How to meet your advisor?

The first snow around the lab in 2021. Credit: Fan Zhou

Several trainees including PhD students, postdocs and technicians, have already been working in the lab for the past few months. I was so excited by their joining. Meanwhile, the way these guys met me for project discussion soon reminded me that I may be should list some suggestions about how to talk with your advisors.

1. Do it regularly, e.g. once or twice a week, especially in the first year. This could be very helpful to make you form a manner to push yourself to do more, reading more and think more.

2. Always prepare your specific topic(s) you may wanna talk with her/him before the meeting. You will learn more if could try to follow this logic during the meeting: a. What I have done (experiments) during the past days; b. I think the results could indicate a conclusion (support the original hypothesis or not); c. Based on the current results, I plan to do XXX or YYY. Would you agree? Or which plan we should try first?

3. Try to talk about or report the new progress with your advisor actively before she/he ask for it. Otherwise you could see the advisor as a very aggressive one. Naturally you may often do things with high pressure during the following years. The original aim of your work is getting knowledge and learning problem solving, but not satisfying anyone include your advisor or your parents.

4. Keep your thinking independent. You could even argue with or try to convince her/him with new results, previous publications or knowledge, upon the transient disagreement between you two about the next plan.

5. Record the important or valuable suggestions or questions raised in the meeting with a pen, but not by your mind.

6. Ensure all the unsolved issues get feedback/renewal in the next discussion!

7. Never be afraid or shy to communicate with the advisors. Try to think the advisor could be just a teammate. Union with her/him could undoubtedly promote your scientific exploration!

Again, what I did, what I think and what I plan.

Hope it helps.

2020 Resolution

2020:
A preliminary laboratory,
A warm and effective scientific team,
The peaceful and thoughtful family.

2021:
Harvest 1-2 funding(s),
Submit 1-2 manuscript(s),
Keep exercise twice a week,
Balance the work and family better.

We are still about to launch

Even in these special and tough days, we are about to launch. We sincerely thank Cell Stem Cell for this great opportunity to briefly introduce our forthcoming lab to the community. The original text is as follows:

Cell Fate and Embryogenesis

Fan Zhou

Tsinghua University

My forthcoming lab focuses on understanding how multi-dimensional molecular architecture (e.g., gene networks coordinated with epigenetic factors) regulate cell fate decisions and transitions during mammalian/human embryogenesis. We aim to integrate single-cell in vitro/vivo functional identification, single-cell omics analysis, and genetic manipulation to link the genome with cumulative cellular phenotypes. Our work mainly includes the following: (1) employing/developing single-cell multi-omics analysis to uncover the molecular patterns of lineage specialization during embryonic development; (2) establishing in vitro/vivo models to understand the regulatory mechanism of cell fate transition during embryogenesis from the phenotypic/functional dimension; and (3) exploring the regulatory principles in embryo implantation and tumor evolution in reproductive system.

With years of training in stem cell and early embryo development, I am excited to have the opportunity to independently carry out research on cell fate and embryogenesis at Tsinghua. Understanding the principles of cell fate will not only shed light on how orderly embryo body plans emerge from a single-cell fertilized egg to build a complex and highly functional organism, but also reveal how potential regulators trigger diseases such as cancer, essentially a disordered transformation of cell fates. I am looking forward to this unfolding journey with all of my future lab members.

Welcome to apply and join us (zhoufanlove@126.com)! We sincerely read all the e-mails.

Ready for a postdoc application?

The peaceful Forbidden City under the COVID-19 epidemic. Credit: Fan Zhou

The COVID-19 epidemic has been getting better in BJ. Over the past weeks, I have been meeting postdoc candidates both online and in person. So far, here are some thoughts about what I generally care about. Hope this could be helpful to some extent,

Both the Chinese and English cover letters are okay with me, while it could be a opportunity to show your English writing.
Whether you seriously think about your own research interests and why you are interested in us.
Concluding your self-assessment upon your previous scientific training.
Describing the future vision of your academic pursuits.
A attractive publication list would be helpful while this is not the only bar for our consideration.

In the session of former interview, we probably would involve a 45min PPT presentation, a 15min discussion about your previous work and a general future plan with us. This part could be a great opportunity to show your technical expertises, independent and logical thinking and raise your possible questions about us.

Enlighten us why your expertises will improve the research in our lab if you could. This could be a major point.

Enjoy the job hunting journey since this could so valuable for stopping by for a moment, thinking about other research fields, search your deep mind and set a custom-made career plan of your own.

Stay safe and good luck!

The special journey between COVID-19 quarantines

After being trapped in Hubei for 9 weeks, the day before yesterday, I finally got a chance for the 7th special train (1,135km/4.5 hrs) back to Beijing. It is the second day of my strict self-isolation in Beijing.

The Hubei-Beijing special train runs smoothly. Some people wore full-body protective clothing and some took off masks to smoke secretly.
In seat ABC, I and a lady beside me took seat BC respectively. Passenger A by the window probably missed the train and became an empty seat there. The lady looked at seat A, then looked at me. Understanding her eyes, I tacitly changed to seat A and the lady certainly nodded with satisfaction… A few minutes later she took off her mask to answer a phone call.
Very different from the previous trips, almost no one chatted during the whole journey.
When the train arrived at Beijing West Railway Station, there was a big banner “Welcome back to Beijing (欢迎回京)”, and a staff shouted “Welcome home, Beijing is also your home (欢迎回家，北京也是你们的家)”.
After going out of the station, according to the administrative region where the residential community is located, they verified our identities in batches, registered again, and distributed us centrally. The crowd was dense but orderly.
There are 12 seats in the diverging car, but only 6 seats was taken for distancing us.
The staff distributed epidemic prevention kits, including thermometers, drinking water, sachets, wet tissues, and a letter beginning with “my family has been absent for a long time, and the unannounced outbreak prevented you from coming back”.
Five staff members of the community have been waiting at the intersection 50 meters away from the entrance of the community. Several security guards at the entrance are not as scared and dodge as the passing residents.
The staff installed exclusive surveillance cameras in front of the door in advance. The detailed quarantine requirements and disciplinary regulations were informed at the door, and the seal was affixed.
I intended to pick up the express by myself after the quarantine period, but the security guard was worried that I needed it urgently and insisted on helping to deliver it to my home.
Predictably, there may be some changes in cooking and weight over the next few days.

The planet is in trouble. May we get through it soon!