Ph.D. in How to be a Nerd™

Doctoral student (!) just trying to survive. Neuroscience and neurotransmitters are my two great passions.

[adorable-amygdala]

It's been awhile, but I passed my thesis proposal defense just after COVID hit, so it was online. Now I'm working on dissertation writing and experiments so I'm substantially less active here. I'll try to post every once in a while. Sorry for being dead for several months lol. I may end up deleting this blog since I really only use Discord, Facebook and Reddit now.

[adorable-amygdala]

Oh god oh fuck my thesis proposal defense was just scheduled

[adorable-amygdala]

I gotta admit, I was pretty inactive on tumblr for a few months bc despite the controversial NSFW ban, porn bots were still following me in droves. After looking thru my activity, I haven't seen them for a few weeks now so maybe...maybe I can try and be more active again.

[leoleofitz]

Me, wearing a blanket as a cloak, stirring my mac'n'cheese in a dimly lit room: potion

[adorable-amygdala]

May 2019

New notebook! Featuring a brain coaster that my friend got me as a birthday present. I'll try to post more...my life has been pretty anxiety inducing as of late hence the lack of activity.

[positivedoodles]

I’m trying to expand this project and add all kinds of new features. If you want to help, you can pledge 1$ to my patreon here, and in exchange, you’ll get access to a second project where I try to create the coziest/warmest art collection on the internet.

[showerthoughtsofficial]

Considering the size, shape and position of a unicorn’s horn; it would most likely be used for stabbing potential predators after a high speed charge.This adaptation would most likely go with an extremely aggressive temperament that would make unicorns one of the most dangerous animals in the world.

[question-why-not]

@keyhollow your thoughts on this?

[yourladyindank]

Yup. It’d also impede upon brain space probably, so dumb dumb creature

[the-mighty-birdy-deactivated202]

If we’re talking scientifically correct fantastical appendages, how big would wings have to be to allow humans to fly

[yourladyindank]

They’d have to be OH MY GOD large, if we are talking about an unaltered human. Look how big bird wings are, and they have hollow bones(sorta). Our weight goes up faster than our strength when it comes to muscle and bone density, so we’d need like 22ft wings, IF the wings weighed nothing.

Aka impossible unless we undergo some serious changes in other areas

[astudyinphd]

Sanity check

Hi everyone, I overheard a very troubling conversation between a neighboring grad student and my PI. In this conversation, the neighboring grad student said the following:

She has no work-life balance. Most of the times, she comes in very early in the morning (before 7 or 8 AM) and leaves very late (after 10 PM).

She says she’s fine with this but also says she’s under constant state of stress because of her PI’s expectations, and my labmate and I have actually ran into her crying in the stairwell.

She’s actually concerned about her peers when they can relax in the evenings instead of being in lab or at least working from home, or when they get to do things on the weekends.

I just want to see how other PhD students are handling their work-life balance after hearing this conversation just to make sure I’m not slacking off.

For me, I come in 9 AM - 5 PM (sometimes staying later depending on experiments, but this is NOT the norm). Sometimes, I come in for a few hours on the weekends to speed things up or if need be (also not the norm). After dinner, I usually do homework, prepare powerpoints for journal clubs or seminar presentations and other non-lab related things, but sometimes I do some work (interneuron quantifying, schedule and plan experiments for the next day/week, etc). I do want to incorporate more literature reading in the evenings or mornings. Regardless, the majority of my work is done on the weekdays 9 AM - 5 PM.

My reasoning is that I’d rather go “normal” pace and steady since I’ll be here for 3+ years to avoid burning out. I want to enjoy my work, and that’s not happening if I feel like I NEED to be here and NEED to do all these things on this impossible schedule. I have been having thoughts of mastering out in the back of my mind, but at the end of the day, I do enjoy my work and my PI’s mentorship and I think I can learn a lot more being here for 3+ years of my PhD.

In addition, we get paid barely above minimum wage as a grad student if we work 40 hours a week. During crazy weeks (which everyone has), that increases by a lot, which means we get paid less than minimum wage, for very specialized and skilled works. Yes, we are in training as PhD students, but if the expectation is for us to work all day, all night, all week, then the PhD feels less like training and more like slave labor disguised as training.

How are your schedules like as PhD students? @cancerbiophd @queenofthebench @whitecoatjourney @adorable-amygdala and many others!

[adorable-amygdala]

I think the toughest thing to handle as a PhD student is how to handle the flexibility of it. Sometimes your experiments don’t work, and you end your day after getting there two hours before. What you do with the rest of your day then becomes a matter of how “diligent” you want to be. For example, if this happens to me, I’m usually so discouraged by the experiment not working that I just go home and read a book/watch a movie with my SO/etc. Since I haven’t started the “meat” of my dissertation/proposal yet, my schedule is really decided by me and what I decide is worth doing. The past few weeks I’ve been waiting for IACUC paperwork to be approved so I’ve mostly been practicing electrophysiology techniques twice a week (with other experimenters’ mice...bless them) from 10AM to 4PM roughly. The rest of the week is really up to my discretion. This, of course, will change rapidly once the paperwork gets approved--then, who knows, I could be in the lab 6 days a week from 9 to 6 just getting experiments done. More concisely, a Ph.D. can have massive schedule changes, and since I live close to campus I can go home whenever and do some work at home.  Now, some people *really* disagree with my philosophy about working on my Ph.D. I’m only 23, so in my opinion I can afford (in terms of time) to prioritize my health and mental wellbeing over finishing my Ph.D. quickly, not worry about being a crazy productive graduate student, and working smarter not harder. Some people want to show up to the lab for 60 hours a week but they’re not doing much but spinning their wheels. If I can (for now) show up for about 20 hours a week but do 40 hours worth of work, what’s wrong with that? Especially during “slow” periods where I’m waiting for paperwork or waiting on data from others. I think expecting Ph.D. students to be slave labor is ridiculous--so I will do my absolute best to not contribute to that culture by keeping my imposter syndrome at bay as much as possible and putting my mental health first. 

[neurosciencestuff]

How brains of doers differ from those of procrastinators

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum have analysed why certain people tend to put tasks off rather than tackling them directly. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they identified two brain areas whose volume and functional connectivity are linked to an individual’s ability to control their actions. The research team headed by Caroline Schlüter, Dr. Marlies Pinnow, Professor Onur Güntürkün, and Dr. Erhan Genç from the Department of Biopsychology published the results in the journal Psychological Science on 17 August 2018.

Two areas of the brain linked to action control

The biopsychologists examined 264 women and men in an MRI scanner. They assessed the volume of individual brain regions and the functional connectivity between them. In addition, all participants completed a survey measuring their own ability to execute action control.

Individuals with poor action control had a larger amygdala. Moreover, the functional connection between the amygdala and the so-called dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dorsal ACC) was less pronounced. “These two areas of the brain had already been linked with action control in former studies,” says Erhan Genç.

Assessing and selecting actions

The primary function of the amygdala is to assess different situations with regard to their respective outcomes and to warn us about potential negative consequences of particular actions. The dorsal ACC uses these information in order to select actions that are to be put into practice. Moreover, by suppressing competing actions and emotions, it ensures that the selected action can be successfully completed.

If the interplay between amygdala and dorsal ACC is impaired, action control can no longer be successfully executed, according to the theory put forward by the researchers. “Individuals with a higher amygdala volume may be more anxious about the negative consequences of an action – they tend to hesitate and put off things,” speculates Erhan Genç. “Due to a low functional connection between amygdala and dorsal ACC, this effect may be augmented, as interfering negative emotions and alternative actions might not be sufficiently regulated.”

Learnable or not?

Future studies will have to show if the degree of action control can be modified through specific training or brain stimulation. “Even though the differences regarding our ability to control our actions affect our private and professional success as well as our mental and physical health to a considerable degree, their neural foundations haven’t as yet been sufficiently studied,” says Caroline Schlüter, who addresses this issue in her PhD thesis.

[haraamzada-deactivated20191222]

[paralegal-activity]

I needed to hear this today; maybe somebody else needs to as well

[mrinterpreter-deactivated202212]

Just in case someone else needs it too.

[queenofthebench]

SDS-PAGE Hall of Shame

I found this hilarious website from Rice University and had to share! 

The comments are so wonderful. I am currently laughing out loud at my desk xD 

https://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/studies/sds-page/sdsgoofs.html

[adorable-amygdala]

You know what I dont see here? An empty gel except for the ladder. Even though you loaded protein. Which was me for three weeks.

[thatwizardofearthsea]

[lllllllllll-llllllll-deactivate]

[terrible-tentacle-theatre]

you: Daborn-Waterfield Syndrome

me, an intellectual: makes caterpillars floppy

[terrible-tentacle-theatre]

Some other choice gene names include:

snail

oskar

cactus

sonic hedgehog

[tiritirimatangi]

Some more of my favorite genes:

Cleopatra (interacts with the Asp gene!)

Julius seizure (does NOT interact with cleopatra, unfortunately. Causes seizures)

Cheap Date (increases alcohol sensitivity)

Ken and Barbie (causes loss of external genitalia)

Also, the hox genes, like antennapedia. Not a particularly funny name, but if you mutant antennapedia flys grow legs where their antennae should be.

[terrible-tentacle-theatre]

IT

KEEPS

GETTING

BETTER

Some others fun ones:

The sonic hedgehog gene has a signal inhibitor called robotnikinin.

The halloween genes, a gene complex composed of spook, spookier, shadow, shade, shroud and phantom. Tampering with this one fucks up the exoskeleton development of fruit flies and makes them freaky looking among other things, so the name is apt.

Tinman (mutations prevent the development of a heart, à la the Tin Man from Oz)

Flippase and floppase (a pair of proteins that pass phosphatidylserines back and forth across the outer side of the cell membrane)

MAP kinase, MAP kinase kinase etc. This stacks four times to result in MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase

Mothers against decapentaplegic (represses the decapentaplegic gene in the embryo if it’s mutated in the mother).

[tiritirimatangi]

Fun fact, there’s a hedgehog gene, and Indian hedgehog gene, and a sonic hedgehog gene

Also, the sonic hedgehog gene has expression that gets messed up my some chemicals (including alcohol) during pregnancy. So this leads to doctors having to explain to patient the something is wrong with their sonic hedgehog gene. 

There’s actually a really good reason for these funny names though! Aside from scientists being dorks. Because if you discover a gene that is expressed wrong during cancer, and call it lung cancer gene 1, later on you might discover that it’s normal function is to make brain cells or something. That’s a problem, because it’ll forever bias research into that gene, because people will assume its a cancer gene, rather than playing multiple important roles in different pathways. Funny names, or naming the gene after the phenotype (the physical appearance of individuals with mutations in the gene), avoid this problem!

Naming the gene after the phenotype?

Well… this is what the hedgehog gene does to fruit flies, which is the species it was discovered in.

It. Literally makes the fly larvae look like hedgehogs. 

This is why  makes caterpillars floppy is called that! The authors Did A Good And Funny, and more importantly, other scientists aren’t going to look at that gene in the database and assume we already know everything about its function. Other scientists are going to look at that gene and go “floppy lol”.

[terrible-tentacle-theatre]

So what have we learned today? Scientists giving genes funny names and other scientists going “floppy lol” actually serves an important role in keeping scientists from missing crucial research by assuming they know everything already. Every time you think science can’t get any more amazing it… just… does.

(admittedly though, some funny name genes do stand for their functions. Pokemon stands for “POKerythroid myeloid ontogenic factor” and diablo stands for “Direct IAP binding protein, low”.)

[lokiagentofasgard]

I worked with zebra fish and I really enjoyed the Santa Claus, Valentine’s, and heart of glass genes (all mess up heart development), and my absolute favourite - sonic hedgehog only acts on anterior midline seperation in d. rerio, there’s an analogue gene that handles posterior midline separation, and it is called tiggywinkle hedgehog.

as in Mrs Tiggywinkle, the hedgehog from the Beatrix Potter books.

it is very hard to present research findings with a straight face when they include this.

[42ismynumber]

not even just genes! there’s prolactin, big prolactin, and big big prolactin, which is amazing.  Scientists are great at naming things

[positivedoodles]

Since I hit my latest goal on patreon, I can now post longer comics on Saturdays. When I reach my next goal, I can add even more things to the project. If you want to help, you can pledge for just 1$ here, and in exchange, you’ll get access to a completely different project where I attempt to create the coziest/warmest art collection on the internet.

[turing-tested]

there’s nothing purer or better than how much kids enjoy being picked up and then hurled at soft surfaces

[turing-tested]

anyone who’s ever been around kids for ay meaningful amount of time should know exactly how much kids long to be hefted up and then just fuckin tossed! it’s so good! they’re so excited to get fucking tossed around like a sack of potatoes it’s so pure

[abigboysblog]

Why do kids love it so much? Like I remember when I was a kid at diving practice during the summer, the best part was when one if the coaches would toss you into the deep end. And in gymnastics coaches would toss us into the foam pit. Do kids just have a evolutionary urge to die?

[deanwinchesterisadorable]

https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/why-kids-wont-listen/

“Vestibular sense provides information about where the body is in relation to its surroundings. This is the sense that helps you understand balance, and it connects with all the other senses.

When the vestibular system does not develop properly all other senses will struggle to function properly. Without a strong vestibular sense, kids will have no choice but to fidget, get frustrated, experience more falls and aggression, get too close to people when talking, and struggle with focusing and listening. Because they literally cannot help it.”

“Here are a few ways to support your child’s vestibular sense:

Spinning in circles.

Using a Merry-Go-Round.

Rolling down a hill.

Spinning on a swing.

Going upside down.

Climbing trees.

Rocking.

Jumping rope.

Summersaults or cartwheels.

Using monkey bars.

Skating.

Going backwards.

Swimming.

Dancing.

Wheel-barrel walks.”

Yeeting kids, spinning them, flipping them upside down, tossing them in the air, and otherwise disrupting their balance temporarily, is Important For Their Development, specifically for their vestibular sense.

Kids love this because they NEED it.

[severalowls]

In other words: Don’t forget to calibrate your child’s GPS!

[roseyturtles]

YEET THE CHILD FOR THEIR HEALTH

[hjartaohamast-svohljott]

Hi! Paediatric Occupational Therapist here who yeets children into pillows for a living. It’s actually more than the vestibular system! It’s also giving them proprioception, which is the feeling of your joints and muscles / where your body is in space! 

We all seek proprioceptive input, leaning against walls, pushing against the steering wheel when driving, giving your body a squeeze to wake yourself up, the list goes on! When we ‘crash’ kids into soft things like pillows or beds, we’re waking their bodies up AND calming their bodies down! In other words, getting them into this super nice zone of “just right” regulation. 

When I see a child who is bouncing off the walls and can’t seem to stand still for more than a few seconds? I start wrestling with them, crashing them into pillows, giving their body the right amount of input they need to feel good and organised. And suddenly, this kid is able to sit and play attentively or do their handwriting practice. It’s amazing! If you want to know more about why the vestibular and proprioceptive systems are awesome at making your body feel good, google those two words (and sensory processing) and read through some occupational therapy websites! 

Side note: As adults, does your body ever feel jittering/jiggly/wiggly/like it needs to move or calm down but you just can’t figure out why? That’s your sensory system saying Hey! I need to feel differently in order to function better! Here’s what you can do:

Jump up and down (vestibular and proprioception)

Give yourself big squeezes (proprioception)

Place your hands on a wall and do push ups (proprioception)

Do cartwheels (vestibular and proprioception)

Get someone to give you the biggest bear hug for at least 10 seconds (proprioception and social connection, also proven to help regulate your sensory system into just right zone!)

Get a drink of water and drink it through a straw OR blow bubbles into the water (way more fun!) (oral motor input and respiration)

Have a shower or a bath (tactile)

Stretch and do exercise (vestibular and proprioception)

Eat something crunchy or chewy (like chips or gum) (oral motor input)

Listen to some music that suits your mood (auditory)

etc etc etc! I’m sure you already have a strategy that your body has figured out works for you. I personally like to chew gum when I feel like i need to eat something but I’m not actually hungry and just need that chewing sensation in my jaw. 

Long story short, everyone has a sensory system and we all use regulation strategies like the ones listed above to help make our body feel better. So if you ever see someone (especially kids!) fidgeting and having a hard time focusing, maybe suggest something from the list above!

[imafuckingdoctor]

How to study smarter:

So my (very cool) teacher was talking about this in class the other day, made me want to make a post about it.

The image above is adapted from the National Training Lab in Bethel, Maine. It basically shows how much information the average student retains when using certain methods.

Attending a lecture is only 5% and reading the material is only 10%.

Which could be a potential answer imo to why many people spend hours reading stuff and not retain most of it or not do well on tests.

Anything audiovisual increases the percentage of information you’ll likely retain up to 20%, having it demonstrated in front of you gives you 30%. Discussion (which can be done very easily) can make you retain up to 50%, practicing with your own hands means you’ll retain 75% and finally when you teach others you’ll retain a massive 90%.

So how can you implement this into your study routine to retain the most information?

Audiovisual: I think this is very easy, YouTube channels like Khan Academy cover almost everything, so go online, find some videos relevant to whatever you’re studying and watch them.

Demonstration: This is pretty much your teacher’s job, an example here would be anything related to social or hand skills, in my case interviewing and examining patients. At my school before we interview any patient or examine them my teacher does it first and we carefully observe. So whenever someone is demonstrating something pay full attention. And then if possible practice it (possibly with your friends as a role play) because that’ll increase the percentage of information you retained to 75%

Discussion: This is very basic and can be done simply by just reading the material before, preparing questions and engaging in brief discussions with your teacher throughout the lecture. Or if pre reading isn’t your thing just join a study group and discuss everything you’re learning over there.

I’ve already talked about practice briefly with demonstration, it’s pretty self explanatory (especially for OSCEs, for all you medstudents)

Teaching others: You can volunteer to tutor anyone or just take the lead in your study group. All of my teachers swear by this method. Some even suggest explaining to yourself if you can’t find anyone else but I have never tried it. (or force your family/boyfriend or SO to listen, that’s what I do)

Get creative and make the most of your study sessions, if anyone tries any of these please let me know!!