So I am in my early 20s and just graduated college 5 months back. Now, for context, I grew up in a more agriculture focused setting. I was the kid that had almost every farm animal, did 4H, showed my dog in dog shows, and enjoyed outdoor work. I went into biology because I wanted to be a veterinarian. However, I fell into research (environmental) and really enjoyed it. I would hike up mountains, collect samples, and use computer programs to make sense of my data. I grew to really enjoy researxh. My first gig was in biotech with an agriculture focus, and again, really enjoyed it. I worked with plants, did lab work, organised greenhouse trials, and would explore nature during my lunch break.

However, I decided to pivot into clinical researxh because I was curious about the field. And it has been…a lot….im stuck in a little room with no windows, the lab work tjay I do is pretty basic, and I’m in a hospital (I’ve had dangerous health issues during college, so the smell of hospital settings are not my favorite). My coworkers act like they don’t want me around (which is honestly the hardest part, especially since I’m being trained). I’m having a bit of a panic moment. I’ve worked crappy jobs during college, but again, I lived in a rural area, so most people were pretty friendly despite working conditions. I do miss moving my body, focusing on lab work, and being around somewhat friendly people. I’m finding myself becoming less enthusiastic about research in general.

I understand loving your job Isnt always going to be the case, but…if I’m being honest…I liked my college retail job better….like that’s the situation I’m in right now. How do you guys overcome this?

I feel like I'm in a semi unique position where I'm an older female undergrad student studying CS. I'm late 20s and I haven't experienced this level of torment until last year when I decided to have a mini "glow up" (went from someone who never wore makeup before to experimenting with different lite alt(?) looks). I do not really consider myself much, but friends have told me I am considered attractive. I'm not sure if my experience would've been the same if I didn't do any of that stuff.

I feel like I'm at that age where a small amount of the younger students find me attractive and as a result I have had plenty uncomfortable experiences aka stalked twice (one still monitors my social media), asked out by cornballs who are bewildered by my blunt personality-- Getting older rocks because you care less and less about social conformity, but men try to "manic pixie dream girl" you more. But it also presented a weird thing where I also have a lot in common with some of my professors, and I have had some creepy incidents as a result of that. ​One touched my waist, the other just acted so odd and the best way to describe it is "highly manipulative person setting up plausible deniability and hoping I make the first move."

Other students notice and comment on how I'm "friends" with all the professors and come to me for help, advice, etc that is better suited for their ADVISOR. If you ask any of my professors (and me), no we're not friends. I'm just passionate about my niche interests in this field and the professionals with years experience are happy to expand on that AND happy a student gives a shit about their class.

I have had so many lovely interactions with professors who were normal and professional, and still are. But I guess I'm just so aware of how I'm perceived, and it makes me feel insanely paranoid. I'm so used to blending into the crowd, but now I exist and I am reminded often that I am essentially being watched, observed, spoken about, to a degree. It freaks me out so bad. And I interact with the students a lot because I'm a TA and I love tutoring. I feel like I have to vet every single person and think so hard about every single little interaction. It just freaks me out.

There was one professor I worked for and thus had to interact with regularly, but the students don't care about logic. Some would DM me that they saw Dr.whoever doing whatever and I'd go "Okay? Why would I care?" and I realize they just mentioned him as bait to get my attention. I had one get jealous? And said "If I ever wanna talk to you I'll just look for Dr.whoever because you're always around him!"

I dont know, I'm just feeling vulnerable tonight and I want to know I'm not alone in these experiences or feelings. I feel like prey being watched.

I’m interested in running a strategic planning session for our academic department. I’ve been a participant in the past, but they’ve often been pretty boring. I would love to get suggestions, activities, or materials that you have used or based on your experiences to make strategic planning for our future research plans more fun, fruitful, and motivating.

I am in biomedical, molecular biology-related research. Late 30s.

I got married on the last year of my PhD and immediately got pregnant on the first year of my post-doc. Where I live, maternity leave is 2 months before due date and up to 1 year after birth. As I wanted to get back to my career, I went back after a total of 10 months away.

Then, I got pregnant again. After a year and two months back at work, I had to take another year of maternity leave (and this time, I had to take it longer because there were no daycare slots available in our area).

I have been back at work for 7 months now, and surprise, an unplanned pregnancy! If all goes well, I will have to take a break again in March, and will most likely be on leave again until May of 2028.

At this point, I do not really have anything to show for my post-doc. There's one low IF paper, but that is all of my visible output for the past 5 years (aside from my PhD publications).

So I wonder, will I ever be able to get back on the academic career path? Or should I accept my fate to be stuck in a lab tech/research assistant position for the rest of my life? For the ladies who have been through this, how did you do it? Were you ever able to get back into the field?

I’m doing my PhD in a molecular ecology lab whilst also trying to conceive (TTC) with my partner.

I work primarily with phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol for DNA extraction and I’m worried about the pre and post conception risks.

Wondering if there’s anything, besides working in fume hood and PPE, that I can do to prevent any inhalation or contact? I spoke with my supervisor about it today after doing some research about the effects and he’s happy for me to continue as normal.

I’m absolutely terrified of causing harm to my fertility and a (hopeful) future foetus. Any advice is much appreciated.

I’m 16 weeks pregnant, have a PhD in chemistry, and work as an R&D chemist in a lab where we regularly use organic solvents such as xylene, toluene, methanol, DCM, heavy aromatic naphtha, and others.

I have my own chemical fume hood, but the lab is shared and people also do chemical work on the open bench. Some solvents are kept in working containers on the bench where people come over, dispense what they need, and leave. In the past I have occasionally smelled solvents/chemicals while just being in the lab, even when I wasn’t the person using them.

Since I disclosed my pregnancy, I’ve been trying to understand what a reasonable pregnancy-specific exposure assessment should look like. My employer did a reproductive-hazard review, but from what I was given, it was largely a yes/no classification based on SDS. For example, xylene was listed as “not a reproductive toxicant,” even though CDC pregnancy guidance discusses xylene as one of the solvents with potential reproductive concerns.

I brought the chemical list and the employer’s assessment to my doctor. After reviewing it, my doctor recommended that I work outside the lab in an office/non-lab setting for the duration of the pregnancy.

My employer says that restriction is too broad. Their position is essentially that chemicals are everywhere cleaners, gasoline, etc. and that because they believe the lab exposures are below occupational exposure limits, they cannot accommodate me being completely out of the lab. They have now placed me on medical leave because they say being physically present in the lab is an essential part of my role.

I’m struggling with this because I genuinely want to keep working, but I also don’t feel comfortable simply going back into a shared solvent lab when I can’t control what other people are doing around me. Some of the lab practices have also made me uncomfortable, and after doing a lot of reading I still don’t feel confident

For those of you who worked as chemists, researchers, lab techs, or in chemical manufacturing while pregnant: how did your employer handle this?
Did you continue full lab work, avoid specific solvents, move temporarily to desk/data work, have an occupational-health assessment, or take leave? If you were given chemical-specific restrictions, how were those actually determined?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from women who worked in organic/synthesis labs or EHS/occupational-health people who have dealt with pregnancy accommodations.

Thank you!!

There is an opportunity to join a multidiscipinary working group with AAAS. The topic is Planetary Health... figured some might be interested in this to supplement their careers and research. https://www.aaas.org/governance/multidisciplinary-working-groups

Has anyone had a good experience with any career coaching companies? Following grad school (PhD) I completed a short postdoc in a terrible lab with a PI I can't use as a reference, and now I'm trying to move forward and find a new position in either academia or industry. I'm needing a bit of help navigating the field, especially where it's at now, and I'm looking for people with more varied experience than academia alone (e.g. my grad school mentors). Any recs appreciated.

Hi, as you may know, women's health has been marginalized throughout history, it makes me quite sad and upset, as a girl, i've known I wanted to work in the medical field specifically within women's health. It's saddening that it's understudied, so I want to do research and study it, like endometriosis as it breaks my heart to see what many of these women go through, and I also want to encourage other's to research in it as well.

The thing is, I have no idea where to start. I don't really have any research experience yet, im a college freshman. I also dont know if this is the right place to put this, so I apologize if it's not the right place. I do want to make a change in the world, and help a lot of people. I know i have to be realistic, I do want to start the club around sophmore year :)).

I am in the 1st year of my master’s degree in physical chem. I’ve done project work and term papers on topics related to nanoparticles, but now I want to explore sth different, sth more rooted in actual physical chemistry.

I am interested in neutron scattering and condensed matter. but I can’t say much about them yet because I feel like I fall short when it comes to the physics side of things.

I really need some guidance because, honestly, I don’t know what I am genuinely interested in. Somewhere, I read that even hating sth can spark a research interest, but here I am, feeling absolutely clueless about what I want to pursue.

So, if anyone has any advice, suggestions, or even any kinda experiences to share abt topics . I d really really be grateful.