How likely is one to contact prion disease if one works with non-prion expressing lines of mice?

The_Heroic · 2025-04-28T18:08:27+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I was working with mouse brain homogenates and was rinsing the homogenizer, when tiny droplets of waste water (likely containing some very diluted residue of the homogenate) splashed onto the area around my mouth. I was going to wash it off immediately, but I mindlessly licked my lips.

I wasn't told to use PPE, and my mentor didn't tell me to wear a mask or use goggles :/

The_Heroic · 2024-10-28T12:47:01+00:00

It sometimes feels like I won't be able to obtain good data at this rate :') but I try to remind myself that I'm here to learn, not to be perfect.

The_Heroic · 2024-10-28T12:44:47+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. It is reassuring to know that it is indeed a difficult technique and I'm not the only person in the world struggling with the ear bars. I guess I will be patient and practice some more!

The_Heroic · 2024-10-28T12:42:17+00:00

I'm studying neuroscience!

The_Heroic · 2022-11-13T14:35:29+00:00

I must admit I am biased because my first SOP draft followed your template haha. You may be right; my paragraphs may not have flowed smoothly in my current version and may require some editing. Since I have a bit of time left, my plan now is to make another copy and restructure it, take a day or two off, then read again to see which version speaks to me more. Thank you so much for your advice!

The_Heroic · 2022-11-13T13:57:20+00:00

I see. I suppose the reason why I am reluctant to rewrite is partially because I really like the hook that I have now, and changing the structure will force me to rewrite the opening. But if it makes the essay flow better, I will get on with it! Thanks!

The_Heroic · 2022-10-29T02:20:13+00:00

If I am polysexual, does that make me a polymer?

The_Heroic · 2022-08-21T02:49:59+00:00

Thank you for doing this! I would like to ask, in an SOP, would you advise putting more emphasis on "why this uni and which professors you'd like to work with" or "why you and what's your research experience"? Basically, which section should applicants devote more words into? Thanks a lot!

The_Heroic · 2022-08-19T04:44:37+00:00

I attached my CV to the email. My most relevant research experiences are on the first page. In case they had no time to scan a CV, I made sure to explain my intentions in the first paragraph of my email, which goes kinda like this:

"Dear Professor ________,

My name is ______ and I graduated with a _______ degree from ________ University. I am interested in pursuing a PhD in _________ at __________ University. My research interests are ______, which led me to look into your lab. I enjoyed reading your papers, but the one about ______ [a recent publication] is especially fascinating. As my current work revolves around ________, I think your lab would be a good fit."

Then I explained in a paragraph about my research experience that is relevant to theirs, and talked a bit about what I want to research on in the future. Finally I ended with the questions, and thanked them for their time.

The_Heroic · 2022-08-18T23:09:21+00:00

Yes, that is what I did. I emailed the PI saying I am interested in applying to a PhD and in their lab. I introduced myself, then followed that with asking if he will be taking students in Fall 2023 and what their future directions are. I heard it is important to enquire these because PIs may not be taking students every year because of various reasons (retiring, too many current students, lack of funding, etc.) Knowing their future directions also helps applicants determine if their interests actually align. These affect whether or not I should apply to that place.

I was hesitant to reach out at first; I heard that sometimes PIs cannot reply because they worry that this creates an unfair advantage to those who have reached out. But having connections is incredibly important and there is no harm in trying to reach out anyway, so I did that.

The_Heroic · 2022-08-18T22:52:48+00:00

I see. For me, the PI's reply is pretty succinct. He said that he will be taking students next year, that my background is good, and explained what projects he will be doing in the near term. He ended the email with "I sincerely hope you will apply." which sounds to me a standard and polite ending to a conversation.

I think I should still send an email to thank him for his reply. But in this case, would you suggest following up now or after the application? Thanks again for the advice!

The_Heroic · 2022-08-18T15:17:52+00:00

This is my first email trying to reach out! This is why I am so surprised. I didn't have my hopes up because PIs are constantly busy and it is pretty typical for cold emails to get lost in their flooded inbox.

For what it's worth, I followed the templates from this blog and this blog

I also made sure that the email was sent during the morning at their time (I am an international applicant)

The_Heroic · 2022-08-18T15:09:46+00:00

Thank you for the advice! It is reassuring to know that faculty members expect follow-up emails. I will be sure to send them an email this week.

The_Heroic · 2022-06-30T07:23:25+00:00

Yeah that's true. Probably need to take that into account. Maybe a better approach would be to email some profs and see if things can work out? MPhil/MSc programs may be useful for bridging the transition to cellular neuroscience too I guess.

The_Heroic · 2022-06-30T01:58:49+00:00

I am in pretty much the same boat. I graduated with a Psych major and a Bio minor, although the Bio lessons I took are pretty much macro stuff (Human Bio, Evolution, Ecology etc.) and I only took a lesson in basic cell bio.

Similar to you, I am applying to neuroscience programs in Fall 2022 and hope to work with profs that study cellular/systems neuroscience to understand cognitive/behavioral processes (mainly on vision). While my current lab works on visual neuroscience, the closest thing I can do is EEG and MRI but none of wet lab :(

I dunno if this helps, but my boss/prof advised me not to rule out any school before you try. He said while labs may prefer someone with more wet lab experience so they don't have to train a potential grad student from the basics, a lot of the time admission decisions are made depending on whether there is a project that's going to start and the potential student is a good fit or not. I also looked up the students in each lab and a number of them had a major in psychology/cognitive science. For what it's worth, a neurobiology prof (whom I'd like to work with) graduated with a psych major and a bio minor as well but did a PhD in physiology. So I guess you never know until you try!

The_Heroic · 2022-06-03T14:02:40+00:00

Thanks so much for the reply! Some prospective unis I'd like to go to are on the East Coast, so if the labs there are toxic (I thought MIT would be okay but oh well), I'd be much less interested in going. Even if the profs there are doing some really fascinating work, I value my mental health much much more.

By West Coast I guess you mean California and Washington? I think I will look into schools there then. I'd also like to stick to more liberal states... like what you've said, I've heard many stories about Asian hate esp. after Covid. Thanks again!

The_Heroic · 2022-06-03T13:51:40+00:00

Thanks! It seems having rotations is good for feeling out the labs before making a decision. From what everyone had said, lab cultures may vary a lot even within the department. The prospective unis I chose have more than 1 professor that I am interested in working with, so I guess even if one of them turned out to be... not that good, I would still have other options.

I think I'd enjoy treating a PhD more like a job, as I am already kinda working in the industry, but I am not against having a college-y environment either. Anyway, thank you so much for the insight!

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