Cross-Cutting

Neurodegenerative Disease (e.g. MS, Parkinson's disease)

Symposium

(587506) What after a PhD: SWOT analysis of tenure, non-tenure and alt-academic tracks

Presenter(s)

• 

  Hannes Devos, PT, PhD

  Assistant Professor
  University of Kansas Medical Center
  Kansas City, Kansas
• 

  Brooks Wingo, PhD

  Associate Professor
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Birmingham, Alabama
• 

  Abiodun Akinwuntan, PhD, MBA, MPH

  Dean and Professor
  University of Kansas Medical Center
  Kansas City, Kansas
• 

  Deborah Backus, PT, PhD, FACRM

  Director MS Research
  Shepherd Center
  Atlanta, Georgia
• 

  Patricia Heyn, PhD, FGSA, FACRM

  Associate Professor
  University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Aurora, Colorado

The time following a PhD can be overwhelming. The decisions that you make in your early postdoctoral degree will pave the path for your future academic career. The panel of speakers, diverse in their research background, research experience, and career stage, will provide a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of the three most common career paths following a PhD: the academic, tenure track; the academic, non-tenure track, and the alt-academic research track. Each of the three tracks will focus on three common themes: (1) funding; (2) career advancement; and (3) work-life balance.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify traditional and non-traditional sources of funding to keep the lab self-sustainable
• Identify different ways of becoming successful in academia
• Identify potential barriers and facilitators to successful transition to research independence in early to mid career
• Discuss the benefits and potential challenges of establishing and cultivating a research program in a clinical setting.
• Learn how to develop a good mentoring plan, communication, and mentoring-based career development grounded by well-suited mentoring activities.