States. Most institutions require 3 letters of recommendation. I currently work at a lab doing cancer research where I have two PIs as my bosses. ...
1
vote
0answers
97 views
I want to study human brain and consciousness. Should i study neuroscience or neuro-physics? [closed]
I am a high school student and my dream is to study about human brain and consciousness. Which subject should I study in university, neuroscience or neuro-physics (which is a branch of biophysics)?
0
votes
1answer
73 views
3 Letters of Recommendation for Bio Grad School [duplicate]
I'm a rising senior in college and I'm looking into grad programs in biology. For the Letter of Recommendation requirement I have found that usually 3 are required.
Currently I can only think of 2 ...
0
votes
0answers
97 views
Changing fields from Mathematics to Biology/Chemistry
I’m currently in my penultimate year of an undergraduate degree in mathematics. I’ve been thinking about changing fields completely. I love maths, so I intend to graduate with this degree and I’m ...
2
votes
1answer
110 views
PhD transfer during first year [closed]
This year I was accepted into two PhD programs (USC and WashU). I had a very specific research interest, and the USC program used to be my first choice, because there were so many professors in the ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
Transitioning from bioinformatics to wet lab?
I had a very bad PhD experience in developmental biology. My project was supposed to be wet lab and it was, but I didn't learn a lot of techniques. At the end I got into bioinformatics and, because my ...
-3
votes
1answer
193 views
IT, life sciences and self-hate [closed]
To give you some background: I spent 4 years getting a PhD in a second-tier university in Europe, struggling heavily with no input, mentorship or encouragement from the PI. Then I did 3 year of ...
2
votes
2answers
531 views
Confused about masters project
I am an integrated master student doing a rather short project of only 4months in the lab (due to covid). The project is quite a weird one as it either works or it doesn't and if it doesn't I have no ...
24
votes
4answers
4k views
Is it appropriate for peer-reviewer to look for possible plagiarism?
I'm in the second year of a post-doc, and currently participating in my first experience as a peer-reviewer (my lab PI recommended me to the editor because he's too busy to do it right now). I noticed ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views
How important is it to cite the earliest report of something?
As a general rule I try to put in some due diligence to cite the authors who first provided strong evidence of something that I'm referencing, even if I wasn't aware of their work before I started ...
23
votes
9answers
6k views
Can I become a tenure-track prof in one dept (biology) and teach in a different dept (math) with only one PhD?
I recently defended my PhD in Neuroscience and am starting a postdoc soon. Like a lot of people who take this track, I hope to one day have my own research lab at a university. I would also like to ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
PhD in Biology: how time consuming?
I am currently pursuing my master's in bio-medicine. I am taking classes, doing research, and working as a graduate assistant at the same time. So far it has turned out to be very time consuming. I ...
0
votes
2answers
179 views
Getting into a PhD program with a low gpa but good profile [duplicate]
I am going to apply to few PhD programs in Microbiology (I'm particularly very interested in Microbial ecology) but I'm afraid my undergrad gpa (8.5/10 for the first 6 semester as I'm currently in my ...
3
votes
1answer
191 views
How can I accredit my Russian kandidat nauk in biology to PhD in USA?
I have a kandidat nauk in biology from Russia, and as I know it's equivalent to a PhD degree outside post-Soviet countries.
My question is what do I need to do to accredit my degree in the USA? Which ...
22
votes
4answers
4k views
Is an invitation to 'chat' about a potential PhD position actually an interview? What am I to expect?
I've been invited for a chat for a potential PhD position by a professor I'm interested in working with. He also wants me to give a short presentation on some experiments I've done in the past that I'...
1
vote
0answers
117 views
Can there be context rich problems in Biology?
Context-rich problems are short realistic scenarios giving students a plausible motivation for solving the problem.
As we search research literature, one can see lots of research in context rich ...
7
votes
3answers
204 views
Independent research after grad school while holding a somehow unrelated career. What are the potential caveats or problems?
I recently graduated from a master's degree while working on an interesting but niche intersection of machine learning and biology. This area is of my personal interest and I believe it can impact the ...
1
vote
2answers
172 views
Germany undergrad: is it possible to switch from medicine to biology?
My niece in Germany is applying for undergrad colleges, at this point she likes medicine and biology both. But she is not sure if she wants to end up being a doctor or a molecular biology researcher. ...
-1
votes
1answer
176 views
Is peer review process totally theoretical?
Does the peer review process involve only theoretical analysis or it contains some practical components?
4
votes
2answers
463 views
My supervisor is putting my name on a paper I disagree with. What will happen if it is found to be wrong?
My supervisor is publishing a paper and naming me as the first author. I did the data analysis for the paper but part of the interpretation in the paper I regard as wrong.
I argued with him but he ...
1
vote
2answers
216 views
How to position myself to transition from doing wet lab research to doing computational work? [closed]
I am in the first quarter of the second year of my PhD. I learned to code as a hobby and have been quite passionate about analytical stuff. I got taken for a PhD basic research project which required ...
5
votes
3answers
282 views
In biology papers, is it standard to to list names of people who contributed to code tools, but did nothing else towards a paper?
A while ago, I spent some time working for a lab doing biology research. While I was there, my main job was to write code to automatically perform specific kinds of analysis on the collected data, ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
How important is having research experience in the same department you are applying for?
I have a B.S. in math from the United States and am returning to school in the US for a second B.S. in microbiology because: 1) I have no research experience; 2) I have no excellent LORs as a result ...
0
votes
4answers
295 views
How does the teaching of biology differ from teaching physics? [closed]
Respected teachers, I have this question for quite some time and I need your ideas.
When we teach physics we can have a lot of brainstorming sessions and adopt the "scientific method" ( ...
2
votes
2answers
329 views
What are the main practical complications/challenges to using Linux as your full time OS, particularly as faculty in Biology/Ecology?
I am an ecology post-doc and considering switching from Windows to Linux for my main work computer (I am not a mathematical modeller). I have used Linux before and I am aware that, with effort, one ...
0
votes
0answers
93 views
How to publish in genetics without access to funding or a lab?
I am currently working in quite new university as lecturer for applied medical science undergrad in genetics subjects. I am facing some issues:
The university requires every lecturer do some ...
1
vote
1answer
597 views
Finishing with only 2 papers (both co-authorship)
So, I am about to gain my PhD degree in Biochemistry (Cancer biochemistry) in december.
But I'll have finished it only with 2 papers (3rd one, which is the one totally about my thesis project is due ...
3
votes
0answers
53 views
Faculty funding in biomedical postgraduate-only institutions
What is the model for faculty funding in biomedical postgraduate-only or research-only institutions?
I understand the distinction between "soft" vs "hard" money and I was told that in medical ...
1
vote
0answers
82 views
Transitioning back to science after working outside of the field?
I went to university studying Immunology but university as a whole was rough for me because I was a poor international student (on scholarship) and my mental health was really bad in general. I ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Is it worth the risk to apply to REUs? How likely am I to be accepted? [closed]
I am applying to biology REUs(Research Experience for Undergraduates) this summer. Would a white female junior from a small R2 university, 3.9 gpa, and one summer of research experience be likely ...
4
votes
1answer
149 views
What affiliation to put on paper? [duplicate]
I finished my Master one year ago and now I am writing a paper from my master thesis. But now i am a PhD student in another university (another country). Which affiliation i should write in the paper?....
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Possible contents of a risk-assessment matrix for a grant proposal
I am post-doc from biological sciences writing a grant proposal. One of the sections of the application is dedicated to risk assessment of the given project. There were no further instructions.
I can ...
0
votes
2answers
88 views
writing a brief description of yourself [closed]
I have just started my first job in a company as an engineer, I was asked to write a brief description of myself which will be sent to all the staffs.
Could you please provide some template? how we ...
1
vote
1answer
277 views
Academic postdoc: Interview process time insights
I had an informal meeting via Skype for a postdoc position that I am highly interested in, speaking of which, I was invited for a formal interview soon after. I was asked to give a talk to the lab (...
18
votes
1answer
1k views
Why bioRxiv instead of arXiv.bio?
In view of the need of a preprint repository for biology science, why was it necessary to start bioRxiv, instead of a biology section in arXiv? Is there any fundamental difference between the two? ...
0
votes
1answer
837 views
I've been rejected from every research program/professor I've applied to for summer. What do I do?
I'm a sophomore biology major. I'd like to be in a research lab, but am willing to do anything related to my major: interning for environmental consulting, working for the state epa, etc. The issue is ...
18
votes
1answer
4k views
Manuscript was "unsubmitted" because the manuscript was deposited in Arxiv Preprints
One of my manuscripts was "unsubmitted" and potentially rejected by the journal for the reason that it was submitted to a preprint server. Is it normal for the journal to reject a paper that was ...
4
votes
2answers
328 views
Author order - seniority vs contribution
I have a manuscript (in the field of biomedical research) close to submission with four authors: me (as first author) (ME), my ex-boss (as senior author) (EB) and two more authors of which one is a ...
0
votes
2answers
266 views
Should I push for my paper to be published as an undergraduate?
I've been doing a research attachment as an undergraduate in a malaria culture lab and my project involves the screening and hit prioritisation of anti-cancer drugs for repurposing use against malaria....
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Postdoc vs Assistant Prof - which is better for a career academic?
All questions are hypothetical as of now.
I work in the health / biomedical sciences. I have been a postdoc for about 2.5 years and had to leave the postdoc after the lab closed. I have been ...
58
votes
8answers
12k views
How to by-pass bioethics for a trivial bio-experiment?
I am from Computer Science (CS) doing microscopy imaging applications, mainly in software side.
Recently we submitted a paper to Scientific Reports on a new algorithm. My own human blood cells (a ...
1
vote
1answer
215 views
Short postdoc abroad
I'm looking for some career/life advice. I am currently 9 months into my first postdoc job in the US (originally 1 year contract) in the life sciences, after finishing a PhD in the UK. My contract ...
62
votes
8answers
25k views
I'm afraid of chemicals. How do I handle my required uni biology class?
I have a freshman requirement as a science student for at least 3 core science classes, and I picked physics as often as I could. However, I must choose either chem or bio as my third. I chose bio.
...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Is an interest in the Philosophy of Biology a good reason to pursue grad studies in Evolutionary Biology? [closed]
I have always leaned more towards questions surrounding psychology, sociology, and philosophy but fate has me graduating with a BSc in Biology this year. Would it be smart to pursue it further more ...
16
votes
2answers
4k views
Should I decline unrelated work assigned by PhD advisor?
During the past years of my PhD program in biology, my advisor has developed a habit of lending my service to other labs/groups for potential collaborating opportunities. In addition to helping fellow ...
0
votes
1answer
288 views
Can I not ask my advisor for recommendation letter if I'm applying for an industry job?
I'm currently in my fifth year of my PhD in a molecular biology lab, and I have since last year decided to transition to computational biology field.
My advisor is very much into molecular biology ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Completing a Microbiology PhD in a hospital research institute rather than university
I'm considering doing my PhD work in a research institute of a hospital which is associated with my university (joint appointments). What are some advantages and disadvantages to this? Is it wise to ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
I want to do a masters in Biology, but I hate lab work [closed]
I have one year left of my Biology degree in the UK, and I want to do a masters. I love biology and I enjoy learning, specifically in cellular and cancer biology. However, I do not enjoy labs, I find ...
3
votes
3answers
480 views
How to avoid personal issues interfering with my Ph.D. studies?
Background
My life had (and still has) difficult problems (chronic disease and its consequences: social isolation, anxiety, having to take extra measures to take care of my health...). As a ...
