This week's PhDetails #94 is with Caitlyn Cardetti who is currently a PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at Stony Brook University. Caitlyn completed her B.S. in Human Biology and Psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2013. She worked in a quality assurance lab for the medical manufacturer, Coloplast for a year before heading over to be a research in NYC at Columbia University. As a research assistant, she realized to really do the work she wanted she needed to go back to school and that’s where she is now. You can find Caitlyn on Twitter @CaitlynCardetti or her blog: wickedwitchofthewb.blogspot.com.
The Doors
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Incubus
Favourite movie?
I’m not big on having favorites, I’m more of a go with the mood kind of person but to answer this question I always say Donnie Darko. Although the favorite movie I’ve seen this year was Suicide Kings (1997 flick with Christopher Walken).
Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favourites?
I don’t listen to podcasts because I don’t seem to have the attention span for them. I have recently started listening to audiobooks on my commute though which has been fantastic – I use the app Libby which is free because it uses your local library card.
Where do you study and who is your supervisor?
I’m in the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology program at Stony Brook University (New York, USA) under Dr. Daniel Bogenhagen.
What year of your PhD are you in?
3rd year
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
The Pharmacology program at Stony Brook has a training grant (NIH T32) so I was a research fellow on that for my first two years. Now I am fully funded as a research assistant by my PI and will be until I graduated. However, I do still plan on applying for grants.
Do you have any publications yet?
I don’t have anything published from my PhD career yet. But hopefully that will change real soon.
Did you do a masters?
Technically, I started in my lab as a master’s student but transitioned into the PhD program without completing it.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
I am in a laboratory setting. The best part and worst part about my lab work is I get to set my own schedule. The great part of that is the freedom and flexibility so sometimes I might duck off for a lunchtime run or if I’m exhausted I’ll sleep in and come in late. The worst part of it though is it makes it easy to put off that difficult experiment.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
Nine and I was rejected from all nine, which is how I ended up at Stony Brook as a master’s student. I was looking to join a neuroscience program/lab to work on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but now I work in a pharmacology lab studying the basic biology of mitochondria – although in my post-doc or later in my career I plan to study the contributions of mitochondrial dysfunction to AD so really it’s all good.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?I’m spoiled and in a well-equipped lab so I don’t have to deal with this. :D
What one piece of advice would you give to a master’s student applying to PhDs now?
Let them worry about if you’re a good fit for them, that’s not your problem. You should concern yourself with if they are the right fit for you.
How often do you meet with your supervisor?
I’m in a very small lab, it’s just me, my PI and one other lab student. I don’t necessarily have formal set meetings with him but he is always around so I usually meet with him a couple times a week by either showing up at his office door or he’ll stop by my bench if he wants an update (usually this because I can be avoidant – a bad habit which I’m working on).
What supervisor traits are important to you?
That they support you and by that, I mean they help you grow to be the best version of you and not just their clone. Also approachability.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Micromanaging. I loathe micromanaging. If you want to manage something then you do it, if you want me to manage something then give me some space and freedom. Fortunately, my PI does not micromanage.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
Gaining a better understanding of RNA processing in human mitochondria.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
I feel like my biggest accomplishment was I passed my thesis proposal defense in November but my highlight was when I gave a lecture in October. I was nervous to get up and lecture but I wasn’t anxious which is a huge milestone for me.
Have you had an academic lowpoint of the last year – if so what happened?
This last year was great but if you ask about the one before that I definitely was in a slump (if you want to know more about my slump, I wrote a Twitter thread on it: https://twitter.com/CaitlynCardetti/status/1215636977028096002).
[Thread] I've been having conversations with a lot of other grad students lately about that third year slump. Did you experience it? When? How'd you get through it? I'll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours. #PhDLife #PhDChat #AcademicChatter pic.twitter.com/h5kk8ylW9y— Caitlyn Cardetti (@CaitlynCardetti) January 10, 2020
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
The Nobel Laureate, Martin Chalfie. He was given the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 with Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien for their discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). I use GFP a lot and it’s great but that’s not reason I think he’s great. I met him before grad school at a talk at Columbia University and he was just so humble and down to earth. Paraphrasing a bit but he said he’s not a genius for having a Nobel Prize. He said he knows many scientists who are smarter, work harder but at the end of the day science can also be a bit about luck but it is easier to get lucky the more that you do.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
Hmm not sure, I’ve been pretty lucky to meet many in my field. I would love though to hear what Rosalind Franklin herself thinks about the whole her not getting credit for discovering the structure of DNA.
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
My grandmother, she is my role model for everything not just academia. She immigrated to the U.S. with my grandpa and her three kids and never complained. Well maybe she did but only about the little things. She was always supportive and interested in what I studied. She was always learning too - her and my grandfather travelled a lot and she was always reading. I remember when she was older she’d take notes while she read so she could remember, I hope to be like that one day.
Do you have a favourite paper?
Ojala D, Montoya J, Attardi G. 1981. tRNA punctuation model of RNA processing in human mitochondria. Nature. 290:470–474. It’s an oldie but a goodie on the weird world of RNA processing in human mitochondria.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
The Evolving Concept of Mitochondria at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in 2018. I was able to audit the conference (a benefit of being a student at Stony Brook) so I was able to attend without any pressures of needing to have to present (I also had nothing to present at that time). I was able to meet many of the people in my field whose names I had only seen on papers. Also CSHL is a beautiful campus.
What hours do you typically work?
10-7 but really it is all over the place.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
Rebranding it as scicomm? Jokes aside, I’m still working on that! But time blocking and pomodoro technique have helped tremendously to get me to focus.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
Honestly, I don’t want to be anywhere else.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
I hang out with my partner, we live together which makes it way easier – actually I’m not sure how I’d manage a relationship with my PhD if I didn’t live with them. I also try to go to the gym or run at least twice per week, more for sanity than physical health.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
The energy and motivation to get writing done in the evening when I’m home.
What would be your dream job?
Tenure-track Professor at an R1
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully finishing up my post-doc if I haven’t already and starting a tenure-track professor position.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Optimistic
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Actually this year I’m just trying to focus on academia, in the past I’ve tried improving race times/distances (I’m a runner) but I’m taking a break from racing this year – I still run though.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
Google Calendar – it helps be block times, plan my schedule, not forget things
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
I’m really open to where ever but dream universities include Mayo Graduate School or University of Wisconsin-Madison
Do you have a favourite organism?
Can I say slugs? My work has nothing to do with slugs but I love them. Although, science twitter also recently introduced me to slime molds, which now have a place in my heart as well.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
The Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWiSE) organization at Stony Brook University. GWiSE offers a lot of different activities but what I love most is the women I’ve met through GWiSE – we give each other a lot of emotional support.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be ?
Not really, I love my department dearly and the camaraderie and support I find in it is the main reason I decided to stay here to pursue my PhD. Also my cohort is the best!
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
Nothing comes to mind about areas that no one is trying to address. But I think a really interesting area about mitochondria is where exactly did they come from and why do mitochondria in different organisms retain different genes than others? The current theory is that mitochondria were originally bacteria that were engulfed by cells and thus eukaryotic cells were born. But we haven’t identified that original bacteria that was to become a mitochondrion – however, not for lack of trying. Also mitochondria have their own DNA but at one point in their history transferred a lot of the genes to their cell’s nucleus. So why did they transfer some genes and not others? And why is it different for different species?
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