Articles by Shoa Naqvi:
Phd Skills That Landed Me My Corporate Job!
Transitioning from a PhD in Biotechnology to the industry of my choice (scientific communication and marketing) involved an intense period of application and rejection. Every time I got a rejection letter, I feared that the industry probably did not want fresh graduates like me, that they wanted someone with years of experience. These were moments…

Top Factors to consider before applying to a lab
In today’s times, fierce competition exists in the field of science and technology for positions like Ph.D. or research assistantships. Hence, gaining such a coveted place in a new lab is indeed a moment of exultation for any student. However, it is extremely important that before we embark upon this new journey, we make some…

8 Basic Points to Remember Before Expressing Proteins in Bacterial Systems
As a protein biochemist and a Ph.D. student, I was given the task to express a eukaryotic protein in a bacterial system. And to say that I was having a hard time would be an understatement. It took me many PCRs, cloning and transformations to get to the right construct that would eventually express the desired…

15 Top Tips to Giving a Great Talk
I still remember the first time I stood in front of a crowd of about 35 people, including my brand new lab mates and professors, in my first ever lab meeting. My feet were as wobbly as ever and all I wanted was a big boulder to hide behind, so my crazy shaky legs would…

Building a Successful Scientific Team with Creators, Innovators and Supporters
Whenever we join a new squad, be it our local sports team or a new work group, it is always good to know where exactly we fit in. Knowing our role within a unit is immensely helpful in focusing our energy in the right direction and gives great satisfaction when we efficiently contribute to that…

Your 10 Step Guide to a More Motivated PhD
If there is a job in the world that requires one of the highest levels of motivation, I would say it is doing a PhD. Pushing yourself out of bed daily to enter the lab ain’t an easy task, especially when your results are dodgy or you have unluckily found that your lab-mates or project…
