Complete the Project

Posted on November 11, 2009

Publication is a major stumbling block for research projects, admits Wayne Drevets (bio), so early career researchers need to find a way to meet that challenge.


So one of the charges of our mission within the NIMH, but also this is true at universities, is to train young investigators. And it's really a two-way street because the young scientists that you're training are essentially conducting a lot of the experiments, and ultimately, you help to design and you oversee the analysis for and you guide the interpretation of the data.

I think the things that have really been the most important things for young investigators have been perhaps a drive and discipline to get their work done and to wrap things up and bring thing to a completion.

And so although there is some benefit to all of that, nevertheless, there has to be real balance with actually accomplishing the project and getting it written up and published. So it ends up being a challenge for mentors because you often have to really push and pester and nag your fellows or grad students to get those things accomplished.

But I think that the students and fellows who ultimately go on and really do well in research are those ones that perhaps had that drive and initiative and ability to get the job done earlier in their career, and then you see them continuing that when they leave your lab.

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Excerpted from interview with researcher at the 2009 Career Development Institute for Bipolar Disorder in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

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