About the PostDoc Experience

Who am I?  Why blog about who I am?  Where do I even start?

Well, I’ve been blogging for over two years now about being a wife to an amazing husband, a mom to two beautiful girls, and about the crafty things that I do in my free time.  I love the network of people I’ve met over this time, mostly other moms, whom share in my day-to-day triumphs and failures, laughter and hysterics.  I’ve truly enjoyed the writing process and resulting catharsis.  However, a big part of me was missing from those conversations, mostly because it just doesn’t fit in well, nor appeal to the same group of people.

I’m a scientist.

That says it all, doesn’t it?

To make it worse, I’m a virologist and immunologist. Yikes.

We scientists are a rare breed of people.  Willing to mercilessly dedicate our lives to the pursuit of knowledge in exchange for what?  Fame? Nope. Fortune? Ha! Try again. Self-satisfaction? Um, still waiting.

Having recently completed my PhD and begun working as a post doctoral fellow, I’m finding myself in new territories: new people, new research… new me?

I’m not even sure where this new blog will take me, or what I hope to achieve.  Maybe a new network of fellow-minded scientists?  Connections to colleagues who can commiserate with me or celebrate those rare “eureka” moments.  It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to share research specifics, as every one of us is against the other for funding.  Survival of the fittest at its best, no? Yeah, probably not.

Anyways, the articles aren’t going to read themselves, nor will they compose themselves into proposals for me.  I hope this new venture will provide a brief relief from training, reading, experimenting, etc. and perhaps gain some new friends and colleagues along the way.

Good luck with your experiments!

Melissa W. Hayes, Ph.D.

 

 

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