[nabs-l] Questions on Freedom of Experiment Design and Thesis Topic Selection, and Dealing with the Heat

[Zach Mason]

These are questions primarily for current or recently graduated PhD's and
MS's in the biological sciences, but others are welcome to express their
views and experiences. I plan to apply to graduate programs for fall 2015.
I'd like to work in lactation biology. It seems as though, from talking to
masters and PhD students, there are varying degrees to how one's program is
dictated by the faculty mentor. In the summer of 2013 I was selected to a
research fellowship at Purdue University. I worked with two faculty, their
lab technician, and a graduate student on a swine metabolism trial. The
graduate student in this instance, though he knew a lot about the overall
project,  was more or less chosen to work on the project, not because it was
his passion, but more because the team had funding for him. Is this a
typical scenario in today's environment of tight research budgets? 

 

Secondly, the number of labs doing exactly the kind of research I'm
interested in are few and far between. Competition is pretty intense to get
into them. Am I better off to do a masters in a related field, perhaps a
physiology, genetics or biochemistry lab where my skills could be
transferred and then apply to the lactation biology labs for my PhD? 

 

I'd really appreciate it if someone could share their experience,
particularly someone with a background in cellular biology, genetics or
biochemistry. Feel free to contact me off list if that's better for you. 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Zac