On this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with prolific research scientist, Dr. Sarah Andres. Dr. Andres shares her origin story and points out key take aways from her journey. She then highlights how EQ is a key ingredient in that journey, as well as in team management, recruitment, and how it can act as a catalyst for problem solving in science. You don’t want to miss this one!

Interviews can be stressful, there is a lot at stake - your future, your career, your happiness. But with a little reframing, you begin to think of an interview, as more of a recruitement. Are THEY the right fit? Join us as Nick & Damien discuss some tips & tricks for navigating your next venture and empowering yourself to find the right work alignment.

Join us as our producer Pablo Signori digs deep with EDC founders/hosts Nick & Damien on their origin story.

Forget the noise; find the signal.

Biotech entrepreneurs and academic researchers often encounter situations that were never addressed in their technical training. These knowledge gaps can create anxiety in response to challenges such as media predictions of funding scarcity, but it’s never too late to learn new ways of thinking that will help you ride out the ups and downs in the choppy waters at the convergence of science and finances.

Don’t be a bad influence on yourself.

The most important influencer in your life is… you. But you might also be your own worst critic. If you don’t have a strong sense of what your recurring thought patterns are and where they come from, they can sometimes hold you back from making positive changes in your life. Learning how to have productive conversations with yourself can help you plot your path forward.

You need to know your destination before you can plan your route.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? You’re most likely to have heard this question in a job interview, a situation in which other people will use your response to help them shape their initial opinion of you. As a young leader, learning how to ask yourself the same question will help you shape your strategies, whether they’re for your next networking event or your entire life’s work.

Downtime is not lost time.

When you love your work and are passionate about your long-term goals, time off can seem like a loss of momentum. However, just as athletes can’t improve their performance without giving their bodies time to recuperate, researchers and entrepreneurs can sometimes make faster progress by hitting the pause button.

Don’t just go through it—grow through it.

When we think about concepts such as productivity, bandwidth, and return on investment, we often revert to traditional metrics based on time and money. However, learning to reframe these concepts around energy will help you make better decisions about how you invest your time and effort.

Don’t put limitations on your dreams.

Growing a company or research program can be a stressful and risky endeavor. Anchoring your long-term scientific vision with a positive emotion will keep you motivated as you work towards your goals, and will help you craft a compelling story that will inspire others to support you on your journey.

Job descriptions need to describe more than just the job.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the world of work, with recent reports stating that almost half of all workers are currently looking for new jobs. If you’re worried that it’s getting harder to hire for lab-based jobs that can’t be done remotely, you might find that rethinking your recruitment processes will help you find the right people to join your team.

At Experimental Designs Consulting we meet a lot of people who want us to help them with the overall strategy for their lab or company. However, it’s essential to clearly define your goals before you start worrying about formulating a strategic plan to achieve them. Embracing your inner optimist to imagine your best possible future is an important first step that will continue to guide you over the coming months and years.

You need square pegs for square holes.

Mismatches between people and the jobs they’re hired to do can cost your team money, morale, and momentum. Putting in some groundwork before you post your next job ad will help ensure that your next hire is the right fit for your team’s needs.    

Your science is unique. Your budget should be, too.

Developing your first long-term research budget can seem like a daunting task. However, if you start from the familiar ground of your own research hypotheses, the numbers—and, more importantly, the rationale behind them—will quickly follow.  

It took more than money to land us on the moon.

Innovation consumes resources in the form of money, time, materials, and energy. How you think about the resources you have available to you right now can affect your progress towards your research vision. 

Embrace what works.

Does your new team really need complicated software to manage your research, or would a simpler solution be more efficient? Experimental Design Consulting’s process is based on the principle of building a prototype around what’s already working for you and then iterating on it as your needs evolve. 

Don’t reinvent the wheel.

First-time PIs and entrepreneurs face a lot of pressure to succeed quickly. There’s a steep learning curve, and a lot of the necessary skills can only be learned on the job. The private sector has invested heavily in developing models and processes to help new ventures and their CEOs succeed; tapping into these proven resources can also help academic researchers to reach their goals sooner.

Sometimes the cheapest way to pay for something is with money.

If you’ve ever tried to take on a complicated household repair project yourself, you probably know that it’s always faster and often cheaper to just call in a plumber or electrician. The same principle applies to your research, too: learning how to make strategic use of outsourcing and consulting options can save you time and money in the long run, and help you reach your research milestones faster. 

It’s about allies, not adversaries.

Negotiation doesn’t have to be a competitive, zero-sum game with a winner and a loser. If you center the process around your passion for your scientific vision, negotiation can become a collaboration towards the shared goal of making that vision a reality.

What can modern scientists learn from the Wright brothers?

Whether you’re an academic researcher or an entrepreneur, you’ll often need to balance the financial and creative sides of science. With the right approach to managing your research, you can learn to harness your scientific passion to drive innovative discovery—and when that research takes off, the money will follow.

You are invited to listen to the first episodes, to be released on Tuesday, September 7th. New episodes will be available every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month.

Experimental Designs Consulting is launching a new Podcast exploring the ins-and-outs of starting a new lab.  Join Nick and Damien as they share over 30 years of experience on everything there is to know about putting together a new lab, leading the development of your team, and bringing your scientific vision to reality.  Whether you’re kicking off your own startup biotech company or starting as new biomedical research faculty, these two lab startup gurus have the tips-and-tricks to guide both you and your team towards success. 

Feedback? Questions? Ideas for new episodes? Let us know!