The PhD experience in the Division of Infection and Immunity

What a PhD is NOT A way to put off getting a job for a few years A piece of research leading to the award of a Nobel prize A way for your supervisor to get his research done cheaply A way of inducing a nervous breakdown

A PhD at UCL should provide training in research AT THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL LEVEL EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY

Milestones First term First year Second year Third year and beyond

First term Formulating a question – take the time to read, think, discuss and write !! Do not rush to the bench Learn some basic techniques – read, watch and practice !!! Courses may be required By the end of the year, you should have written a research outline

By the end of the first year You should be confident in the analysis of the literature You should be confident in your techniques You should have presented your findings at least at lab meeting level You should have a clear idea of whether your project is working or NOT You should be thinking of writing up a paper and/or an Mphil transfer report

2 nd year – all goes well Finish exploring your first question Start exploring one or more further questions Complete MPhil transfer Present your work at the Windeyer Seminar Series Present your work at a national or international meeting

2 nd year – if all does NOT go well Make sure you know why things have gone wrong Decide on a back-up plan or an exit strategy Remember - PhDs are NOT for everyone !!

3d year to the end Keep the end-point in view – don’t forget a PhD is pass/fail Start planning for your life after PhD sooner rather than later – often very difficult If you want to stay in research – make sure you get as many and as good quality publications as possible – don’t rely on the work being finished after you have gone

Finishing - continued Start writing up as soon as possible Think about examiners Read other theses Don’t panic

Helping you along the way The Graduate school The Log book Helpful people Your supervisors Formal teaching Transferable skills

The graduate school Also, the Windeyer Postgraduate Club Remember you are not the only one !

The Log book Make sure you FILL IT IN Make sure your supervisor fills it in too It is a way of charting and recording your voyage past the milestones listed above

Helpful people in the Division Graduate Tutor Benny Chain Deputy Graduate Tutor Mala Maini Postgraduate student repRhiannon Evans (and party organiser !!) Graduate administrator Lauren Collins

DOs and DONTs in supervisor/student relationships Second supervisors and thesis committees Always keep in close communication with all your supervisors – DO NOT HIDE

Supervisors are NOT there to : Do your PhD for you Solve your problems for you Do your reading for you Ignore you Treat you as their research assistant

Supervisors ARE there to Help you formulate your research questions, and how to answer them Teach you how to master the literature Help organise for you to attend meetings and present your data Help you with finding postdoctoral positions

Good supervisors are always very busy. So …. Be firm in seeking assistance but always polite ! Do not blame them if experiments don’t work Make sure you work hard and prepare carefully for meetings Keep a careful record of all your meetings, and always show your plans to your supervisor

Relationships with your principal supervisor are often strained at some point of your PhD Make sure you make full use of your second supervisor/thesis committee – talk to them regularly right through the PhD Try and make sure communication between you and your supervisor remains as open as possible

If you think there are serious problems get help earlier rather than later – do not wait until it is too late !!! Try and avoid public conflict developing if at all possible

We hope and believe that all supervisors in Division of infection and Immunity are first class BUT

Any form of sexism, racism or abuse (whether verbal or physical) are totally unacceptable In such circumstances come and find help IMMEDIATELY

Helping you along the way The Graduate school The Log book Very helpful people in the Windeyer Your supervisors Formal teaching Transferable skills

Formal teaching - seminars Windeyer Monday series Windeyer Tuesday series UCL – other sites and departments

Helping you along the way The Graduate school The Log book Very helpful people in the Windeyer Your supervisors Formal teaching Transferable skills

The following should be acquired by ALL PhD students The ability to think clearly and independently ! The ability to think critically and self-critically Persistence in the face of adversity Time management People skills Scientific writing Scientific reading Information retrieval and bibliographic skills Communication skills – both oral and written

You should acquire many of the above naturally in the course of your PhD But check out the Grad School site for some useful supplements

Some final thoughts to help you on your way

Reading Make sure you keep reading and build up a bibliography from the start Practice at literature searches – don’t be lazy, and keep practising – it is a skill that can only be learnt by experience Learn to read CRITICALLY and to understand the difference between a good paper and a bad one – journal clubs are useful here

Writing Like reading, this comes with practice – keep writing all the way though your PhD Don’t leave it all to the last day !! DO NOT BE CARELESS – bad punctuation, spelling, wrong references, and sloppy figures are often a sign of a lazy second-rate student

Experimentation- the obvious warnings Always repeat an experiment Always include positive and negative controls If an experiment doesn’t work, think WHY Always write down all the details Do not leave a mess for others to clear up CONCENTRATE – THIS IS THE KEY

Ethics and research NEVER consider inventing a result to fit in with you (or your supervisor's) predictions If you are found cheating ONCE, you will NEVER be trusted again Be generous with your ideas and generous in acknowledging others

Remember that if you cheat : If your result is important it will ALWAYS be found out If your result is not important, what’s the point ?

Enjoy your PhD !!!!!!!