​The event, featuring four experts in the field, aimed to discuss how to sail to a project management career in a relaxed, conversational atmosphere. INet-NYC board members, Dr. Marta Collu,  Dr. Rinki Saha and Dr. Zafar Mahmood were the organizers and moderators of this event. 
 
To start, the panelists were invited to give a brief introduction about themselves, describing their background and current role. All trained as scientists and earned a Life Science PhD degree, they transitioned to a project management role, and currently work for institutions spanning academia, private companies, governmental and non-profit organizations. 
Dr. Linda Molla works as Senior Project Associate at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Stephanie Morris is Program Director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) Extramural Research Program; Dr. Shayla Shorter manages the scientific review of the Lupus Research Alliance research grants; and Dr. Federica Valsecchi is the Immunotherapy Project Manager of the Technology and Development Office (TDO) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). The diversity of the organizations our speakers work for immediately gave us a grasp of how versatile the scientific program and project management fields can be. 
 
Next, we discussed what are the most critical skills a scientific project manager should possess. 
 
“A big part of this role has to do with knowing the science, building relationships with the people, ‘connecting the dots’ and providing your support and your knowledge to the different scientific teams”.-Dr. Linda Molla
 
As project managers constantly interact with scientists and experts, the scientific mindset surely gives the advantage of understanding the rationale behind the different project phases, and of being able to see the bigger picture. But a project management role also involves much more than science skills. For instance, communication and interpersonal skills are key: project managers engage and communicate on a daily basis with a very diverse audience, from the chief of a company, to the members of a team, or the families of a patient. Therefore, they learn how to distil very complex concepts to a level that is understandable to the targeted audience, as well as how to build strong relationships and trust among people. Dr. Federica Valsecchi added that versatility, organization, and ability to learn are also part of the core skills of a successful project manager. 
 
If all the highlighted skills do not sound familiar to you, think about your research. 
 
“You take all the skills you acquired throughout your PhD and/or postdoc experience and you just use them in really versatile ways. You all have acquired so many skills in terms of communication, multitasking and troubleshooting, and those can be applied in so many ways”. -Dr. Shayla Sorter   
 
Through defining specific aims, creating a research plan, troubleshooting, coordinating with collaborators, and presenting your work you learned how to manage projects! All the panelists highlighted that throughout our graduate school and/or postdoc experiences, we have acquired many more abilities than we think, and it is just a matter of understanding how to translate and put them in practice in a management role.
 
Depending on what your interests are, the growth possibilities and career advancements in the field are blooming. As a great example, Dr. Stephanie Morris is now program director of an NIH division. She also explained that colleagues seeking an alternative path outside NIH, often transition to a research director role at academic institutions. Dr. Federica Valsecchi added that as a project manager of the TDO you often engage with outside entrepreneurs, investors, and industry partners, and you may become interested in transitioning into business development. 
 
Many more interesting points were touched upon during the event, and you can watch the full discussion here. By sharing their experience and advice, our panelists showed us how this job represents a fulfilling career choice for STEM PhDs who are interested in pursuing a non academic career and still love to be engaged with science. During a conversation with Dr. Linda Molla a few months ago I was captivated by her depiction of the role of a project manager: the one on the backstage rather than on the frontline, leading people, giving support and making things happen. If this is what drives you, start exploring this path!

Words by Esther Wershof
Edited by Vacha Patel

Data science is one of the fastest-growing fields and has been revolutionizing a variety of industries. We, scientists, are no exception to that. But just the thought of coding can cause many biologists to get highly strung. Without prior learning, it’s difficult to know where to start. Maybe you want to build on your skillset to be eligible for a broader selection of jobs. Or maybe you are fed up with being a slave to cell-culture and never want to go to the lab on a weekend again. You might want to live at the intersection of coding and experiments. Whatever your motivation, here are some tips to get started:
 
 
Which language to use?
There are many programming languages out there, some incredibly powerful, others downright bizarre (Chicken, Jelly, Lolcode are just some to name.) But a sensible starting point is to choose either Python or R. Don’t agonize too much over which one you choose. The good news is that once you’ve learned a few fundamental concepts (for loops, while loops, if statements). It becomes a lot easier to learn new languages. Python is incredibly versatile and widely used hence looks great on your resume. R is great for data science and tends to run into fewer weird bugs/compatibility issues. If you have any friends/lab-mates who use one language or the other that would be a good enough reason to make this your choice.
 
Statistics
Before diving in, it’s a good idea to have a quick refresher on statistics. Matthew Clapham makes excellent digestible videos on basic statistics, and I still go back to this regularly. Complicated graphs and exotic statistical tests are meaningless unless your data satisfies certain criteria. Essential concepts to understand are parametric vs non-parametric tests, interpreting p-values, and correlation vs causation. Now you’ve picked your language and are feeling like a statistical wizard it’s time to get started.
 
Learning basic coding
The best place to get started with learning Python is with Google Colab. Click ‘new notebook’ and you’re ready to code. Two excellent resources for learning the basics are Kaggles’ introduction to python and Bucky Roberts’ YouTube channel if you prefer to learn through videos. This Jobtensor tutorial is a great free online resource to check out too. If R is your language of choice- download RStudio. Once again, Bucky Roberts has an excellent R tutorial series or you can have a go with one of the many introductory tutorials online eg datacamp. We are also big fans of sthda (if you can follow the tutorial on survival analysis, you’ll be in a great position).
 
There are so many great free resources online. In addition to Kaggle and sthda, coursera and udacity offer many courses to further your knowledge. But there are two very important key ingredients to remember in order to make it a full member of the coding club.
 

1. Statistics/data science/machine learning/deep learning/AI are not spectator sports (it’s a contentious topic but, in my opinion, all of these things basically fall under the giant umbrella of statistics). Working through tutorials is great but to really internalize this stuff you need to work on your own problem that is relevant and would actually be useful for your research. Do this when you aren’t stressed and have time to get stuck, ideally with a coding friend nearby to help.
2. Google is your friend! One of the main skills of a coder is knowing how to ask the right question when you get stuck. If stackOverflow comes up in your search results that are often a good place to find answers.

 
Ultimately whatever route you choose, putting in the effort to improve your statistics and coding skills will be massively worth it. You’ll do better science in the lab, be more attractive on the job market, and most importantly, it’s really enjoyable and satisfying to understand such a fundamental part of modern science. Happy coding!

Interview and words by Rinki Saha
Edited by Laurie Herviou and Lucie Yammine

How is BCH spreading awareness in the US & India?
Well, to be transparent with you here, in the US, we do not provide financial support. Rather I try to visit shelters to do screening and direct patients towards a care facility where they can get a free mammogram and treatments if needed. In terms of outreach programs in the US, our organization primarily focuses more on dense tissue complications in the detection of breast cancer, but also on the occurrence of breast cancer in men and cancer prevention. I am conducting global virtual seminars and ‘outreaches & awareness’ sessions in various communities in the US. Our Chapter Directors are getting involved in various community outreach. You can read about it here.
We also recruit school student volunteers, conduct mentoring workshops, and make them BCH ambassadors. Those student volunteers organize outreach events and speak about the early occurrence of breast cancer and preventative measures in the outreach program within their network or neighborhood. Therefore, the volunteers not only deliver a service to their community but also can acquire leadership skills. I also conduct Young Scientist Cancer Meet and mentor students to help with their career and inculcate the art of scientific thinking & thought leadership. BCH Scientific writers is another program where I mentor the students to write research articles on different topics of breast cancer or other types of cancer, bringing into limelight the scenario not only in the developed but also in the developing countries. We are about to publish 18 articles on breast cancer by BCH scientific writers this year on our website.

In 2018 & 2019 in India, I have conducted in person more than 140 outreaches covering cities, towns, villages, tea-gardens, hospitals, colleges, universities, research centers in urban and rural sectors. I am thankful to our collaborators who helped organizing these sessions. During the screening outreaches, I usually share my contacts with anyone with concerns and I guide all suspected cases towards the healthcare system, I provide scientific counseling, education, advocacy & treatment aid when needed, with proper followups. You can read more about it here.

Besides, I am mentoring our BCH India ambassadors & we are building lifesaving Early Detection Cards for all types of cancer. We produced Breast Self-Exam Cards for both women & men in 20 different local languages, and the translation was done with the help of our worldwide BCH Ambassadors.

Join us in two weeks to learn more about the long-term mission of Dr. Lopamudra Das Roy about this
non-profit organization.

Interview and words by Rinki Saha
Edited by Laurie Herviou and Lucie Yammine
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‘Success is a journey, not a destination’ – Meet Dr. Lopamudra Das Roy who started her career as a cancer research scientist, later diverted her path, and founded a non-profit organization called Breast Cancer Hub (BCH). She gave a motivating interview to INetNYC about her novel cause of breast cancer awareness. Her story is a perfect example of how the journey can change the destination and how you can leave everything behind to devote your life to cancer patients. Let’s hear about her incredibly fascinating journey.

Lopamudra, can you tell us about your background?
I was born in Assam, the North-Eastern part of India. Since my childhood, I was always inspired by my father who was an eminent pediatrician and I wanted to achieve a career in the field of healthcare. I earned my Ph.D. in Genetics from Assam University, India in 2007. Later I did a Postdoctoral Fellowship in cancer immunology & metastasis focusing on breast & pancreatic cancer at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. After this training, I joined the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) as a Cancer Scientist and Research Professor. I was awarded grants as Principal Investigator from the Department of Defense cancer research program & National Cancer Institute to investigate targeted therapies and signaling pathways in metastatic breast and pancreatic cancer. I also received my MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management. In brief, my scientific career was more than a decade in the making and I was later working as an adjunct Associate Professor at UNCC and Research Director at OncoTab, Inc; Cancer Diagnostics & Therapeutics, a UNCC spin-off.
 
What motivated you to create this non-profit organization?
Over the years I witnessed the real-time suffering of cancer patients and how breast cancer can ruin one family in just a few months if not detected early. I realized that there is a huge lack of awareness regarding breast cancer even here in the US and I already knew the situation in India where nobody wanted to talk about breast cancer and there was a huge taboo behind it. In my mind, I could already imagine long-term sustainable plans which can bridge this awareness gap and help millions of cancer patients lives and their family.
During my time at Kellogg, I pitched my long-term dream project of how to merge breast cancer awareness in the developing and developed world. The idea was well appreciated and also, I got some kind of confirmation that this plan could materialize. Finally, in 2017 I decided to change the direction of my science career and invest all my effort and time to serve as a volunteer for the awareness program for breast cancer and formed a non-profit organization named Breast Cancer Hub.
My decision to leave my research and start this foundation was because I knew from the beginning that it’s going to be a full-time involvement and I would never be able to devote my entire effort if I have continued in my scientist position.  To start with, I did an online survey to see how awareness stands in both developed and developing countries. The survey was an eye-opener and indicated that irrespective of socio-economic conditions & education, women are reluctant to take breast health seriously. The survey also revealed that people are not at all aware of many crucial facts about breast cancer, such as

• Mammograms can miss the existence of breast cancer.
• Men can also have breast cancer.
• You should already do a self-breast checkup when you are 17-18 years old.

 
Worldwide lot of women are not going for breast cancer screening even after 40 years of age as there is a misconception that it can only be genetic, so they do not have to worry if it doesn’t run in their family. This survey helped me build the statistics of the current awareness status and provided me the rock-solid thought process to proceed to the next steps. The overarching mission of this organization is to organize health care programs, sustainable goals of helping cancer patients across developed and developing countries.

How can a mammogram miss the existence of Breast Cancer?
Because some of the women have very dense breast tissue made up of fibro glandular tissue, the current mammogram resolution makes it difficult to pick up the cancer cells. For those women, breast ultrasound and other additional tests can help detect cancer. Because of this misdiagnosis, many patients remain untreated. You can read more about this issue here.
 
Would you please elaborate on this village adoption program?
We adopted villages to penetrate deeper, going to each member, each household, maintaining database & follow-ups, for cancer screening, treatment, management, palliative care & epidemiological research study. We take accountability for each patient. During that process, if we find someone who is suffering, we immediately take the suspected cases to the local cancer hospital for further diagnosis, treatment, and provide end to end support. We focus on breast, oral (anti-tobacco campaign), cervical as well as other types of cancers. We provide them with all the economic and mental support. You can read more about village adoption here. I am also very glad to say that many organizations in India, Indonesia, and Africa are now reaching out to us for collaboration or guidance to replicate this village adoption model for their community work.
 
Join Us in two weeks to hear more from Dr. Lopamudra Das Roy about how BCH organizes its awareness program across the world. H H
​

Words by Matteo Tardelli
Edited by Laurie Herviou & Ipshita Zutshi

​Let’s face it! As Scientists in academia and PhD holders we are often very bad at marketing ourselves with prospective bosses or recruiters. Here’s where Linkedin comes in handy. 

LinkedIn is generally a medium rarely utilized by PhDs, who prefer instead to create a ResearchGate profile. However, although the latter is useful to get stats, readers and citations on your work, it does not help much if you are seeking a new employment.

​Do you not have LinkedIn yet? Here are some tips on how to build a successful LinkedIn profile for Scientists and hopefully to get recruiters to find you:

1. Start by creating a solid LinkedIn profile completing all the sections to reach the “All Star” status.
2. Upload a nice and professional headshot, no pipettes, agarose gels - just yourself smiling at the camera! 
3. Write an impactful headline, highlighting your value in 1-2 job titles or areas you are interested in that align with the roles you would like to get. Titles like researcher and postdoctoral fellow are probably not meaningful enough for an industry role for instance.
4. In the About section put together a nicely spaced paragraph with key competencies in bullet points, adding contact details (to make it easier for people/recruiters to get in touch with you). Use numbers to quantify your achievements, for instance ‘published 3 papers in Nature or won a grant for 400k$ of new research funding’.
5. Same applies to Experience, spaced bullet points with relevant experience. I personally like to make things a bit funnier by inserting thumbnails of my publications or relevant websites (often LinkedIn does not work well with this function and things look unfortunately a bit sloppy). Images and playful elements increase the amount of time people spend on your profile, increasing overall visibility on the platform.
6. Add your education at the bottom with thesis keywords.
7. Under accomplishments: don’t forget to add publications, again it’s a bit ugly-looking on LinkedIn - I know. It is also a great idea to add collaborators (if they are on LinkedIn). 
8. Interact! – by posting, linking and commenting on other people’s posts and most importantly being consistent with it. In fact, commenting is a way to amplify your visibility and build relationships: starting a meaningful conversation is the ultimate goal! The platform will reward your profile once recruiters look for candidates with appropriate keywords.
9. Overall I believe that personal branding needs a lot of attention here, as it makes opportunities come your way (in-bound) and networking simpler giving you a purpose. In fact the idea is building your profile as a trusted friend and a go-to expert, you're not there to sell
10. Lastly, remember that LinkedIn is a place to build relationships! Connect to people you talk to in real life. However if that is not possible (especially in these particular and unprecedented times we are living in), make sure you personalize your invite with a note, briefly explaining the reason why you wish to connect.

 
I know this takes time and effort, but you’ll notice the difference in the first weeks if done right as people tend to interact with you more and more. My profile is far from being great, I must say, but by listening to experts, attending seminars and career fairs (often organized by INet-NYC) - you can slowly get an idea on how to work best with it.

Here are some additional resources you might find useful.

Words by Ipshita Zutshi
Edited by Laurie Herviou & Conchi Izquierdo
​
Climate change, deadly pandemics and diseases - the argument is often made that the world now, more than ever, is in dire need of scientifically-driven policy making strategies. While true, we would argue that the world has always needed science diplomacy, and moreover, there have always been highly talented professionals navigating these uncharted waters of what we now call science diplomacy. With an increasing push to standardize this profession to make it a more linear path, INet NYC organized a career development panel discussion on Monday, May 18th, 2020, called “Science Diplomacy: how one can foster the other?”.

​The event was spearheaded by INet NYC board member Laurie Herviou, a postdoctoral researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and brilliantly moderated by Alessandro Allegra. The invited panelists included Dr Alicia Pérez-Porro, Dr Lorenzo Melchor, Dr Melania Guerra, Dr Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Dr Marga Gual Soler, and Dr Jessica Tome Garcia (Detailed bios for each of the panelists are provided at the bottom of this article). The outcome of their efforts is a goldmine of information for opportunities to transition to a career in science diplomacy. We hope that you can walk away (or rather, scroll away) having learnt a little more about this truly exciting profession. You can also watch the full video of the discussion here -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux25ANzPm1c. ​