This week's PhDetails is #95 with John Whale who studies at Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University. John grew up in Sussex just outside London, in the U.K., he did his Bachelor’s in forensic biology at the University of Portsmouth, U.K. where he stayed on to do a Master’s in human population genetics, before moving to Indianapolis, IN to study blowfly population genetics. John told me that it was around this time that he began to become really interested in ecology as a whole and how he might understand adaptation and plasticity of different organisms to their environments. About a year after graduating, John moved to Sydney to start his PhD in adaptive genomics of eucalypt trees to their environment and how we might better safeguard them in the future. John is pretty passionate about inclusivity, and that diversity should be celebrated and incorporated, and that visibility is fundamental if we are to inspire the next generation of scientists. He told me that this is of particular importance to him as a LGBTQ+ person. John also said said "I love to travel and experience things I haven’t done before, play and watch sports – especially soccer, and beer, I really like beer". You can find him on twitter @jwwhale
Well let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff: What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Queen. When I was growing up my mom would play a lot of Stones, Beatles, Pistols. So anything classic rock or punk I’m down for.
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Hard to pin just one down. But Betty Who, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga make regular appearances in my playlists.
Favourite movie?
When I need something to cheer me up, I always watch Miss Congeniality or Notting Hill, otherwise it’s probably Shawshank Redemption and 12 Angry Men.
Do you listen to podcasts?
I listen to a few, some of the main ones are Reply All, RadioLab, Science Vs, and Unravel.
Where do you study and who are your supervisors?
I study at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University. My PI is Paul Rymer, and my co-supervisors are David Tissue and Collin Ahrens.
What year of your PhD are you in?
I’m about halfway through my third year… the business end!
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I’m funded half via a NSW (New South Wales) Office of Environment and Heritage grant, and half through my Institute. I have about 6 months of scholarship remaining, but have teaching lined up after that.
Do you have any publications?
No first authors…yet, but one co-authored article HERE, and have co-authored a textbook chapter. Got papers from my thesis in the pipeline.
Did you do a masters – where was it and was it about?
Yes. In fact I have done two!! I did one in the U.K. studying the population genetics and ancestry of some of the major ethnic groups of Afghanistan, and then I did my second one in the USA looking at population genetics and the role of inbreeding on development on a common North American blowfly, Phormia regina.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
Yes! I love being in the field. I’d say my current project has given me the best fieldwork – it has given me the opportunity to travel from far north Queensland to south and central Victoria. It is A LOT of driving, but some of the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit have been quite magnificent. Australia has a lot of ‘big things’, and these break up the driving a bit, especially with the frequency of my stops!!!
What about labwork?
I do labwork too. Historically a lot of PCRs, gels, and sequencing. Currently I’m mostly in the lab monitoring hydraulic conductance of my trees to see how tolerant they may be to drought/water-deficit conditions. The worst bit about this is the time required to collect one measurement – average is ~5-6 days.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied for a couple in the U.S., and just one in Australia, and here I am in Sydney. I was looking for a population genetics-related project, but one that would also challenge me and allow me to grow as a scientist. I had never worked with plants before, so this seemed a really good fit.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had to rustle anything major together. Probably the most rustic thing I’ve had to muster is a “laundry line” inside a growth chamber, cutting bamboo to the right lengths so they would lodge into place without causing too much damage. I later found clamp stands from the lab worked really well too!
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Choose a project and if possible, a supervisor that suits you. You’re going to be working on this project for at least 3 years. If you’re not totally invested or sure about a project or supervisor, then that particular one probably isn’t a good fit. Also, don’t be afraid to take some time to find the right project. Getting a PhD isn’t a sprint, and everyone goes at their own pace.
How often do you meet with your supervisors?
Early on my PI and I met weekly, it has changed now to fortnightly or monthly. This often comes about too due to the hallway meetings we have to keep him updated. We also have weekly lab group meetings, so if there’s any issues, they can be raised there too.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Definitely empathy and understanding! Things won’t always go right let alone perfectly throughout a PhD either at a professional or personal level, and having a supervisor that understands this is vital.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
I’d say being aggressive and belittling. No one wants to be pressured into doing something they’re uncomfortable with doing, again both at that professional or personal level, and we all need to look after our mental health.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
Oh boy. Determining the adaptive capacity of red gum Eucalyptus trees to environment, and whether they possess the genetic variants required to persist through climate change.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
Easy. I got to give an oral presentation at a conference for the first time. I was hella nervous, but it went really well.
Have you had an academic lowpoint of the last year – if so what happened?
When my drought experiment nearly got destroyed after the trees I had sown from seeds were 11 months old and had been under water-limited conditions for 2.5 months, a giant storm rolled through. My stress levels were insane at that time.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
Gosh! I’ve met some amazing scientists. But one that sticks out currently as it’s related to my current work is Dean Nicolle. He is brilliant, and knows almost (but also literally) everything re: eucalypt taxonomy, and is able to identify every species… Mind blowing.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
David Attenborough. I think his love of the natural world has inspired so many of us! If I could go back in time, it’d be Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace, the granddaddies of evolutionary theory and natural selection.
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
Not really a scientist, but somebody who loved science, and because of the time when she was growing up, a career in science wasn’t available to her – my Mom. She was always pretty enthusiastic, and I guess I was receptive to her passion. She doesn’t always understand my research, but it makes me a better Sci-Commer when I tell her what I do.
Do you have a favourite paper?
There’s a lot of really good and interesting articles out there. But ones that explain the bigger concepts in a manageable way stand out to me, so I’d always recommend De Quieroz (2005) “Species Concepts and Species Delimination” – a must read for any evolutionary biologist.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
I’ve been some cool conferences, like Ecological Society of Australia, but my favourite one was probably the Eucalypt Genetics conference I presented at last year. Every conference I’ve been to has been really welcoming, but the EucGen conference was like a family atmosphere.
What hours do you typically work?
I’m not a morning person at all, but I usually get my butt out of bed and am in the office around 9ish, otherwise I would struggle to go in at all after that. I usually spend the first hour of my day filling up on coffee and catching up with emails. But I’ll often stay later to about 6.30pm or so – when it’s quieter around. It generally depends if I have reached my targeted end point for the day.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
Sometimes very, very badly. But I find regular 5-10 minutes breaks helps refresh the mind before I knuckle down again. Also working later than normal ‘office hours’ gives me a lot of productivity as there are fewer distractions.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
The project I work on. I really love it, it’s so interesting and I’ve come to love the species I work with. I had never seen a eucalypt before starting this project, but they’re such beautiful trees that support a whole ecosystem of other plants and animals. Anything I can do to help conserve the common and rare species I work with.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
When I leave the office/lab and go home, that’s when work stops. Home is my work-free zone. It helps me decompress and avoid burnout. I’ve done projects before where I’ve taken work home with me, and my mental health has suffered, so that was a ‘non-negotiable’ pact I told myself when starting my PhD.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
More time/continuation of scholarship so that I wouldn’t have to worry about how to finance myself when it runs out, and subsequently balance everything time-wise when it does ultimately end.
What would be your dream job?
I would love to work at the Natural History Museum in London. It is literally my favourite place. I can spend hours upon hours there every visit, from going around the exhibits to just looking at the architecture and the botanical drawings on the ceiling tiles. It’s just such a beautiful place.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully successful and happy, and no longer living paycheck to paycheck.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
“Probable”??
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Just to continue to travel and see new places really. Explore and experience things that a new that may either be within or beyond my comfort zone.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
My laptop, the super-computer I have access to, all the stats programs I use, and R.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
As above, the Natural History Museum in London. Outside that, maybe at Kew. But just generally, as long as I continue doing research in a field/project I enjoy, I think I’ll be happy.
Do you have a favourite organism?
Probably dogs. Dogs are the best – they’re so happy when you get home. They’re great companions. Also, they love a walk, and I do too, so everyone is winning really.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
Every Friday afternoon, we have a social gathering on one of the building’s balconies and have beers. It’s a great way to meet other students and some PIs and technical staff that you wouldn’t necessarily interact with if they’re outside your group/field of study.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
Not just my department, but I’d say academia in general – the publish or perish mentality. Sometimes experiments don’t work, don’t produce the data you wanted, or just fail before the end. That’s okay, and it doesn’t make you any less of a scientist. I just generally dislike the pressure placed on us to publish, and to publish often.
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
Well, there are approximately 950 species of eucalypt. It essentially takes time, and it’s a challenge to monitor tree health and identify associations of adaptation when we are experiencing more frequent weather extremes that are placing some populations, and even some species under serious risk of mortality and extinction.
Well let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff: What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?Queen. When I was growing up my mom would play a lot of Stones, Beatles, Pistols. So anything classic rock or punk I’m down for.
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Hard to pin just one down. But Betty Who, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga make regular appearances in my playlists.
Favourite movie?
When I need something to cheer me up, I always watch Miss Congeniality or Notting Hill, otherwise it’s probably Shawshank Redemption and 12 Angry Men.
Do you listen to podcasts?
I listen to a few, some of the main ones are Reply All, RadioLab, Science Vs, and Unravel.
Where do you study and who are your supervisors?
I study at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University. My PI is Paul Rymer, and my co-supervisors are David Tissue and Collin Ahrens.
What year of your PhD are you in?
I’m about halfway through my third year… the business end!
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I’m funded half via a NSW (New South Wales) Office of Environment and Heritage grant, and half through my Institute. I have about 6 months of scholarship remaining, but have teaching lined up after that.
Do you have any publications?
No first authors…yet, but one co-authored article HERE, and have co-authored a textbook chapter. Got papers from my thesis in the pipeline.
Did you do a masters – where was it and was it about?
Yes. In fact I have done two!! I did one in the U.K. studying the population genetics and ancestry of some of the major ethnic groups of Afghanistan, and then I did my second one in the USA looking at population genetics and the role of inbreeding on development on a common North American blowfly, Phormia regina.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
Yes! I love being in the field. I’d say my current project has given me the best fieldwork – it has given me the opportunity to travel from far north Queensland to south and central Victoria. It is A LOT of driving, but some of the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit have been quite magnificent. Australia has a lot of ‘big things’, and these break up the driving a bit, especially with the frequency of my stops!!!
I do labwork too. Historically a lot of PCRs, gels, and sequencing. Currently I’m mostly in the lab monitoring hydraulic conductance of my trees to see how tolerant they may be to drought/water-deficit conditions. The worst bit about this is the time required to collect one measurement – average is ~5-6 days.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied for a couple in the U.S., and just one in Australia, and here I am in Sydney. I was looking for a population genetics-related project, but one that would also challenge me and allow me to grow as a scientist. I had never worked with plants before, so this seemed a really good fit.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had to rustle anything major together. Probably the most rustic thing I’ve had to muster is a “laundry line” inside a growth chamber, cutting bamboo to the right lengths so they would lodge into place without causing too much damage. I later found clamp stands from the lab worked really well too!
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Choose a project and if possible, a supervisor that suits you. You’re going to be working on this project for at least 3 years. If you’re not totally invested or sure about a project or supervisor, then that particular one probably isn’t a good fit. Also, don’t be afraid to take some time to find the right project. Getting a PhD isn’t a sprint, and everyone goes at their own pace.
How often do you meet with your supervisors?
Early on my PI and I met weekly, it has changed now to fortnightly or monthly. This often comes about too due to the hallway meetings we have to keep him updated. We also have weekly lab group meetings, so if there’s any issues, they can be raised there too.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Definitely empathy and understanding! Things won’t always go right let alone perfectly throughout a PhD either at a professional or personal level, and having a supervisor that understands this is vital.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
I’d say being aggressive and belittling. No one wants to be pressured into doing something they’re uncomfortable with doing, again both at that professional or personal level, and we all need to look after our mental health.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
Oh boy. Determining the adaptive capacity of red gum Eucalyptus trees to environment, and whether they possess the genetic variants required to persist through climate change.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
Easy. I got to give an oral presentation at a conference for the first time. I was hella nervous, but it went really well.
Have you had an academic lowpoint of the last year – if so what happened?
When my drought experiment nearly got destroyed after the trees I had sown from seeds were 11 months old and had been under water-limited conditions for 2.5 months, a giant storm rolled through. My stress levels were insane at that time.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
Gosh! I’ve met some amazing scientists. But one that sticks out currently as it’s related to my current work is Dean Nicolle. He is brilliant, and knows almost (but also literally) everything re: eucalypt taxonomy, and is able to identify every species… Mind blowing.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
David Attenborough. I think his love of the natural world has inspired so many of us! If I could go back in time, it’d be Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace, the granddaddies of evolutionary theory and natural selection.
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
Not really a scientist, but somebody who loved science, and because of the time when she was growing up, a career in science wasn’t available to her – my Mom. She was always pretty enthusiastic, and I guess I was receptive to her passion. She doesn’t always understand my research, but it makes me a better Sci-Commer when I tell her what I do.
Do you have a favourite paper?
There’s a lot of really good and interesting articles out there. But ones that explain the bigger concepts in a manageable way stand out to me, so I’d always recommend De Quieroz (2005) “Species Concepts and Species Delimination” – a must read for any evolutionary biologist.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
I’ve been some cool conferences, like Ecological Society of Australia, but my favourite one was probably the Eucalypt Genetics conference I presented at last year. Every conference I’ve been to has been really welcoming, but the EucGen conference was like a family atmosphere.
What hours do you typically work?
I’m not a morning person at all, but I usually get my butt out of bed and am in the office around 9ish, otherwise I would struggle to go in at all after that. I usually spend the first hour of my day filling up on coffee and catching up with emails. But I’ll often stay later to about 6.30pm or so – when it’s quieter around. It generally depends if I have reached my targeted end point for the day.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
Sometimes very, very badly. But I find regular 5-10 minutes breaks helps refresh the mind before I knuckle down again. Also working later than normal ‘office hours’ gives me a lot of productivity as there are fewer distractions.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
The project I work on. I really love it, it’s so interesting and I’ve come to love the species I work with. I had never seen a eucalypt before starting this project, but they’re such beautiful trees that support a whole ecosystem of other plants and animals. Anything I can do to help conserve the common and rare species I work with.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
When I leave the office/lab and go home, that’s when work stops. Home is my work-free zone. It helps me decompress and avoid burnout. I’ve done projects before where I’ve taken work home with me, and my mental health has suffered, so that was a ‘non-negotiable’ pact I told myself when starting my PhD.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
More time/continuation of scholarship so that I wouldn’t have to worry about how to finance myself when it runs out, and subsequently balance everything time-wise when it does ultimately end.
What would be your dream job?
I would love to work at the Natural History Museum in London. It is literally my favourite place. I can spend hours upon hours there every visit, from going around the exhibits to just looking at the architecture and the botanical drawings on the ceiling tiles. It’s just such a beautiful place.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully successful and happy, and no longer living paycheck to paycheck.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
“Probable”??
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Just to continue to travel and see new places really. Explore and experience things that a new that may either be within or beyond my comfort zone.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
My laptop, the super-computer I have access to, all the stats programs I use, and R.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
As above, the Natural History Museum in London. Outside that, maybe at Kew. But just generally, as long as I continue doing research in a field/project I enjoy, I think I’ll be happy.
Do you have a favourite organism?
Probably dogs. Dogs are the best – they’re so happy when you get home. They’re great companions. Also, they love a walk, and I do too, so everyone is winning really.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
Every Friday afternoon, we have a social gathering on one of the building’s balconies and have beers. It’s a great way to meet other students and some PIs and technical staff that you wouldn’t necessarily interact with if they’re outside your group/field of study.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
Not just my department, but I’d say academia in general – the publish or perish mentality. Sometimes experiments don’t work, don’t produce the data you wanted, or just fail before the end. That’s okay, and it doesn’t make you any less of a scientist. I just generally dislike the pressure placed on us to publish, and to publish often.
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
Well, there are approximately 950 species of eucalypt. It essentially takes time, and it’s a challenge to monitor tree health and identify associations of adaptation when we are experiencing more frequent weather extremes that are placing some populations, and even some species under serious risk of mortality and extinction.
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