Collaborations help. That was one of the lessons I learned while doing my postdoc at Radboud University. There are many upsides when it comes to investing in collaborations. You learn new skills; you expand your network and in general collaborative research leads to higher quality research and also a higher number of publications which is still a proxy to assess track records in academia. In times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, it almost seems magic to see what can be done when scientists work towards the same aim.

The two-day postdoc retreat organised by Oncode made me recognize the power of the network Oncode can provide. These were two very inspiring days. I met many new peers and the people I met were very open to stay in touch. And this network goes beyond the walls of academia. The mix of input from people who have built successful careers in academia, entrepreneurs, government bodies - help to expand the perspective of the other career options that are out there. And this is much needed.

Very few people stay in academia until the end of their career, and that means there must be so much else one can grow into outside of it. Looking for options outside of academia often feels like looking into a huge empty space with no idea what is out there. I like how Oncode functions as a bridge in this purpose. Strengthening the connections with the industry helps in this sense.

A great challenge as a postdoc is finding stability. The paradox is that the higher one goes career wise, the less positions are available, forcing one to keep moving. It is also expected of us to have an extensive experience abroad while maintaining an impressive publication record, which are not always hand-in-hand. I am quite flexible at this point, but at some point I should build a track and a scientific niche. If one keeps changing directions, it is hard to convince people one has experience in something. And as an expat, although one is used to keep moving to different countries, one cannot move forever. By the time we reach to a postdoc position lots of us are reaching the age when we look for some personal stability too.

As a woman with a disability, I have been lucky. In terms of inclusion, my disability has never been an obstacle. I have only been in labs where they were happy to make things for me as easy as possible to do my work. They even modified benches for me, so I never felt my disability was an issue. The bigger challenge comes from being a woman. If one looks in the classroom at bachelor level, there would be many women. But when one looks at PI level, there are mainly men. Somewhere along the line we are losing these women and I have an idea of why. I never felt discouraged from following this career for being a woman, though I know that other women have a different experience. It is just that it is harder to do this work as a woman, especially while wanting a personal life and building a family. It is simple logistics, one cannot be in two places at the same time, nor do both jobs 100%. Even though women are supported to follow their career, there are a lot of things that need to change, and policies to be made at higher levels. 

So life as a postdoc is sometimes like science itself: a complex puzzle, but a fun one to solve. Together.

Photography by Marloes Verweij, Laloes Fotografie