Job group: PDRA

Work: Full-time

Theme: WORK-LIFE BALANCE

I started my postdoctoral position in Glasgow in 2010, when I joined Cheryl Woolhead’s group to study membrane protein biogenesis. At this time, I had recently completed my PhD at the University of Warwick, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in scientific research. After 3 years working in Cheryl’s lab, I joined Neil Bulleid’s group in 2013, to study the processes of disulfide bond formation and protein folding. I really enjoy being a Postdoc. It’s great being involved in a long-term research project from the beginning, when initial ideas are generated, to the end when the findings are published. The experimental stages in between are the most challenging but also the most exciting and can often take you in directions that you never expected. It is also important to acknowledge all the small victories in the lab and the effort it takes to achieve them, while staying focused on the bigger picture and the long term aims. I also appreciate the variety of opportunities that a postdoctoral position provides outside of practical experimental work, including teaching, mentoring students in the lab, participating in outreach activities, and presenting at international conferences. Recently I have joined the Athena Swan committee as the ECR representative, and this has provided a chance to work with others in the department to bring about positive change.

Outside of work, I live with my partner and we enjoy spending our free time visiting and socialising with friends and family around the UK and overseas. I am also a keen long-distance runner. My first big race was the Paris Marathon in 2007, which I took part in to raise money for the charity Shelter. At this time, I was midway through my PhD and it was refreshing to have a different challenge to focus on. In addition to the health benefits, I found that the marathon training gave me time to reflect on work and gain some perspective on my PhD project. I have now done 7 marathons in total, and although it has been a few years since the last one, I still run regularly. I find that having race targets provides essential motivation to train in winter and local 10ks and half marathons provide good opportunity for this. I also take part in the local parkruns on most Saturdays, which are a great way to start the weekend, and to get involved with the local running community. For the past 4 years I have also been learning German at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow. I would recommend learning a foreign language to anyone, as it is a great way to broaden your skills and perspectives and it is also a nice skill to have while travelling. Language learning has also been shown to improve thinking skills and memory, which are important assets in the lab!

In summary, I think the key to a good work-life balance is setting realistic targets, both inside and outside of work, and to plan well ahead so that you can both enjoy personal interests and achieve career goals. I have found that the activities that I enjoy outside of work have helped me to be a better researcher in the lab, and I aim to continue to develop in this way as my career progresses.

Contact: Philip.Robinson@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 23 August 2021

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