As 2005 begins, it is gratifying but also disconcerting to say that this year, I will graduate. I'll complete a PhD in molecular biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. But despite this impending accomplishment, I can honestly say that at 30 years old I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
For the past eight years or so, I've studied aspects of mRNA in mammalian gene regulation. After taking some dead-end paths, I am quite happy with the stories that my dissertation research will tell. I began my graduate studies with the same fervour for RNA biology that I now possess. If I based my next career choice solely on following my scientific interest, I'd continue working with RNA and stagger down that well-worn path to postdoc and, if I'm lucky, professor.
But, life is not all about the lab and my love stretches beyond ribose chains. I'm a happily married man and my wife is a disturbingly brilliant public-policy researcher. Looking into how we'll solve our two-job dilemma, I'm exploring science writing and public policy. Should I test those waters or study a new problem at the bench? All have their appeal and I'll be learning about these paths as I finish my degree. This is going to be an interesting year.
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Underwood, J. Time to explore new worlds. Nature 433, 338 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7023-338a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7023-338a
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