I Want to Earn a PhD...or Do I?

Ever since my first biology class I took, I knew I wanted to go into research. I got into a lab my fall quarter of my second year and it has been everything and more of what I was hoping. However, I still have doubts if this career is right for me. I'm used to seeing all the upsides of conducting biomedical research such as having a high degree, having a comfortable income, and having the rewards of giving back to a community of people that are very vulnerable. In my interview with Edurne Mugarza-Strobl, a post-doctoral scholar at the Puig-Saus Lab, I wanted to get into the side of earning a PhD that no one really talks about. I wanted to know how much sacrifice goes into this career and also the work life balance. After the interview I had a different perspective on earning a PhD and pursing a career in research. Edurne illuminated me the toll earning your PhD can take on your personal life, but also how gender inequalities exist in biomedical research. This interview has demonstrated how powerful it can be to interview someone in the career you want to go into to get all the details graduate school won't put on their pamphlets!

Question 1: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?

I'm originally from Spain, I did my bachelor's in Spain. Then I moved to Germany to do my Master's for two years and I did my PhD at the Crick Institute in London. After I finished my PhD I moved here to UCLA to do my post-doc.

Question 2: What made you decide to pursue graduate school?

I've always been very interested in research and I think graduate school is just a necessary thing you have to go through for research in an academic setting.

Question 3: What made you a competitive candidate for graduate school?

Experience! So doing like what you're doing right now in the lab. In Spain we didn't have that option because our schedule was like much more packed, but I did spend every summer in a lab because I wanted to see what field I wanted to go into or if it was for me.

Question 4: What decisions allowed you to pursue your research area?

I knew I wanted to do cancer, but I didn't know exactly what, so I tried out different labs. I think that's good advice to give, don't be afraid to switch if you don't like something or you want to try something else. I started off in a chemistry lab, then I moved to a signaling lab, then to an immunology lab. When I got the immunology lab that's where I was like yes this is what I like. So just experiment and try new things out!

Question 5: During graduate school did you feel like there was an equal balance between men and women in academia or do you think there is still work to be done in this respect?

I think In graduate school yes, if anything there's more women than men. The issue comes in, in higher positions. If you look at a college level grad school level things are pretty equal right and it comes later in your career like wanting to start your own lab, you see that its mostly men.

Question 6: What advice would you give to your younger self and other students hoping to earn their PhD and do research?

Be fully aware of how much work it is. I feel like I was sort of driven into this career because it was the logical thing. The PhD you get it like you got your Master's, you go to repeat, and I didn't really question it much. So when you do decide to go to grad school just be aware it's going to take a huge call. It's a lot of work, you're going to have to sacrifice a lot, but it's very rewarding. The sacrifice wasn't spoken about when I started so that's the advice that I would give, like make sure this is what you love

Question 7: What is the most rewarding part of your career?

I think we have a unique career where it's all down to you, it's a very individual thing of like I decide how many experiments I do, what I do with my projects, how many hours I dedicate. So when things are going well its really thanks to you. It's not like someone is telling you to do things, its very individual in that sense so it's really rewarding. For me it's also when you have an idea and you try something out and it works, that's like, “Oh my gosh! I came up with this!” and it worked so those are the things that keep you going.

Question 8: What is the most challenging part of your work as a scientist?

There is a lot, but when things don’t work its really devastating because you put so much effort into it and then it doesn't work and then most of the time it's not even your fault it's just how things are. And also the hours. For me in my PhD it was like quite tough that I saw my friends and people my age having more of a life than I did. So you put a lot of hours into it and sacrifice a lot for it so that is something you need to be aware of. But yeah, the constant disappointment and failures, so you need to take the good things when they happen as motivation to keep going.

Question 9: Outside of research, what is your daily life like?

Now as a post-doc I have more of a life, but the working culture in academia is still quite tough so you do have to work a lot so there is not much during the week. In the evenings you go home and I cook, I like to cook and just relax, watch TV and here in LA on the weekends, I like hiking and going to the beach a lot, and outdoor activities to really take your mind off of work

Question 10: How do you build a support system or balance your work life as a postdoctoral scholar?

Its easier as a post-doc than as a graduate student because as a grad student you have the pressure of graduating. As a postdoc you have your family, your friends, your partner. In my case I rely heavily on my partner because I don’t have my family and friends around here. But it's very important to have that support system outside of work. In graduate school very importantly your lab mates are your support system. When I was doing my PhD we had a very tight lab and we all got along really well. So that's really important, and if you are lucky enough to be in a lab with other grad students, like I had one grad student that was a year below me and we were working together and became best friends and that was really important to have. So having a good supportive environment at work is really important.