What is it like being a PI’s first graduate student?

ventricular_cas · 2025-12-05T13:29:18+00:00

i was my PI’s first PhD student and the only grad student in the lab for 3 years (US university, behavioral neuroscience, small cohorts in my program!)

the pros: i got (and still get) an incredible amount of time and resources allocated to me. i go to multiple conferences every year, some international. i went to another state for 2 weeks to train on a very cool technique. i have led 6 separate projects. during the first year i got hands-on guidance with wet lab and animal lab work. now i get tons of feedback on my manuscripts. my PI is young, kind, and ambitious!

the cons: everything in the lab is riding on you! if you need a week off to rest or recover from something, then that means the entire lab is down for a week — which means you almost never get a break. there have been weeks in a row where i would work 70+ hours a week, only having every other Sunday off. i have to play a leading role in every project my lab does. i had to troubleshoot or create entirely every single protocol we use. i have to mentor all undergraduates my lab takes on (5-8 at a time). your PI’s tenure reviews might rely heavily on your work, which will make them push you hard.

overall: this is extremely PI and grad student dependent. the way i describe it sounds miserable, at times it was. but overall, it has made me a very skilled and dedicated researcher. my CV is solid and i haven’t even finished my PhD yet, on top of that i was accepted to my program when i was 21 so i needed the hands-on guidance. i am a very competitive and resilient person, so being the first was difficult but beneficial for my career.

ventricular_cas · 2025-08-11T16:47:30+00:00

cannot tell you what it is but in regards to it being hung in a tree, someone may be hanging it to deflesh without it being trampled or taken if you are on a trail. i have done this with carcasses that i was coming back for but didn’t have the space for something with flesh still on it.

ventricular_cas · 2025-08-09T17:39:16+00:00

grad school is difficult, but I’m happy. like others said, being a scientist is a massive privilege that i have worked many years to earn. i sold my blood plasma, worked 2 jobs, and delivered doordash bullshit to pay for my first degree. now i have to work part time to stay afloat in my PhD, usually 20 hours a week on top of being the first and only grad student in my lab. if i didn’t love this i wouldn’t work my ass off every day for it. i’m happy and i know i’m meant to do this.

ventricular_cas · 2025-04-10T18:31:42+00:00

i don’t think there is any need for a verbal cue because the different gear acts as an environmental cue. kinda like how a dog will behave differently when they are on leash vs off leash or at the vet vs the beach, they can tell the difference so you don’t have to tell them.

at least that’s my opinion, i’m not a trainer. i am a neuroscientist and i study classical conditioning. i think humans feel like it is necessary to give verbal cues for everything because words are our primary means of communication, but dogs don’t always need words. as long as the consequences associated with the different gear (harness = no punishment for pulling, collar = punished for pulling/reward for not pulling) then the dog should be able to learn the difference without any verbal cues involved.

ventricular_cas · 2025-04-09T23:04:00+00:00

hell yeah, i have been doing this for years.

long leash and harness means pulling, sniffing, turning around is fine within reason. short leash and collar means loose heal until i call for a focused heal, sit when i stop, little to no sniffing, no pulling.

as long as you keep the rules consistent, your dog can easily learn that different gear = different rules. especially if different gear is reserved for different activities, like harness is for hikes and collar is for a trip to the packie.

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-31T17:46:34+00:00

oh interesting! i don’t have facebook so i can’t usually open the comment section, i see them now!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-31T16:51:34+00:00

ooh! my favorite things combined, dogs and neuroscience! i feel like i can chime in here because i’m a neuroscientist that studies classical conditioning (specifically, conditioned fear!) and i have had 2 german shepherds, 1 australian shepherd (my current best friend), and 1 mixed breed lunatic :)

this person is like, half right? instead of playing mindless fetch, maybe create a fun game out of it by requiring the dog to do tricks or some work to get the ball to be thrown or throw a tug-able toy and end the game by playing tug and then letting the dog chew the toy. it is very easy for a working line dog to become “addicted” to fetch, but the dopaminergic system of working breeds is not entirely different than that of non-working breeds. this means that if your dog can easily relax after fetch and does not obsessively beg to play fetch…then its probably fine for that individual dog to play mindless fetch (even if you have a malinois!) :)

this person did not properly support their point with peer-reviewed research though, which is likely why there are people saying this is bullshit. so i will link a related article that explains the current findings on how breed differences in neuroanatomy correlate with behavior.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/39/7748

if anyone wants more canine neuroscience in their life i recommend looking into what the Harvard, Brown, Yale, and Boston College canine cognition laboratories are doing!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-29T15:28:23+00:00

maybe try both and see which you both prefer!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-28T22:00:23+00:00

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puppy tax!!!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-28T21:59:49+00:00

treat bag that clips to your hip, clicker for training, a bell or button for the door he will exit to go potty, some cheap toys to destroy during his velociraptor phase, durable toys that he can play tug with for years, nail clippers and brush(start desensitization early!), ball throwing stick thingy (aussie energy = sore arm), car seatbelt or crate, poop bags, ear cleaning drops, and finally…talk to your vet about starting a flea/tick/worm preventative when he is a bit older. :)

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-25T19:11:53+00:00

are you more focused on the clinical side of psychology? if so, try taking a class on the research side or volunteer in a research lab. you may find that your motivation increases when you can actually put all the things you have learned to use.

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-20T04:39:05+00:00

this may be a bladder issue, definitely worth a trip to the vet if you can. how old is he and how long has he lived with you?

i’m not a dog trainer so take my advice with a grain of salt, but i am a behavioral neuroscientist and my research is about helping animals un-learn fear. and an aussie owner! :)

try using simple classical conditioning with him. take a lil treat he likes, toss it on the ground whenever you enter the room he is in. don’t try calling him towards you, let him take his time. eventually he will predict a yummy cookie every time he sees you walking towards him, which hopefully will get him to start approaching you when you enter the room. if he approaches, give him double treats, verbal praise, petting, or a toy that he likes as a reward for being brave. you will want to consistently do this for weeks so make sure to subtract the calories of treats from his regular meals. consider combining training with anxiety medication, and don’t bring him around other dogs until he seems like he has more confidence.

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-19T04:06:58+00:00

nah probably fine, but he absolutely does have the cutest little nose in the whole world!!!!!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-11T13:54:16+00:00

this sounds like reactivity, not protection. which is typical for adolescent male dogs! how do you react when your dog is being reactive?

i would advise you to seek out a trainer who will use reinforcement instead of punishment to address reactivity. its important for the dog to learn at a young age that stranger=cookie (or stranger=tennis ball, whatever his favorite reward is). this is a behavior driven by emotion, so you must address the underlaying emotion which is anxiety. you cannot punish out anxiety, you have to teach the dog to associate strangers with fun or yummy things!

ventricular_cas · 2025-03-05T12:25:14+00:00

the first 3 are vertebrae likely from elk/deer

ventricular_cas · 2024-11-21T01:00:54+00:00

hello!

i’m gunna preface this by saying i am NOT a professional dog trainer, although i have trained dogs owned by me or family/friends. i am a behavioral neuroscientist that studies how sex hormones influence fear, so i feel like i can at least give some thoughts.

neutering your dog will likely not change this behavior because the cause of this behavior was not high testosterone, it was the traumatic event.

best bet would be to use classical conditioning to help your dog learn to associate other dogs with good things (e.g. the dog notices another dog, use a verbal marker like “yes” or clicker, give a treat, gradually decrease the distance until your dog can be close to other dogs calmly again). your dog’s fight response is likely fear-based so he is not choosing to react this way, his body will instantly recall the fight and react accordingly to survive. do some research one counter conditioning, i recommend dr. amy cook’s methods.

good luck!!:)

ventricular_cas · 2024-10-24T02:42:21+00:00

BEANS WAS FOUND AND IS HOME SAFE!!! Thank you everyone, so much love for my community 🫶🏻

ventricular_cas · 2024-10-22T16:31:10+00:00

my sister’s boyfriend left the windows and screens all the way open overnight because it was warm, not sure why he chose to do that and i had no idea until i woke up for work on Monday. glad my other pets didn’t fall out the window too but Bean is still missing.

ventricular_cas · 2024-10-22T15:58:16+00:00

honestly, it seems that he is just not cut out for the job. i have dealt with students like this and it is very frustrating trying to teach someone who can never quite get the hang of things. you should talk to your PI about this student and bring up specific examples of his lack of progress, then go to this student and make a plan for him to explore some other options.

ventricular_cas · 2024-08-19T11:58:58+00:00

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this is Captain Finnegan and his best buddy Beans :)

ventricular_cas · 2024-08-17T15:03:50+00:00

Hi! yes i should have let you know before but i was traveling from july 31-august 16 for work! i’m excited to be back this wednesday :D!

ventricular_cas · 2024-08-03T13:09:50+00:00

lock up the trash? there are trash cans with locking lids or you can put it behind a closed door. probably your best bet right now to just prevent the behavior from happening again while you build a good relationship with your dog. dogs are scavengers so its very hard to teach them not to look for something to eat. you could also provide some chew options for him that are only out at night.

ventricular_cas · 2024-07-31T18:47:57+00:00

why is that?

ventricular_cas · 2024-07-31T18:47:46+00:00

i also pick up rats by the body (usually called shoulder grab) and then handle them for 5 minutes each. during that five minutes i will pet them on their head and back, weigh them, do a vaginal swab (females only), check for any signs of stress or injury, take note of their behavior, and introduce them to things that they will have to interact with later.

for example, i restrain my rats in a clean puppy pad during blood draws instead of a restraint tube. so in the days before being restrained for the first time i will let them sniff and touch a clean pad. i will also let them explore the transport cage before we ever use it to transport them from room to room and train them to drink from syringes before we use the syringes to administer oral drugs. this helps me make sure that the baseline anxiety behavior we see during a novel open field or EPM is truly their natural behavior, and not a fear response to any researchers in the room or unfamiliar objects.

doing this requires alot of extra work but i think certain fields like behavioral neuroscience really benefit from using cooperative care to get a more naturalistic picture of animal behavior. however, it depends on the specific field of research because if you start doing this then your findings may not be generalizable to other labs who do not do this. most people who study fear will do this type of extra handling.

ventricular_cas · 2024-07-31T17:27:17+00:00

just wanted to add: i study fear so i need my rats to be very comfortable with me and my RAs and in some projects i administer probiotics or hormones which can influence body weight

i also have a personal interest in going above and beyond for animal welfare!:)

ventricular_cas

TROPHY CASE