Guidance for Early-Career Scientists

As a new investigator, still feeling somewhat precarious and hoping for continued mentorship in my own career, it does feel odd giving out words of wisdom. I hope a description of my experience will suffice. I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I was very passive in the early decisions that have led to my career. Even in college, I majored in science because, as a nonnative English speaker, I thought I would not excel in the humanities. I never had a loveat-first-sight moment or a revelation that I am gifted (though I hope that I might be!), which led me to go to graduate school. Similarly, there was never one experiment that produced fantastic results to buoy me through the years of training. At the beginning, I just went to lab every day because that was the next step. But, as the small results piled up one after another, something changed and I began to truly love science. It was like a huge tub being filled with trickling water; you don’t notice the meniscus moving, but it eventually fills up. One thing that was critical to this journey was that my advisors never let me lose sight of the finishing line made up of the big-picture questions we set out to answer. I am hugely indebted to them and their encouragement. So maybe the best advice I can give is to find great mentors who inspire you, and keep on working.