Spectrum Launch

Recent articles

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Running a lab like a startup company: Q&A with Dorothy Tse

Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset pushed Tse to define her research priorities as she launched her lab.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 November 2023 | 6 min read
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How to stay afloat in the flood of scientific literature

A combination of automation and social curation can help keep early-career researchers from drowning in the sea of scientific publications.

By Angie Voyles Askham
11 October 2023 | 5 min read
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How to make the most of your postdoc experience

Scientists at different career stages offer advice for new postdoctoral researchers — that and more in this month’s issue of Spectrum launch.

By Angie Voyles Askham
14 September 2023 | 7 min read
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Unwritten rules of tenure

Academics are not always aware of the standards — both explicit and implicit — that are used to assess them for promotion. We explore these expectations and more in this month’s issue of the Spectrum Launch newsletter.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 August 2023 | 6 min read
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Spectrum Launch: Transitioning to industry with Hien Zhao

Zhao says her graduate and postdoctoral training prepared her to transition to her job at the biotech company Ionis Pharmaceuticals, where she works to find treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other conditions.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 July 2023 | 6 min read
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Spectrum Launch: Four tips for advancing your career via social media

Researchers also share insight into navigating the academic job market and “everything you wanted to know about running a lab but were afraid to ask.”

By Angie Voyles Askham
7 June 2023 | 6 min read
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Spectrum Launch: Demystifying academia with Laurel Gabard-Durnam

The Northeastern University psychology professor’s website offers a wealth of resources about how to navigate an academic career.

By Angie Voyles Askham
4 May 2023 | 5 min listen
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Spectrum Launch: The hidden costs of conference travel

Most early-career researchers have to foot the bill for academic conferences and get reimbursed once they return. But not everyone can afford to wait for that payment.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 April 2023 | 5 min read
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Spectrum Launch: How early-career researchers can use ChatGPT to boost productivity

The new tool may pose challenges for the scientific community, but used wisely, it can help researchers save time and resources.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 March 2023 | 6 min read
Illustration shows a road going into the distance, seen from the driver's point of view.

Spectrum Launch: What the earliest early-career researchers contribute to the autism field

High school interns don’t just gain new skills — they also form a pipeline of future scientists.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 February 2023 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of a shrew, sandpiper, locust, axolotl, monarch butterfly, African killifish, naked mole rat, octopus, bat and cichlid.

The non-model organism “renaissance” has arrived

Meet 10 neuroscientists bringing model diversity back with the funky animals they study.

Assembloids illuminate circuit-level changes linked to autism, neurodevelopment

These complex combinations of organoids afford a closer look at how gene alterations affect certain brain networks.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
19 December 2024 | 0 min watch
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Rajesh Rao reflects on predictive brains, neural interfaces and the future of human intelligence

Twenty-five years ago, Rajesh Rao proposed a seminal theory of how brains could implement predictive coding for perception. His modern version zeroes in on actions.

By Paul Middlebrooks
18 December 2024 | 97 min listen