The Lonely Pipette : helping scientists do better science

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**The Lonely Pipette : helping scientists do better science**

The Lonely Pipette is a podcast where scientists share tips to help you do better science. The episodes include conversations with researchers around the world. Renaud Pourpre and Jonathan Weitzman will talk to inspiring people to learn about their habits and recommendations for all scientists. Don’t stay alone, come join The Lonely Pipette community!

💌 Subscribe for free and get the next episode directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

Latest Episodes:

TLP #10 : A season has ended - Renaud & Jonathan Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

In this episode Renaud and Jonathan share their tips and thoughts about the first season of The Lonely Pipette podcast.

Renaud and Jonathan tell their own ‘origin stories’
And we discuss the origins of the podcast and what we have learned
We talk about non-linear careers in science
We discuss the #HSDBS mission and how we are both committed, in our own ways, to helping scientists do better science
We talk about highlights from Season 1 and share some of the joys of listener feedback
And we make some promises for Season 2

Subscribe and receive the next season in you mailbox

To send us feedback and ideas for season 2 :

To find out more about Renaud

To find out more about Jonathan

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #9 : Telling compelling stories - Magdalena Skipper Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

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Tell us your thoughts about this episode
Last summer, we were honored to host Magdalena Skipper, Editor of Nature, to share her tips with the community. When Nature announced its new Open Access policy in November 2020, we asked her to come back for another interview in January 2021, to discuss these specific issues. This episode is in two parts: the classic interview with Magdalena sharing her stories with the community and a second part with an extended discussion on the recent announcements made by Nature. As a consequence, this episode is longer than usual, but we believe that it includes enriched content that you will appreciate.

In this episode Magdalena Skipper tell us about her role at Nature and her personal thoughts about editing, publishing and communicating science

Magdalena offers tips to authors, including thinking about why you want to share your story, what the message of the paper is and who the audience is
We discuss a metaphor for the publishing process in which the author feels like a Medieval knight throwing the manuscript over the castle wall
Magdalena sees herself more as a facilitator and reminds us that every stakeholder in the process is human
She stresses that editors and publishers need to work to make the publishing process more transparent
She makes the point that the objective of peer review is to make the paper better and we talk about new models for publishing and sharing data
We discuss how impact factors can be mis-used and what alternative metrics exist
Magdalena tells us how she feels as the first woman editor at Nature and about prizes for women scientists.

She mentions these journals and institutions :

Mentoring in Science Award

To find out more about Magdalena and her journal

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique
And Bab Tista - Text Me Records / GrandBankss

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #8 : The art of NOT planning - Oded Rechavi Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

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Tell us your thoughts about this episode
In the first episode of the new year we talk to Oded Rechavi about his unusual way of doing science and new ways of sharing science.

He tells us about his meandering path from painting in Paris to studying epigenetics in worms
Oded repeatedly highlights the importance of not over-planning one’s career or path in science
He stresses that it’s important to keep encountering new ideas, testing and failing and reacting with spontaneity. Like Maria-Elena told us, he says “sometimes you have to just go for it”
He advises young scientists not to wait until you are completely ready but to apply for new jobs as early as you can
Oded has a deep commitment to challenging established dogmas
He tells us about why he spends so much time on Twitter and his use of the #physiologicallyrelevant hashtag
Oded tells us about the origins of the unusual “Woodstock of Biology” meeting

He mentions these labs and events :

To find out more about Oded visit his website or follow him on Twitter

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #7 : It's okay to be wrong - Wendy Bickmore Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

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Leave us a voice message about this episode
In this episode Wendy Bickmore shares her personal thoughts about mentoring, recruiting, publishing and making mistakes

We discuss about establishing and maintaining relationships with mentors
Wendy offers thought about how to recruit members to your team
She also comments on the craziness of the current models of scientific publishing and peer review
Wendy says sometime you just have to learn to ‘wing it’ and accept compromises
She tells us how she chooses priorities that will make an impact
We discusses how she became the institute director and her leadership vision
Wendy also tells us about her need for quiet time and learning to be a better listener

She mentions these labs and institutions :

To find out more about Wendy visit her lab website and her Twitter account

To find out more about Renaud :

To find out more about Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #6 : Just go for it! Following your curiosity and excitement - Maria Elena Torres-Padilla Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

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Leave us a voice message about this episode
In this episode we talk to Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla about how she followed her dreams from Mexico to the Pasteur Institute and then to direct a new institute in Munich.

She tells us about how she followed her dream to come to work in Paris
She discusses how she chooses scientific questions and which model to work on
Maria Elena was always driven by her passion and curiosity which helped her to overcome risks and doubts
She stresses the importance of attracting and recruiting people who are better than you
We discuss the benefits of moving to different countries and living in different cultures. Maria Elena also comments on diversity awareness and inclusiveness in science
She shares her thoughts about ethics, responsible research and leaving an imprint
She admits that she has two paces; one high speed at work and a slower one at home at breakfast time. And she tells us how she deals with stress, tiredness and striking the right personal life balance

Maria Elena mentioned these institutions and resources

Maria Elena at the World Economic Forum

To find out more about Maria Elena visit her website or follow her on Twitter

https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/ies/about-us/people/staff-detail/ma/4842/-Torres-Padilla/index.html

To find out more about
Renaud :

Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #5 : Striking the right balance - Robert Weinberg Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

In this episode Bob Weinberg discusses his long career in cancer research and offers tips about recruiting and mentoring.

Bob talks about his motivation to simplify the complexity of cancer biology by distilling out a small set of rules
We discuss the virtues of being a ‘scientific gypsy’ and Bob stresses the importance of getting the right balance between a narrow focus and a broad interest in different areas of science
We talk about different mentoring styles and get useful tips about how to recruit the right people to build a culture of mutual cooperation
Bob insists on the importance of talking to people at scientific meetings and asking provocative questions
Finally, Bob describes how he achieves a balance in his life by alternating between the lab and doing handyman jobs in his log cabin or the garden

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
Leave us a voice message about this episode : https://www.bit.ly/TLPVoice
He mentions these labs and institutions :

To find out more about Bob visit his website : http://weinberglab.wi.mit.edu/

To find out more about
Renaud :

Jonathan :

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #4 : Championing diversity in research - Fiona Watt Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Fiona Watt about her career moves and her journey to become the first woman to lead the Medical Research Council (MRC).

She tells us about her early experiences with crocodile hunting
She talks about how she chooses scientific questions to work on and looking for new challenges
She tells us about how she made her career moves and how she created collaborative environments
Fiona talks about her experiences as a journal editor and shares her thoughts about scientific publishing and new publishing models
She talks about how to promote gender equality and cultural diversity in the scientific enterprise and how to counter bad behaviour
We discuss how to get the right work-life balance and respecting other people’s work habits

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
Leave us a voice message about this episode : https://www.bit.ly/TLPVoice
Fiona mentioned these labs, institutions and journals :

To find out more about Fiona visit her website or follow her on Twitter

To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #3 : The power of Mentoring - Harmit Malik Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Harmit Malik about his origins in India and his path to develop his own mentoring style.

He tells us how he made the switch from chemical engineering to molecular biology thanks to an inspiring teacher and mentor
Harmit tells us lots of stories about how chance encounters with colleagues and mentors have influenced his career and work
He talks about how to search out mentors and how to adapt mentoring styles to the diversity of mentees
Harmit discusses what to look for at interviews and how to discover creativity in the ‘hidden diamonds in the rough’
Harmit describes how he found an international community of scientists on Twitter and how it improved his own mentoring style
He also shares his thoughts about scientific publishing, peer-review and good writing in science

He mentions these labs and institutions

“The Hutch” - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

https://www.fredhutch.org/

Indian Institute of Technology

http://www.iitb.ac.in/

University of Rochester, NY

https://www.rochester.edu/

Steve Henikoff Lab

https://research.fhcrc.org/henikoff/en.html

To find out more about Harmit visit his website or follow him on Twitter

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #2 : Challenges of an institute director - Susan Gasser Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Susan Gasser about her journey to institute director and how she dealt with the challenges of the job.

We discuss about how to choose a good project and to focus on the scientific question
Susan stresses the importance of building a lab culture based on collaboration and teamwork
She shares her advice how to manage conflicts and provide criticism without it getting personal
We talk about Women In Science awards and the future of European science
Susan shares some personal advice about the importance of coaching and self-awareness
She also gives tips about getting balance right between work and family and between Science and administrative responsibilities

She mentions these labs and institutions

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI)

https://www.fmi.ch/

Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research

https://www.isrec.ch/

University of Geneva

https://www.unige.ch/

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

https://www.novartis.com/our-science/novartis-institutes-biomedical-research

She also paid tribute to her mentor Gottfried (Jeff) Schatz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Schatz

And the Lee Hartwell paper in Science 1974

“Genetic control of the cell division cycle in yeast”

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/183/4120/46

To find out more about Susan visit her lab website or follow her on Twitter

https://www.fmi.ch/research-groups/website/gasserlab/
https://twitter.com/susan_gasser

Subscribe and receive the next podcast in you mailbox : https://www.bit.ly/TLPsubscribe
To find out more about
Renaud :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/

Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/

To learn more about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler
https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/
https://twitter.com/amariamusique

Support the show

💌 Subcribe to our newsletter and receive the episodes and news directly in your mailbox : https://tinyurl.com/TLPNL

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

Twitter : https://twitter.com/LePourpre
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/renaudpourpre/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Epigenetique
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanweitzman/%20

TLP #1 : Navigating the path to team leader - Maxim Greenberg Sep 20, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Maxim Greenberg about his transition from US graduate student to Parisian postdoc, and then the move to young team leader.

We discuss about how to choose a postdoc lab and the importance of a generous and supportive mentor
Max shares some personal experience of how he juggles family, two scientific careers, as well as kids and schooling
We also talk about how you know when you are ready to launch your own lab and how to choose a research question for your lab
Max gives advice about strategies for growing your team and recruiting students
He also offers some practical tips about how to deal with anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt

He mentions these labs and institutions