When I was a postdoc, one of the best career development workshops I attended used Taylor Swift as a prompt to discuss how to write a good cover letter. More than six years later, that workshop still resonates with me. So, when my former institution invited me to speak at Postdoc Career Day, I decided to have some fun. I created a dramatic, positive, and colorful presentation using Taylor Swift’s song titles to reflect on my first months as a new PI and the career path that brought me here, which I am now translating into this blog. Whether you like Taylor or not, everyone knows her.

Ready For It?

Fresh out of college with a Master’s degree and a little research experience, I wasn’t sure what getting a PhD meant. However, I wanted to work in a lab, so pursuing a PhD seemed the best next step. I initiated my academic journey in Madrid, Spain, studying the role of antioxidant responses in endothelial dysfunction. Throughout my PhD, I experienced the joys and challenges of being a scientist and realized I wanted to continue my career as a postdoc in the US. This journey was filled with fun, generous amounts of coffee, and some tears.

Out of the Woods

During my PhD, I visited Seattle in the US Pacific Northwest for a short internship and fell in love with their nature and way of living. So, only one week after defending my PhD I moved to Portland, Oregon, for my first postdoc position. It was an easy decision. I studied non-coding RNAs responding to genotoxic stress in tumor vasculature and microenvironment. This period was beautiful but with a lot of learning and growth. I navigated new challenges, improved my scientific and non-scientific skills, and drank the best coffee Portland offered. I met the most wonderful people and built a supportive community inside and outside the lab. During this time, I discovered my passion for mentoring and realized I wanted to have my own lab.

The Moment I Knew

Grants were not coming, and getting an independent position was hard, so I started thinking about looking for a job in industry. It was a pivotal moment for me. I realized that my true passion lay in mentoring and investigating RNA biology. I enjoyed working in the lab with students and watching them learn and succeed more than anything else. So, after flirting with the idea of working in industry and applying to a couple of RNA therapeutic companies, I decided that an academic career would be more fulfilling and a better fit for me.

Begin Again

Due to family reasons, I moved to Pittsburgh and started a second postdoc in the Gomez Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. Somehow, it felt like hitting the reset button. I took the opportunity to learn more about vascular biology models and epigenetics and took advantage of every opportunity for career development. During this time, I secured a career development grant and started navigating the job market for faculty positions.

The Tortured Scientist Department

The job search was one of the most challenging parts of this journey, often feeling like a rollercoaster. I went through many applications, screening interviews, campus interviews, chalk talks, and some tears before finally landing the job. Preparing the application package, considering which institution would be a good fit for me, and thinking about what my independent lab would do was definitely a balance between love for the job and torture. In the end, I persevered, and ultimately, it was all worth it.

Lose Yourself, featuring Eminem

I started as an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. As much as I wanted this job for years, being alone in my office and feeling completely unprepared was overwhelming. I found myself navigating grant writing, recruitment, and purchasing, and making many inevitable mistakes. All this was done while trying to build a new community in my new institution. It felt a little bit wild. My coffee consumption soared as I worked to establish my lab, each cup marking small victories and learning experiences explained below.

Exile

The loneliness of starting a new lab was unexpected. Building a support network with other early career PIs has been invaluable. Moving from being in a very active and dynamic lab to an empty office was quite dramatic, and I even questioned my life choices.

The Dream Team

Building my team was crucial. I envisioned a dynamic, inclusive, and supportive lab environment. Finding the right people was about finding individuals who fit my vision and were eager to learn and contribute. However, as a new faculty, recruitment was tough. I requested help from senior mentors and colleagues during the interview process, and I learned that a phone call goes further than a million reference letters.

Shake It Off

I have had to make tough decisions in these early months and learn from my mistakes. Adapting to setbacks, choosing battles wisely, and continuing to push to get things moving forward became essential. Not every day will be perfect, and not everything will work out, but you must keep going.

You Need to Calm Down

In these few months, everything felt chaotic and out of control. Staying calm and focused has been the most challenging part. Taking things one step at a time and finding joy in the process has been very important. Realizing you are not alone and reaching out for help has been a game-changer.

The Best Day

Implementing project management and communication tools and organizing different strategies to work in the lab have been vital and have kept me entertained. Our lab manual, electronic notebooks, Slack channel, Asana, and structured onboarding process have brought me inner peace and provided guidance and consistency to the team. After discussing and getting feedback from other junior faculty, I prepared all these tools and am enjoying beta-testing them with my team.

State of Grace

Reflecting on the journey so far, I feel deep gratitude for the support of my mentors, colleagues, and friends. Their guidance has been instrumental. I dedicate my progress to my mentors whose influence has shaped and propelled my career.

My journey as a new PI has been a whirlwind. Each step has been a learning experience, from the initial loneliness to assembling a supportive and motivated team. I look forward to the future, continuing to grow and contribute to my scientific community. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. Remember, some days academia can look like the “The Tortured Scientist Department”: You love it, but it is ruining your life. You just have to “Shake it Off” and Begin again.

About the Author

Screen Name

Cristina Espinosa-Diez, PhD

About Me

Cristina is a new Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and she is originally from Madrid, Spain, where she obtained her Ph.D. Her lab investigates the impact of cancer therapies on the epigenetic landscape of vascular cells and their potential long-term complications. Outside of her research, Cristina enjoys coffee, rock music, and science-fiction shows.