Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD

Sarah McLusky of the Research Adjacent Podcast

Welcome to a special collaborative episode of “Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD” featuring Sarah McClusky, host of the Research Adjacent podcast. In this conversation, David Mendes sits down with Sarah to explore the often overlooked world of research-adjacent careers—the roles, paths, and opportunities for PhDs and researchers beyond traditional academic tracks. Sarah draws on her extensive experience as a freelance consultant, trainer, and facilitator, sharing her journey from plant pathology and biochemistry into the wide-ranging ecosystem of research support, management, and communication. She candidly discusses the challenges many graduate students face as they near the end of their degree, offering practical advice on how to identify and leverage transferable skills, tell compelling stories in job applications, and confidently step into new professional spaces. Together, David and Sarah shine a light on the diverse roles that make research successful—from grant managers to science communicators, policy advisors, and beyond—and discuss why these careers, though sometimes hidden, are valuable, fulfilling, and increasingly essential in the research landscape.

Sarah McClusky is an editor and podcast contributor passionate about bridging the gap between academia and research-adjacent careers. On her podcast, Sarah empowers listeners with practical advice about navigating non-traditional roles, highlighting the importance of concrete examples over generic claims. Drawing from her own experience earning a PhD and leading outreach projects with local schoolchildren, she demonstrates how storytelling and real-life accomplishments can make candidates stand out. Sarah’s approach guides job seekers to focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and tangible impacts—key qualities she believes matter most beyond degrees and qualifications.
What we covered in the interview:
📣 Concrete Examples > Bold Claims: When applying for research-adjacent jobs, don’t just claim you have great communication or management skills. Share specific, real-life stories from your PhD where you demonstrated those abilities. Examples win interviews.
💪 Transferable Skills Are Key: Curiosity, flexibility, and interpersonal skills will always be in demand, even as job titles and tasks evolve. Leverage the problem-solving and communication chops that your research journey has given you.
🎯 Your PhD Is an Asset, Not a Limitation: The path from PhD to impactful career isn’t always a straight line—and that’s okay! You might start at a lower level, but your expertise and ability to learn quickly can help you advance faster than you think.
🔍 If you’re starting to explore career options or want to shine a light on the unsung heroes behind great research, I highly recommend checking out the “Research Adjacent” podcast and our latest episode together. Let’s celebrate all the diverse ways we can drive research forward, in and beyond academia!
💬 Have you navigated a “research-adjacent” path? Share your story or tips below!
🔗See the resources section below for her links!
This episode’s resources:
Website: ResearchAdjacent.com
Research Adjacent Careers Quiz: ResearchAdjacent.com/quiz
Thank you, Sarah McLusky!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Sarah, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Sarah McLusky a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Leave a review on Podchaser !


Support the show !

You might also like the following episodes:
Papa PhD Gold – Sue Ashford – Four Practices You Must Learn From Gig Workers
Papa PhD Gold – Elodie Chabrol –The Hidden Benefits of Science Communication
Amani Said – How to Make Impact with Your Career
Isabelle Kohler – Building Your Post-PhD Career

Prendre le leadership de sa vie après la thèse avec Nayana Guerrero

Bienvenue à ce nouvel épisode d’Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa PhD !
Dans ce nouvel épisode d’« Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa David Mendes reçoit Nayana Guerrero, chercheuse en sciences sociales et directrice associée au département de gestion et de leadership au Tecnologico de Monterrey. Nayana, titulaire d’un doctorat en sciences administratives de l’UNAM, a également enrichi sa formation à Sciences Po Paris et à l’American University. Spécialisée dans l’intelligence artificielle, le genre et la durabilité des entreprises, elle consacre une grande partie de sa carrière à promouvoir un leadership inclusif, la transformation sociale et l’utilisation éthique de la technologie.
Dans cette conversation, Nayana partage son parcours de vie marqué par le multiculturalisme, ses expériences personnelles et professionnelles, ainsi que les défis rencontrés en tant que femme dans le monde académique et entrepreneurial. Entre anecdotes touchantes et conseils pratiques, elle évoque l’importance du mentorat, du réseautage, et surtout, de rester aligné avec ses valeurs tout au long de son parcours académique et professionnel.

Le Dr Nayana Guerrero est sociologue et directrice adjointe du département Gestion et leadership à l’Institut Tecnológico de Monterrey. Titulaire d’un doctorat en sciences administratives de l’UNAM et ayant suivi des études complémentaires à Sciences Po Paris et à l’American University, elle est spécialisée dans l’IA, le genre et la durabilité des entreprises. En tant que professeure, elle enseigne la gestion stratégique, le leadership féminin et la technologie dans les sciences sociales, incitant ses étudiants à relever les défis mondiaux de manière innovante. Ardente défenseuse d’un leadership inclusif et durable, Nayana Guerrero met l’accent sur les approches multidisciplinaires pour promouvoir la transformation sociale et économique, en défendant l’égalité des sexes, la durabilité et l’utilisation éthique des technologies.
Points à retenir :
Le leadership commence par soi-même : Prendre le contrôle de sa trajectoire, se connaître, s’aligner avec ses propres valeurs, c’est la base pour avancer et inspirer ceux qui nous entourent.
Le réseau et le mentorat sont déterminants : Ils font toute la différence dans les moments difficiles et pour ouvrir de nouvelles portes.
La diversité de ton parcours est une richesse : Il existe une multiplicité de chemins après un doctorat – enseignement, recherche, management, entrepreneuriat… Ose explorer, même (surtout !) si ton profil n’est pas linéaire.
🎧 Ne manque pas cet épisode ! Écoute-le et laisse-nous ton retour sur LinkedIn ou YouTube.
#Podcast #Leadership #PhD #Parcours #Diversité #Mentorat #CarrièreScientifique
Les ressources de cet épisode :
Nayana Guerrero | Linkedin
NayanaGuerrero.com | Site Web
NayanaGuerrero| X
Merci Nayana !
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Building Your Post-PhD Career: Networking Tips and More With Isabelle Kohler

In this episode of Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, host David Mendes is joined by Isabelle Koller, an assistant professor at VU Amsterdam and the founder of NextMinds. Isabelle shares her passion for helping early career researchers navigate the complexities of academia, from enhancing their well-being during their PhDs to planning the next steps in their careers. Throughout the conversation, Isabelle and David explore the challenges facing PhD students, particularly as they look to transition into industry or other sectors beyond academia. They talk about the importance of starting career exploration early, the value of networking, and practical tips for making a successful leap into post-PhD life. Whether you’re a PhD student or someone guiding researchers, this episode is packed with insights on how to approach career development strategically and thoughtfully.

Isabelle is Assistant Professor at VU Amsterdam, founder and CEO of NextMinds, certified coach and active writer.
She is passionate about helping early-career researchers navigate academia – from increasing their well-being during their PhD to preparing the next steps of their career.
What we covered in the interview:
⌚ Start Early: Seek career guidance as early as possible in your PhD journey to avoid the pitfall of going blind into the job market. You should make use of all resources possible to to prepare for the diverse opportunities available. Start by taking stock of what your program offers you.
🤝 Network, Network, Network: The most impactful career exploration strategy is human connection. Speaking with mentors, colleagues, and industry professionals can open doors that a CV alone might not. Even a comment on LinkedIn can lead to your dream job!!
🎯 A Plan B is Key: While it’s great to have a dream job in mind, being open to other possibilities is crucial. Your first job doesn’t have to be perfect; it can be a stepping stone toward your ideal career path. Be strategic and flexible with your career choices.
No matter where you are in your PhD journey, remember the power of networking and the value of broadening your horizons beyond your thesis. 💡🔍
🎧 Listen to the episode to dive deep into Isabelle’s insights!
🔗See the resources section below for her links!
This episode’s resources:
Website: Nextminds.net
 
Thank you, Isabelle Kohler!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Isabelle, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Elodie Chabrol a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

Leave a review on Podchaser !


Support the show !

You might also like the following episodes:
Papa PhD Gold – Sue Ashford – Four Practices You Must Learn From Gig Workers
Papa PhD Gold – Elodie Chabrol –The Hidden Benefits of Science Communication
Amani Said – How to Make Impact with Your Career
Ines Thomas Almeida – A Winding Journey From Biology to Musicology

Être scientifique en résidence à Los Angeles – Julie Ducharme

Bienvenue dans ce nouvel épisode d’Horizon PhD!
Dans cette entrevue, je t’apporte Julie Ducharme, une scientifique passionnée qui entame sa deuxième année en tant que scientifique en résidence à la délégation du Québec à Los Angeles.
Au cours de l’entrevue, Julie explique en détail son parcours, depuis ses débuts en science jusqu’à son expérience actuelle, en passant par ses études doctorales en chimie à l’Université McGill et son post-doctorat à Caltech. Ensemble, nous explorons le concept de diplomatie scientifique et les opportunités professionnelles que celle-ci offre aux personnes ayant un doctorat.
Reste avec nous et découvre comment le programme scientifiques en résidence du FRQ lui a permis d’étendre ses horizons et d’apprendre à tisser des liens entre la communauté scientifique québécoise et la communauté de recherche de Los Angeles. Bonne écoute !

Avec Julie, on a abordé :
Porte ouverte sur des opportunités insoupçonnées :  Au début de sa deuxième année dans le programme, Julie Ducharme apprécie le fait que celui-ci lui permet de rester immergée dans le domaine scientifique tout en explorant des pistes inattendues et passionnantes au plan professionnel. C’est une occasion sans pair de sortir du cadre traditionnel de la recherche et de voir où ton diplôme peut te mener, en acquérant des compétences variées qui augmenteront ta flexibilité sur le marché du travail.
Le rôle central du relationnel en diplomatie scientifique : Julie insiste sur l’aspect vital du réseautage dans le rôle de scientifique en résidence. Le programme est une chance unique de tisser des liens entre différentes institutions scientifiques et technologiques à l’échelle internationale dans un environnement où les relations se construisent et débouchent sur des collaborations enrichissantes.
Renforcement des compétences transversales : Julie mentionne combien elle a développé ses compétences transversales dans son rôle de scientifique en résidence. Entre la gestion de projets, le réseautage et l’organisation d’événements, Julie a enrichi son bagage professionnel de façon significative.
Si tu veux en savoir davantage sur les programmes « Scientifiques en résidence » des Fonds de Recherche du Québec, rends-toi sur :

PapaPhD.com/HorizonPhDFRQ

Bonne écoute et bonne exploration !
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Papa PhD Gold: Four Practices You Must Learn From Gig Workers as a Scientist

Welcome to the second episode of Papa PhD Gold! In this riveting conversation, we have the pleasure of delving into the world of gig workers with Professor Sue Ashford from the University of Michigan, as she shares her insightful research on how these workers maintain their identity and vitality in a professional world full of uncertainties. Sue introduces us to the four key connections that experienced gig workers build to manage anxieties and thrive in their careers. This includes building supportive networks of peers or mentors, creating inspiring workspaces, identifying meaningful purposes for oneself, and establishing sustainable routines. Each of these connections plays a crucial role in sustaining creativity, productivity, and mental well-being amidst the challenges of independent work. And that is why it applies to you as a scientist. Whether you’re a gig worker, an academic, or simply curious about the dynamics as an independent professional, this episode is sure to offer you valuable perspectives and actionable takeaways. Come along and dive in!

Sue Ashford is the Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professor in the Management and Organizations group at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. She has previously taught at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and received her MS and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University.
Sue’s passion is using her teaching and research to help people to be maximally effective in their work lives, with an emphasis on self-leadership, proactivity, personal growth, and leadership and its development. Her teaching at the Ross School currently focuses on the executive MBA program (negotiation) and several short-term executive education programs (leadership, change, growth). She also teaches regularly in the Leading Women Executives program of the Corporate Leadership Center and for various companies.
Key take-home messages:
Building Connections: Sue Ashford emphasizes the importance of connecting with people who elevate and encourage you. Whether it’s a mentor, a writing group, or your spouse, these connections serve as a support system, keeping you on track and affirming your path.
Creating a Space for Success: The place where you work can profoundly impact your productivity and mindset. Sue shares stories of various professionals who have tailored their workspaces to boost focus and creativity, turning their immediate environments into sources of inspiration.
Finding Purpose: Understanding why you engage in your work can help you overcome the challenges of an independent career path. Sue shares her personal story of perseverance, driven by a desire to share wisdom and make an impact.
Establishing Routine: If we consider routines as the “warden of accomplishment”, adopting consistent habits, such as setting daily intentions and defining weekly rhythms can support us in maintaining focus and achieving our goals.
Why Listen? Sue Ashford’s interview reminds us that while the path of gig work can be fraught with anxiety, intentional actions focusing on connection, space, purpose, and routine can build a solid foundation for a fulfilling career.
Connect with Us: Have thoughts about this episode? Want to recommend a guest for us to interview? Share your voice with us! Visit speakpipe.com/papaphd to leave a voice note. We value every piece of feedback and look forward to featuring some in future episodes.
Tune In: Don’t miss this insightful conversation aimed at helping you redefine your path Beyond the Thesis. Subscribe to Papa PhD on your favorite podcast platform, and join us next week for another inspiring episode!
P.S.: We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. How do you apply these principles in your work life? Share with us on our social media channels or reply directly to this email!
This episode’s links:
Sue Ashford | Website
The Power of Flexing | Book
Agony And Ecstasy in the Gig Economy | Article
Episode Transcript
Sue Ashford:What we found is the things that these experienced gig workers did, the ones that describe their identity as pretty firm, they knew who they were and they lived it, and they describe their working life as more vital, So they created what they needed for themselves to contain the anxieties that came from working in this style. So they did four things. They created four connections. So I’ll describe one, and then we’ll give you a chance to ask a questons. I have not done that.
David Mendes:I’m curious to hear about that. Yeah.
Sue Ashford:Okay. So one is a connection to other people. So people that, elevated them and encouraged them and focused them. So, you know, it might be if you’re a writer, you were in contact with your editor. If you’re a consultant, just one person had an independent group of consultants that were independent consultants that got together and they would share. For academics, it’s often a writing group, where you get together and you share your writing. But, basically, you know, it gives you, you know, a place to be if you don’t show up to your writing group. Somebody’s gonna wonder and check on you. It gives you, others like you who, you know, understand what you’re doing. It gives you people to give you feedback. It gives you people to give you affirmation, people to give you support. And so for a lot of people, it was their spouse, you know, and their spouse would say, yeah. No. You were built for this. Keep going. And, so that’s connection to people. So that one makes sense. Right?.
David Mendes:It does make sense. Some examples you said are just one person, like a mentor or a spouse. But some of them, it seems to be kind of more of a small network of people who give you that security or that kind of village that’s built in when you’re in academia or in a company. But when you’re working on your own, it’s not built in anymore. You kind of need to nurture it itself.
Sue Ashford:Yeah. Build and nurture it and maintain it.
David Mendes:And maintain it.
Sue Ashford:Otherwise, it tends to fall apart. Whereas, you know, I always liken it to I I grew up I had there were six kids in my family, and so, you know, I never had to think about whether I wanted to maintain a relationship with my brothers and sisters. I just went home to visit my parents, and they happen to be there.
David Mendes:A question I have around that is, so there’s clear a clear difference to me between, let’s say, a mentor, an editor, someone who’s kind of a A boss. Yeah, kind of a boss, but in a, you know, in a different way than than in a than in a company. But someone who is kind of pulling you up and, like you said, give showing your showing you your value and and kind of, confirming to you that you’re on the right track. And but it it’s different when you say a writing group. It feels more like a group of peers, but then you have a bunch of them that are maybe like minded, that maybe could be the subject that you work on, your personality agrees with them, etcetera. Did you ask of of the people you interviewed how they came up with building either of these types of relationships, these more one on ones or these more group relationships? Because I don’t think it’s, evident to everyone. And if you’re very involved in finding your path and trying to do the right thing, And especially if you’re an introvert, for example, it might be tough to even think of, okay, how do I build a small community? How do I find a mentor? Someone who kind of can pull me up.
Sue Ashford:Yeah. We’ve continued a group of of us have continued on this research. And we have one paper we’re working on right now on the relationships that happen for independent workers. And one of them might be helpful for your introverts, which are parasocial relationships. You know, my advisor was this very scary man, very queer, very direct, very sure of himself about what I should and shouldn’t do. And, and that was one of the lessons I had to unlearn over my life was that his was just one opinion. Turns out he did differently about it. But I would often think, what would Larry do? That’s a parasocial relationship. You’re not really in the relationship, but you know enough about that person to to to be guided by, you know, what they think or the advice they would give, you know, or this is an idea that Larry would love. So I feel a sense of affirmation, even though Larry has died, Larry’s gone. Or your mentor didn’t take the time to invest in you, but you’ve seen through a talk or two, you’ve seen a person you really admire and you think, you know, what would that person would love this track that more. Get the affirmation that way. And we found that people did that.
David Mendes:That’s really interesting. And, actually, someone I don’t recall the exact person, but someone on the show told me, oh, this is my mentor, and it’s someone who is not alive anymore and but who wrote books that the person really gets inspiration from, and the person considers this writer, a mentor. So it I think it it does fall into that parasocial.
Sue Ashford:The second connection that people build, beyond people, that they contained helped contain their anxieties, etcetera, was to place where they typically did their work. And, I live that. My office is full of tchotchkes that, that mean something to me, that tell me people are with me, that tell me I’ve accomplished this or that, you know, that I know what I’m doing, you know, that kind of thing. And people talked about that. You know, a writer said, you know, a novelist, she said, I put up some of my reviews and awards in a place that’s visible to me. So when I’m stuck, I say, no, you know, I obviously can do it. You know, clearly that’s not available to brand new PhD students. But, you know, you’ll get an email from someone saying something, you know, that could be put up on your wall. But it’s not all about affirmation. Sometimes it was about bringing focus. Like one, a novelist, other than the one I just talked about, he did all of his writing in a six by eight foot shack out on the on a property. And he said that space contained him, contained his thoughts so that he could be productive. It’s been if the space went any bigger, it didn’t work. And so, you know, another guy who was an independent consultant, so he’s out there fighting for business all the time, trying to get someone to accept him and bring him in. And he said, You know, my office looks like the cockpit of a fighter jet plane with the technology I have. And you could just imagine this guy who’s got to go out and fight in the marketplace to win the business, get the contract. His office kind of reinforces that to him that you are a man, a warrior, a man of a mettle, you know, kind of thing. And I don’t think it was conscious on his part. I don’t think he said, oh, I’ve got to set my office up that way. But I think it probably served that function. Another screen she was a script writer, and she, said, I do all my raw writing in my bed. She said, you know, my bed is I feel cosseted and, you know, sort of secure and warm. And, you know, that’s where I do my writing. And then I edit later on the computer. So it’s thinking, being thoughtful about place and what the place where you typically do your work is doing for you and not doing for you. Like, there are many times when I say you just have to take an hour and clean your office because the messiness of your office is beginning to be reproduced in the messiness in your mind. So there’s a lot of different examples. They did it different ways, but it’s really attending to place and recognizing place can make a difference. I think if you honor your place and you’re thoughtful about how you set up your place, you’re honoring you, you’re honoring your importance in the world, you’re honoring the value of what you’re doing, even if nobody yet notices it. My friend, my neighbor went off to do ceramics on dark January mornings. Nobody knew, nobody cared, but she honored it herself, made a difference.
David Mendes:I really like that idea of of honoring and because one of the dangers, and we talked about identity some a few minutes ago, and, one of the things that you that’s a danger when you’re in this situation of anxiety and trying to reach goals, that you don’t even know where the goalpost is, is that you may forget to honor yourself. You may put yourself on the shelf and and say, okay, I’m going to, focus on this. This is what’s important. And I guess that’s what leads a lot of young researchers, academics, and people in general, but this is the population we’re talking about, to, to exhaustion, to burnout, etcetera.
Sue Ashford:The third one was, I’ll go with purpose, and I’ll leave the one that I actually think is more important, but I’ll leave it to last because there’s a funny thing about it. So purpose was, why are you doing what you’re doing? Why do you care about the project you care about? And I said there was a long history of this paper getting out. And I’ll use myself as an example, and then I’ll use some of the gig workers. But part of that history was my student left the field. My attention was being drawn off. But also, I didn’t totally know how to do qualitative research, even though I’m pretty experienced in the field. And so I get anxious about that whole anxious productivity, anxious productivity cycle described me pretty well. But I was able to keep going because the people we talked to had such wisdom. They really had such wisdom about living, working, mattering. And so I wanted their words to be out to people. I wanted to get them out. And if I didn’t keep going, they would die with me. And so that would be an example of how a purpose can help with the personalization, the precariousness, the productivity cycle thing, is if you have a purpose, it helps you to keep going, you know? They also talked about a purpose tells you what kind of Like a consultant said, I have a really defined purpose. I didn’t earlier, but now I do. And it tells me what work to say no to, what work to say yes to. It tells me, yeah. So, you know, I think in academia, you know, some people I know have a real purpose, like people who are doing research around, DEIA issues. Like they want to make the world better for those people. People who are doing work around sustainability, recognize that the world’s, you know, the biosphere is declining and they want to get the word out, you know, as fast as they can. So, you know, I think purpose can elevate what you’re doing. One guy, he was a consultant to songwriters.
David Mendes:Okay.
Sue Ashford:That was his gig. And he said, I’m participating in America’s song culture. Ronald Reagan says, “America is a song culture”, and I’m playing a part in that. Well, that’s like a very elevated rendition of what he’s actually doing. But I think that portrayal helped him to keep going, that kind of thing. So connection to purpose does matter.
David Mendes:I think what you mean is not, to be confused with the goals that you have, weekly, monthly goals. It’s something that’s more, you know, 30,000 feet view. Right?
Sue Ashford:It’s the why that underlies those goals. Why do you care about getting that achieved in a month or a week? And and some of it is getting a job, getting tenure. I I don’t deny those very pragmatic things. I will note that academia has a very long life after those things. And, you know, you need to have something more than that to sustain you. But I think even on your way to tenure, having a purpose, something bigger, the wide beneath all the task goals you have, can really help when times get tough. The fourth, connection. And we called them connections because we wanted to clearly indicate that the agency is in the hands of the gig worker. Nobody’s gonna do this for you. You have to make these connections. Your workspace could be ad hoc or it can be intentional. But it’s gonna depend on you. The fourth one, and I left it for last, not because it’s least important, but because I’m frustrated by how we named it. We called it, remember there’s people, place, purpose, and we called it routines.
David Mendes:Oh, you need another ‘P’!
Sue Ashford:We call it practices. Somebody else did later. I saw in a talk and I’m like, Oh, darn it. But routines, I think are really super important. You know, routines are kind of like the warden. One writer said routines are the warden of accomplishment.
David Mendes:Oh, wow.
Sue Ashford:That’s a beautiful saying. So routines are everything from how you start your day to how you end your day and everything you do in between. After I wrote this paper, I was talking to someone and they said, you know, there’s a famous writer and I just can’t remember his name, but it was a long time ago writing like after World War II. And he used to get up in the morning, put on a suit and tie, leave his house, walk around the block, come back to his house, walk up to his attic office and start his work day. You know, so that’s a routine that says, I’m no longer in my home life, I’m now in my work life. Another routine might be, how you end the day. You know, we have a second article where we took these ideas and tried to apply them directly to academia. And I can view that one. Please. The link for that one. But so we talked to a lot of academics about, well, what routines do you use? And this one person said that, she always ends with a Post it at the end of her day that she’s gonna attach to her computer. And the Post it tells her where to start the next day. Mhmm. Because morning self wants to, you know, look at the email and maybe there’s a, you know, a link to Facebook. And so you go over there and then you go to LinkedIn and you do but nighttime self knows that morning self really what morning self really wants to do is that. And so she’d write this post it, stick it on her computer. And then in the morning, you know, the directive for the next day would be there. So routines might be, you know, like I have a routine I use in my academic work. And these show up in that second article. These aren’t so much from the gig workers themselves. But I have two desks in my office. I have the one you can see in this picture. And then over there, there’s a round table. And I go to the round table when I’m doing deep thinking. And I do it in part because I’m away from all of the technology and the computer and the distraction. I take a pad of paper, I take my water bottle, and I go over. And I often will set a timer and I make myself stay there until that timer goes off. And I’m thinking about the new research directions or the this or that that I wanna think about, but that is causing me anxiety. And I know it’s causing me anxiety because I have thoughts like, I really ought to get that light bulb changed. The work for it. You know, has been unworking for, you know, five years, but suddenly it seems crazy. So that’s a routine. So routine might be how you tackle your job. A routine might be like this morning, I came in and worked for two hours before I opened email at all. And, you know, I’ve got two hours of good work in before any distractions came. So it’s how you handle that. And it’s all sorts of different things that you do. And you might have a weekly routine, like where you do certain things on Mondays and Fridays, different, you know, that kind of thing as well. But you’re thoughtful about your routines, and your routines support the work you wanna get done.
Thank you, Sue Ashford!
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You might also like the following episodes:
Papa PhD Gold – The Benefits of Science Communication
Sue Ashford – Building Skills Through Flexing
Jessica Schleider  –Dealing With Mental Unrest in Graduate School
Melissa Gismondi – The Power of Graduate Internships

Podcasthon 2025 – Voyage au cœur de l’ACS : un demi-siècle de communication scientifique québécoise

Cette semaine sur Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa PhD, je t’apporte un épisode spécial Podcasthon 2024, où je te présente une association dont la mission est de créer un environnement et une communauté propices à la rédaction de thèse et d’articles – Thèsez-vous.

Née en 2015, lors de la première retraite de rédaction organisée par et pour les étudiant.e.s, Thèsez-vous a pour mission la mise en place d’environnements physiques et humains réfléchis pour faciliter la rédaction universitaire.
L’équipe de de cet organisme à but non lucratif propose aux étudiant.e.s des cycles supérieurs et aux chercheur.e.s des conditions idéales pour rédiger un mémoire, une thèse, un article scientifique ou une demande de financement, et ceci selon les meilleures pratiques documentées par la recherche.
À retenir :
Solidarité et productivité : un écosystème bienveillant où la co-présence et la méthode Pomodoro fusionnent pour vaincre la procrastination et stimuler la motivation. Les étudiants en rédaction avancent ensemble, côte à côte, boostant leur concentration et leur productivité.
Adaptation et accessibilité : L’équipe Thèsez-vous réfléchit constamment à comment s’adapter aux besoins de la communauté. Des services ajustés, des ateliers de soutien, et des bourses permettent un accès plus large, soutenant également les communautés BIPOC au sein du milieu académique.
Impact durable et soutien post-diplomation: Le concept ne s’arrête pas à l’obtention de ton diplome. Thèsez-vous encourage ses alumni à diffuser l’esprit de collaboration et d’entraide dans leur milieu de travail. La notion de membership diplômé permet aux anciens étudiants de continuer à bénéficier et contribuer à ces espaces de travail structurés et collaboratifs.
Les valeurs portées par Thèsez-vous illustrent l’importance de l’entraide dans la réussite académique. Un modèle à suivre et à propager !
N’hésite pas à les rejoindre si tu veux contribuer au projet !
Les ressources de cet épisode :
Thèsez-Vous | Site Web
Thèsez-Vous| Facebook
Thèsez-Vous | Instagram
Thèsez-Vous | Twitter / X
Merci Émilie, Justine-Anne et Marion !
Si cet entretien avec les membres de l’équipe Thèsez-vous t’a plu, fais-leur en part en cliquant sur le lien ci-dessous et en leur laissant un message sur LinkedIn :
Clique ici pour les remercier sur LinkedIn !
Clique ici pour partager avec David le principal message que tu retiens de cet épisode !
Tu aimeras aussi ces épisodes :
Podcasthon 2024 – Thésez-Vous : PapaPhD.com/Thesez-vous
Podcasthon 2023 – ComSciCon QC : PapaPhD.com/Podcasthon-2023-PhDOOC
ComSciCon QC – Ton tube à essai pour apprendre à vulgariser : PapaPhD.com/ComSciCon-QC
Myriam Beaudry – L’importance de rencontrer d’autres chercheur.e.s pendant ton doctorat : PapaPhD.com/Myriam-Beaudry-adt

Pépite Papa PhD 001 : La clé de l’entrepreneuriat étudiant – Bien s’entourer

Bienvenue au tout nouveau format d’Au-delà de la thèse – les Pépites Papa PhD. Dans cet épisode, David Mendes s’entretient avec Manon Fantino-Lalonde, une doctorante entrepreneure qui réussit à jongler entre son projet doctoral et son entreprise naissante pour parler de “La clé de l’entrepreneuriat étudiant – Bien s’entourer”. Manon nous dévoile comment elle a démarré son projet entrepreneurial inspiré par un problème médical diagnostiqué lors de son master et parle de l’importance de créer des ponts entre la recherche et la médecine clinique. Elle partage son parcours avec le programme Innovinc de l’Université de Montréal, des programmes Thompson de l’université McGill et partage comment les enseignements tirés de l’entrepreneuriat enrichissent son travail académique. Découvrez comment tirer parti des ressources universitaires tout en menant une vie professionnelle et personnelle équilibrée !

Après avoir terminé un premier diplôme en diététique en France, Manon a poursuivi ses études à la Faculté de médecine de l’Université de Montréal en obtenant un baccalauréat, puis une maîtrise en nutrition. Elle est nutritionniste et membre de l’Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec (ODNQ) depuis 2019. Actuellement en deuxième année de doctorat à l’Université McGill, ses recherches visent à mieux comprendre le rôle des facteurs génétiques et environnementaux sur les comportements alimentaires et le risque de maladies cardiométaboliques. Elle a eu l’occasion de présenter une partie de ses recherches lors de la finale de “Ma thèse en 180 secondes” de McGill, où elle a remporté le premier prix dans la catégorie francophone.
Points à retenir :
Équilibrer compétences académiques et entrepreneuriales : Manon souligne l’importance d’avoir plusieurs cordes à son arc. Les compétences acquises dans le cadre d’un doctorat peuvent grandement contribuer à la réussite entrepreneuriale, et vice versa.
L’importance d’utiliser les ressources universitaires offertes : En tant que personne étudiante, il est crucial de mettre à profit les différentes ressources offertes par votre université. Que ce soit des soutiens à l’entrepreneuriat, des services de santé mentale ou des services de préparation à la carrière, on y perd souvent l’accès après l’obtention du diplôme.
Valoriser la vulgarisation scientifique : Manon parle de l’importance de la vulgarisation dans l’entrepreneuriat. Savoir expliquer clairement et efficacement son projet à différentes audiences est essentiel, que ce soit pour convaincre des investisseurs, des bailleurs de fonds ou des employeurs potentiels.
Pourquoi écouter cet épisode ? Cet épisode de “Pépites Papa PhD” est une source d’inspiration pour ceux qui envisagent l’entrepreneuriat pendant leur doctorat. Manon Fantino-Lalonde y partage son expérience personnelle de jongler entre ces deux mondes, soulignant l’importance de la vulgarisation et des compétences acquises durant son parcours académique. Découvre comment les ressources offertes par ton université peuvent contribuer à façonner pour toi une carrière postdoctorale diversifiée.
Envoie-nous tes commentaires : Pour entrer en contact avec nous et partager tes réflexions ou poser tes questions, laisse-nous un message vocal sur speakerpipe.com/papaphd. Nous aimons entendre nos auditeurs et tes retours sont précieux pour l’évolution du balado.
Passe à l’écoute : Ne manque pas cet épisode captivant et suis “Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa PhD” sur ton application préférée pour ne jamais rater une occasion d’apprendre davantage sur la réalité du marché du travail après le doctorat. Écoute cette pépite maintenant et laisse-toi inspirer par le parcours de Manon!
Liens de l’épisode
Programme Innovinc : millenium.umontreal.ca/nos-parcours/innovinc-rbc/
Programmes d’entrepreneuriat Dobson : mcgill.ca/dobson/fr/batir-une-entreprise
Séminaire d’entrepreneuriat Jon D. Thompson : mcgill.ca/engineering/alumni/events/thompson-seminar
Transcription de l’épisode
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :On n’aura jamais autant de services que, finalement, maintenant quand on est étudiant et c’est vrai – le paradoxe, un petit peu, c’est que quand on est étudiant on se sent on se sent mal à l’aise finalement d’utiliser ces ressources en se disant “maintenant je suis là pour mon doc, il faut pas que je fasse autre chose, il faut vraiment que je sois concentrée sur ça.” Mais, finalement, un doctorat, ça nous prépare à cette vie d’adulte, à cette vie je dis vie d’adulte, mais à cette vie, finalement, de travail, voilà, professionnelle. Et l’entrepreneuriat ou toutes les opportunités que l’université nous offre font partie de notre notre parcours. Et ça, c’est important de le garder en tête.
David Mendes :Bienvenue sur au-delà de la thèse avec papa PhD, ton inspiration hebdomadaire pour ta préparation à ta carrière de rêve après le doctorat. Toi, de ton côté en ce moment, tu as aussi une activité d’entrepreneuriat. Et ça, ça a vraiment piqué ma curiosité quand tu m’en avais parlé parce que on le sait quand on est au doctorat on est très occupé, notre temps il faut très bien le gérer et je suis toujours admiratif de quelqu’un qui, en plus de son projet doctoral, est capable d’à côté développer ou commencer à développer un projet entrepreneurial. Est-ce que tu peux nous en parler un petit peu plus ?
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :Oui oui, alors ce projet-là il est né, finalement, d’un point que j’avais soulevé en maîtrise. Lors de mon projet de maîtrise, je me suis rendue compte qu’il y avait certaines maladies qui étaient vraiment mal diagnostiquées par les médecins, et je me suis vraiment intéressée au pourquoi et comment je pourrais aider, comment on pourrait aider un petit peu plus les médecins dans cette phase de diagnostic là. Et ce qui était intéressant à voir, c’était que la recherche était très développée, donc les chercheurs avaient déjà publié énormément d’articles sur un petit peu les algorithmes qui pourraient aider au diagnostic de ces maladies-là. Mais, finalement, il y a très peu de médecins généralistes qui vont prendre le temps de lire la recherche, lire ces articles-là. Et c’est là où j’ai senti qu’il y avait vraiment un gros gap entre la recherche et la clinique et je me suis demandée comment je pourrais donner, finalement, toutes ces connaissances, faire ces connaissances beaucoup plus accessibles facilement aux médecins pour qu’ils puissent l’utiliser réellement dans les diagnostics. Et c’est pour ça que j’ai eu l’idée de développer une application donc d’aide de diagnostic, mais vraiment spécialisée pour ce type de de maladie. On appelle ça, donc c’est des dyslipidémies. C’est dans ce domaine-là que j’ai fait ma maîtrise. Et elles sont vraiment beaucoup plus fréquentes ici au Québec, donc c’est vrai qu’il y avait un besoin encore plus important ici. Et, finalement, quand j’ai commencé mon doctorat à McGill j’ai vu qu’il y avait énormément de support pour développer ce type de technologie, développer justement ce côté entrepreneuriat et ça, ça m’a quand même intriguée, parce que finalement, en recherche, on n’a pas cette idée – on pense à la recherche académique, c’est un petit peu l’objectif de de beaucoup de personnes, finalement, en doctorat. Et cette voie entrepreneuriale, on n’y pense pas forcément. Et je me suis dit “ça serait peut-être une bonne idée…” donc j’ai commencé avec les programmes de de McGill et ça m’a vraiment montré que oui il y avait plein de choses à faire, que, réellement, il y avait des opportunités à saisir. Donc c’est à ce moment-là où je me suis dit “je vais créer mon entreprise puis essayer de développer réellement ce produit-là.” Et là, donc, je suis dans ce cheminement-là actuellement. Je fais partie du programme Innovinc avec l’université de Montréal. Voilà. Encore une fois, pour revenir encore à la vulgarisation, finalement la vulgarisation est extrêmement importante dans l’entrepreneuriat, parce qu’on a besoin d’expliquer qu’est-ce qu’on fait et c’est quoi les retombées de notre projet, finalement, à diverses personnes. Et ces personnes-là vont soit investir dans notre compagnie, soit vont devenir des mentors pour nous, donc la plupart du temps la vulgarisation a été extrêmement importante pour moi et je l’ai bien vu dans mes programmes d’entrepreneuriat. À chaque fois, les compétitions c’était des pitchs il fallait pitcher notre application ou notre projet en moins de 3-5 minutes et voilà. Donc ça m’a fait sourire, parce que les compétences que j’avais acquises pendant ce programme pour ma thèse en 180 secondes m’ont beaucoup aidée dans mon programme d’entrepreneuriat et les compétences que j’ai acquises dans l’entrepreneuriat m’ont également beaucoup aidé dans certains points de mon projet de doctorat. Et c’est pour ça que quand je disais c’est bien de d’avoir plusieurs cordes à à son arc, au final toutes ces compétences m’aident à améliorer l’ensemble de mon doctorat, l’ensemble de mes projets autant personnels que professionnels. Et ça, je trouve que c’est… voilà, ça apporte encore une fois beaucoup de choses. Par contre il faut essayer de trouver un équilibre en effet entre vie personnelle et vie professionnelle, parce qu’au doctorat on nous demande un petit peu desavoir tout faire, donc écrire des articles, faire des conférences, avancer sur nos projets de doctorat, avancer sur des cours. Donc c’est vrai qu’on on se retrouve facilement, finalement, sous l’eau et oui – cette cette gestion d’emploi du temps est quand même difficile. Mais il faut essayer de trouver au maximum, voilà, cet équilibre entre faire des choses différentes, des tâches différentes tout en respectant cet équilibre vie personnelle, vie travail.
David Mendes :Est-ce que ça a été facile d’embarquer dans ces projets avec l’acceptation ou, en tout cas, le support même de tes encadrants ?
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :Alors, oui. J’ai la chance, quand même, d’avoir une directrice qui s’est montrée vraiment ouverte à ça, donc ça ça a été une bonne chose. Là justement, on continue à voir comment on pourrait même travailler ensemble sur ces divers projets. Mais ça a été une crainte. Je ne cacherai pas, quand même, que ça a été vraiment une crainte parce que moi, ma crainte ça a été que, finalement, mes directeurs de doctorat soient un obstacle pour mon projet personnel. Et ça, c’était quelque chose que j’avais vraiment peur. Et une fois que j’ai commencé un petit peu plus à en parler, à montrer vraiment que j’étais capable de mener les deux choses en même temps et que ça n’avait pas impacté mon doctorat, que c’était quand même ça mon premier focus. Mais c’est sûr que ça a beaucoup aidé et ça a permis même de trouver du support dans ce projet personnel. Donc ça, c’est une bonne chose et c’est vrai que là aussi où j’étais chanceuse c’est que l’université McGill, autant McGill que l’UdeM, supportent énormément leurs étudiants dans ces parcours-là. Donc je pense si quelqu’un veut se lancer dans ça, il faut saisir cette opportunité. Je ne sais pas si c’est la même chose une fois qu’on a terminé les études, ais en tout cas je trouve qu’il y a énormément de support, énormément de ressources disponibles pour les étudiants et ça, ça a été vraiment super de voir autant de support.
David Mendes :Mais moi, c’est sûr, ça je le dis souvent – j’ai toujours peur de trop le répéter, mais je vais le dire encore une fois : quand vous avez droit à des choses, à des services, que ce soit par exemple l’appui à l’entrepreneuriat que tu viens de mentionner ou que ce soit les services en santé mentale ou, en tout cas, de santé en général, aussi le le l’appui à la préparation à la carrière, vous avez droit à plein de choses pendant que vous êtes affilié à l’université que, très souvent le jour où vous avez votre diplôme ou dans les mois qui suivent, vous perdez ces accès-là.
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :Oui ça, c’est sûr. Je pense qu’on n’aura jamais autant de services que, finalement, maintenant quand on est étudiant. Et c’est vrai – le paradoxe, un petit peu, c’est que quand on est étudiant on se sent mal à l’aise, finalement, d’utiliser ces ressources en se disant “maintenant je suis là pour mon doc, il faut pas que je fasse autre chose, il faut vraiment que je sois concentrée sur ça. Mais, finalement, un doctorat, ça nous prépare à cette vie d’adulte. Je dis vie d’adulte, mais à cette vie, finalement, de travail, voilà, professionnelle. Et l’entrepreneuriat ou toutes les opportunités que l’université nous offre font partie de notre parcours. Et ça, c’est important de le garder en tête, finalement. Ça fait partie de mon parcours, là, et je pense que c’est aussi pour ça que ma directrice m’a montré beaucoup de support dans ce projet-là. C’est parce que ça peut être potentiellement une voie ou une carrière par la suite après mon doctorat. Donc il ne faut pas te fermer les portes et il faut vraiment s’autoriser à utiliser toutes les opportunités qu’on a lors de notre parcours. Et oui, je suis d’accord avec toi il y a énormément de ressources que McGill propose – il y a même des conseillères ou des conseillers qu’on peut voir à McGill pour nous orienter et je pense qu’il est jamais trop tôt de le faire. Donc ça, c’est vraiment quelque chose que je recommanderais à tout le monde, parce que c’est comme ça que moi j’ai découvert les programmes Thompson qui m’ont été énormément utiles, finalement, pour la suite des choses.
David Mendes :Maintenant je suis très très curieux de quelque chose que tu as dit c’est à McGill il y a beaucoup d’appuis à quelqu’un qui est au doctorat et qui veut suivre un parcours ou du moins explorer un parcours entrepreneurial. Est-ce que tu peux expliquer un petit peu quelle forme prend cet appui-là, c’est quoi le type de services que tu as senti qui t’ont vraiment aidée à dire “ok, je vais je vais sauter à deux pieds dans ce projet-là.” Qu’est-ce qui sont des arguments pour convaincre quelqu’un qui écoute et qui se dirait “ah… je suis pas sûr que c’est pour moi” ou “je suis pas sûr si si je devrais, je sais pas exactement quel appui je vais recevoir.” Qu’est-ce que tu aurais, un peu, à décrire comme service ou comme appui ou comme mentorat que tu as reçu ?
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :Justement. Les programmes Thompson, vraiment, ils vont englober beaucoup de choses : déjà le support que j’ai eu, ça a été des supports au niveau des connaissances. Moi, je m’y connaissais zéro, finalement, dans l’entrepreneuriat, je ne savais pas du tout par quoi commencer, comment il fallait faire, comment il fallait que je m’y prenne. Et ce programme-là m’a permis d’avoir quand même certaines bases, certaines notions pour regarder un petit peu le marché, pour regarder, voilà, à quoi il faut faire attention, finalement, quand on se lance dans l’entrepreneuriat. Donc juste d’avoir certaines bases au niveau des connaissances, déjà, ça, j’ai trouvé ça très utile. Après, les programmes Thompson, aussi, une grande force qu’ils ont, c’est qu’ils nous ont mis en relation avec beaucoup de personnes. Donc on a pu créer des liens. J’ai pu trouver, aussi, des mentors dans l’entrepreneuriat et ça, finalement, ça a une valeur quasiment inestimable, parce que l’entrepreneuriat, encore une fois, c’est un petit peu comme le doctorat, c’est un parcours qui est très solitaire. On se pose beaucoup de questions, on n’est jamais sûr de faire la bonne chose. D’avoir un entourage, d’avoir plusieurs mentors qui nous supportent à différentes étapes de notre entreprise, ça j’ai trouvé ça extrêmement aidant. C’est pour ça qu’au début, oui, j’ai eu cette crainte-là, et une fois que je me suis inscrite, j’ai commencé à m’inscrire dans les programmes Thompson, mais également, maintenant, dans le programme Innovinc avec UdeM, j’ai pu réellement être encadrée, supportée dans mes décisions – on m’a beaucoup orientée, justement, sur “regarde telles ressources”, “telle personne peut peut t’aider” et finalement, c’est cet ensemble-là de connaissances, de réseaux et d’opportunités qui m’ont permis, vraiment, de me dire “allez, je me lance et on verra bien ce que ça donne !” Mais, au moins, je me lance. Et ça, les deux programmes m’ont énormément aidé pour ça.
David Mendes :Où est-ce que si tu te projettes dans trois ans, 5 ans ? Déjà je suis sûr que tu aimerais avoir ton diplôme, mais côté entrepreneurial, où est-ce que tu aimerais être par rapport à ce projet-là ?
Manon Fantino-Lalonde :C’est sûr que là, pour les prochaines années, j’aimerais vraiment aller non seulement tester, valider cliniquement mon produit auprès des centres de recherche. Donc les programmes, déjà, m’ont permis certaines collaborations, donc pour les prochaines années j’espère vraiment d’être en mesure de l’offrir, finalement, d’offrir une application sur le marché, puis commencer à avoir les premiers retours, voir comment ça marche, etc. Je pense déjà si juste avec ça, ça me permettrait d’avoir une très bonne idée de, ok, c’est quoi que ça représente une mise en marché dans le produit, d’avoir le retour, finalement, des médecins qui l’utilisent, puis d’améliorer constamment notre application. Donc c’est ça que je vois, finalement, dans les prochaines années de cette application-là, de ce projet entrepreneuriat là. Après est-ce que je me vois travailler toute ma vie dans l’entrepreneuriat ou travailler pour une entreprise que j’ai créée moi-même ? Ça, c’est encore quelque chose qui est difficile à savoir, parce que c’est vrai que la recherche académique, c’est ça qui m’a toujours attirée. Par contre, je garde en tête que c’est possible en faisant de la recherche académique de rendre accessible nos recherches au grand public de en créant des applications, en créant des entreprises comme ça. Et ça, je pense que ça peut être quelque chose qui va m’intéresser pour les trois, cinq, six prochaines années.
David Mendes :Merci d’avoir écouté ce nouvel épisode d’Au-delà de la thèse avec Papa PhD ! Si tu aimerais parler directement avec moi, tu peux maintenant le faire sur Sk00l.com/papaphd, une communauté que je viens de créer et à laquelle en ce moment tu peux adhérer gratuitement. Tu auras l’occasion de me poser tes questions, tu auras accès à des cours exclusifs et à une communauté de gens comme toi qui cherchent à trouver les meilleures pratiques pour naviguer leur transition vers le monde du travail après leur doctorat. On t’attend sur Skool.com/papaphd. À bientôt !
Merci Manon !
Si cet entretien avec Manon Fantino-Lalonde t’a plu, fais-lui en part en cliquant sur le lien ci-dessous et en lui laissant un message sur LinkedIn :
Clique ici pour la remercier sur Linkedin !
Clique ici pour partager avec David le principal message que tu retiens de cet épisode !
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Papa PhD Gold 001: The Hidden Benefits of Science Communication for Researchers

Welcome to a brand-new Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD experience – the “Papa PhD Gold” format, where we dive into a past episode of the show to explore the intersection of science, communication, and personal growth as a researcher. In this episode, we are joined by Elodie Chabrol, a passionate advocate for science communication and a scientist who emphasizes the importance of stepping back to view the “big picture” in research. Elodie and David Mendes discuss how engaging in science communication can transform a scientist’s approach to their work and career, from applying for grants to improving public engagement skills.

Elodie Chabrol has a PhD in Neurogenetics and is the international director for the Pint of Science festival. She is also a freelance science communicator involved in different freelance projects like training, moderations and podcasts.
Elodie’s mission is to make science accessible to everyone, everywhere show the human side of it.
Key take-home messages:
The Value of Seeing the Big Picture: Elodie shares her insights on how often getting lost in the intricate details of your research, you may neglect the overall context of your work and shares how science communication events encourage scientists to reassess their research from a broader perspective, gaining renewed clarity and purpose.
Science Communication as a Learning Tool: By attending events outside your domain, you can gain fresh perspectives and discover innovative ways to communicate your research, as exemplified by Elodie’s transformative experience at a physics scicomm event.
Benefits of Science Communication for Researchers: Engaging with lay audiences helps scientists hone their skills in turning complex information into accessible narratives. Feedback from public presentations can lead to new insights and strengthen academic skills like grant and paper writing.
Experiences from Pint of Science: Elodie shares feedback from scientists who found value in communicating at Pint of Science events, illustrating how taking part in such initiatives can reignite our passion for our own research.
Why Listen? Whether you’re grappling with the challenge of detailing your research for non-experts or looking to refine how you share your scientific journey, this episode provides valuable strategies to incorporate science communication into your professional toolkit. Unlock the benefits of enhanced communication for career growth and personal satisfaction.
Connect with Us: Have thoughts about this episode? Want to recommend a guest for us to interview? Share your voice with us! Visit speakpipe.com/papaphd to leave a voice note. We value every piece of feedback and look forward to featuring some in future episodes.
Tune In: Don’t miss this insightful conversation aimed at helping you redefine your path Beyond the Thesis. Subscribe to Papa PhD on your favorite podcast platform, and join us next week for another inspiring episode!
This episode’s links:
Website: www.elodiechabrol.com/
Twitter: @eloscicomm
 
Episode Transcript
Elodie Chabrol:Sometimes in research, we’re losing sight of what we’re doing because we are so buried into very deep details on very tiny things that sometimes we are forgetting the big picture. Doing that kind of things brings you back to seeing the big pictures help you it’s also helping you finding cool ways of explaining your research, which is never lost because when you’re gonna apply for a grant, when you’re gonna maybe, apply for a job, apply for whatever, you have to explain the project you want to do and the people in front of you are never gonna be in your domain exactly.
David Mendes:Welcome to Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, your weekly inspiration for post PhD career development. With me, David Mendes.
Elodie Chabrol:When I was watching my lab meetings and I was watching my lab mates presenting their research, most of the times I didn’t understand because they didn’t give me any context. They were just like jumping hard into details. And I was like, what, wait, what what’s happening? And I was completely losing the plot of what they were doing. And this is also a way to discover, like, stuff in your domain in a very cool way. So I would say it’s inspiration on how to do, it’s relaxing, to watch in a cool way science in your domain but usually what I, often advise for your for for researchers or for scientists is to go to events that are not their domain because then they’re going to learn things. If you go to your domain, you might not learn anything. So I I think it’s the the best criticism I got from someone. She was a researcher. She went to, an A Pint of Science Evening and then she came to me and she was like, well, I didn’t learn anything. And I was like, okay, cool. It means it was, simple enough. Then she was like, it was too simple. I was like, cool. Perfect. So because it wasn’t for you to learn something, it was maybe for you to learn a way of presenting, but not for you to learn anything because definitely you’re too advanced for that kind of thing. But I would say if you go and it works for any kind of science communication, go for stuff that are outside of your domain, because the beauty of science communication is that you will understand thing. And you will get, even if it’s, you know, I was really bad at physics to a point that was painfully bad. I think the last grade, so in France, we’re grading, from zero to, 20. And my last uni big grade in physics was 0.5 out of 20.
David Mendes:Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Elodie Chabrol:Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And when I started, science communication, I went to do physics night and then I started understanding it in a way that I was like, if they explained it to me that way in in lectures in in uni, I would have understood. Yeah. So it’s it’s nice to go to outside of your domain to maybe learn things, that are different. And the beauty of science communication is it’s supposed to be presented in a way that you will understand.
David Mendes:Mhmm.
Elodie Chabrol:So don’t don’t be scared. Go to do do go watch something else.
David Mendes:This brings me to the last kind of or the third piece of this puzzle, a point of science, which is the scientists who are presenting. They’re offering something to an audience, but I’m pretty sure they’re also gaining something from it. Do you have feedback on that?
Elodie Chabrol:Yeah. I have lots of feedback. So first, usually they get really I think they didn’t they don’t realize, but usually, they they get a lot of step back from their work because they have to explain the whole big picture. And often, I hear that actually it’s good sometimes to take, you know, the heads out of, like, your work and look at the big picture to be reminded of what you’re doing. So often I hear that. Also, when they work on that, they also work on, like, ways of explaining their research, so they become better explaining that. So often I hear that. And I think the best, thing I heard, it was someone that came to me and said, oh, the team, the team emailed me last year. I didn’t want to do binder sense. I didn’t have time. I was like, oh, it doesn’t start well. And then this year they came to my lab, so I didn’t have a choice. I said, yes. And I was like, it’s not gonna fail. And then she told me, but I did it kind of like I felt a bit forced to do it, but it was amazing. And it was one of the first science communication thing I did. And she said, it convinced me to do more science communication because by when preparing it, I really took a step back on my work and it really helped me seeing again the big picture and it’s gonna help me when I’m gonna have to write grants and everything because sometimes in research, we’re losing sight of what we’re doing because we are so buried into very deep details on very tiny things that sometimes we are forgetting the big picture.
David Mendes:Yeah.
Elodie Chabrol:And and doing that kind of things brings you back to seeing the big pictures, help it’s also helping you finding cool ways of explaining your research, which is never lost because when you’re gonna apply for a grant, when you’re gonna, maybe, apply for a job, apply for whatever, you have to explain the project you want to do. And Of course. The people in front of you are never gonna be in your domain exactly, you know, they are gonna be kind of in your domain, if you’re lucky, or maybe they are gonna be very far from your domain, and you’re gonna have to convince them to give you money, a job, whatever. Mhmm. And learning how to put your research in, you know, in in action with all the big picture, the context, and everything, it really helps.
David Mendes:It’s clear to me at least that, that point that you just said that any investment in putting yourself in a situation of science communication, science outreach is going to have a positive effect for you even academically in, like, grant writing, etcetera. Being able to change the tone in which you speak about your research and also be challenged by other people as to how you talk about it. Because I’m sure that some of the questions are challenging. Yep. And, you know, these things kind of, contribute to you developing a richer and richer way, but also more effective way of talking about what you do. Like, leaving out details that are too complex and getting to the point more quickly, etcetera.
Elodie Chabrol:Yeah. And sometimes I zhink, scientists, they don’t realize that they are communicators. Posters, articles, grants, we spend all time communicating. And sometimes they say, oh, but you know, I’m not a communicator. Come on, you are a communicator. This is what a scientist’s job is. It’s to do research, but also to communicate a lot about it. So when you start doing science communication, you learn the little tricks that make you better at it.
Elodie Chabrol:And
David Mendes:Mhmm.
Elodie Chabrol:I think I’m convinced science communication is a good way to also get better at being a scientist. I think I’m convinced science communication is a good way to also get better at being a scientist.
David Mendes:Thank you for listening to this new episode of season six of Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD. Have a question about this interview? Wanna leave a comment about the podcast? Have someone you want to recommend to be interviewed? Go to speakpipe.com/papaphd and leave me a voice note. Just hit the big record button and leave me an up to ninety second message. I listen to all my messages and I consider all of them for feature on future episodes. Hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you, Elodie Chabrol!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Elodie, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Elodie Chabrol a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!

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Curiosity – The Cornerstone of PhD Career Exploration With Ashley Moses

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD! In this positivity-charged conversation, we’re joined by Ashley Moses, a PhD candidate in neurosciences at Stanford University. Ashley is not only advancing her own research but she’s also created a precious resource, for herself and for her fellow graduate students – PhD Paths – where she shares the journey and career paths of over a hundred PhDs she’s interviewed and who have transitioned into non-academic jobs. During our conversation, you will learn about the importance of professional development during the PhD journey, about the power of networking, and the about what her interviewees are sharig about moving away from academia. Ashley’s story is a testament to the fact that pursuing a non-academic career after graduate school is not a failure, but rather the burgeoning and flourishing of the transferable skills you have developed in graduate school. Tune in to learn how you can embark on this journey one step at a time and find your own path beyond the thesis.

Ashley Moses is a PhD Candidate in Neurosciences at Stanford University. She is also the Founder of an incredible resource called PhD Paths, which shares the career paths of 100+ PhDs who have transitioned from academia to industry jobs. Ashley is on a mission to help past, present, and future PhDs find fulfilling careers.
What we covered in the interview:
🔍 Start Small, Think Big: Ashley emphasizes the power of starting with one simple step, such as an informational interview or a LinkedIn message to gradually build a robust and living network and lead to richer professional development opportunities during your PhD.
🤝 Networking is Key: Ashley made the importance of networking loud and clear. Meeting people, learning their stories, and understanding their decisions can open doors to opportunities you may not yet realize exist. Even one conversation can be transformative!
🎯 Find Your Tribe: Find a community that supports and shares your career goals – it is crucial for your professional journey and for your mental health. Whether it’s through LinkedIn groups like PhD Pathfinders or other networks, surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can provide encouragement and shared learning to help you on your path.
Ashley’s journey is a testament to the potential we all have to shape our careers while completing our PhDs. 🌍✨
🎧 Listen to the episode to dive deep into Ashley’s inspiring work and insights!
🔗See the resources section below for her links!
This episode’s resources:
PhD Paths | Website
PhD Paths | Substack
PhD Pathfinders | LinkedIn group
Be Your Own Best Boss Coach | Enroll in the course!
Thank you, Ashley Moses!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Ashley, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her  a message on Linkedin:
Send Ashley Moses a message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!
You might also like the following episodes:
Claudia Belliveau – PhD Job Hunt Best Practices
Dr Vikki Wright – Being Your Own Best Boss in Academia
Matteo Tardelli – Identifying Your Core Values For The Job Hunt
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Being Your Own Best Boss in Academia With Dr. Vikki Wright

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD, where we’re diving deep into the world of academia with Dr. Vikki Wright. Dr. Wright, the founder of The PhD Life Coach, joins David Mendes to share her journey from a full professorship at the University of Birmingham to becoming a life coach empowering PhD students and academics to thrive in their careers. In this episode, we’ll explore how she transitioned from a research-focused role to a teaching and coaching path, emphasizing the importance of finding fulfillment in academic spaces. Vikki shares her insights on developing transferable skills, managing stress, and being your own best boss in academia. Whether you’re struggling with negative self-talk, feeling overwhelmed with the demands of academic life, or simply looking for inspiration on how to navigate your academic career, this episode is packed with valuable advice and insights. Tune in to hear how Dr. Vikki Wright’s experiences and coaching philosophy can help you craft a more fulfilling academic journey.

Dr Vikki Wright is the founder of The PhD Life Coach, where she provides a group coaching programme for PhD students as well as one-to-one coaching and online courses. She was a full Professor at the University of Birmingham in the UK until 2022, specialising in both how stress affects health and how to develop transferable skills in PhD students. She hosts The PhD Life Coach podcast which helps PhD students and academics get less overwhelmed and enjoy their work.
What we covered in the interview:
🎢 Embrace Diverse Opportunities: Dr. Wright emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary work and collaboration. Don’t be afraid to volunteer for projects outside your immediate research area—this can lead to new, exciting career paths!.
👍 Be Your Own Best Boss: Avoid being your harshest critic. Treat yourself kindly, set realistic goals for yourself, and celebrate your achievements. Self-compassion can make your academic journey more fulfilling and less stressful.
🧠 Cultivate Effective Organizational Skills: Successful management of tasks and time is crucial in graduate school and as an academic. Find tools that work for you and remember—it’s okay to use them imperfectly. What matters is finding the ones that fit your needs and being as consistent as you can.
🎧 Tune into the full episode to hear more insights from Dr. Wright on navigating academia with confidence and joy! 🎙️✨
🔗See the resources section below for her links!
This episode’s resources:
The PhD Life Coach | Website
Be Your Own Best Boss Coach | Enroll in the course!
Thank you, Dr. Vikki Wright!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Wright, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her  a message on Linkedin:
Send Dr. Vikki Wright a message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!
You might also like the following episodes:
Claudia Belliveau – PhD Job Hunt Best Practices
Kelly Guenther and Keri Ohlrich – Making Career Pivots Without Fear
Matteo Tardelli – Identifying Your Core Values For The Job Hunt
Alessandra Wall – Positioning Yourself Outside Academia