Advice to a Younger Scientist (opinion)

"In the first week of my postdoctoral fellowship, David B. Sacks, my lifelong mentor and senior investigator in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, handed me a book by Peter Medawar, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1960, and encouraged me to read it attentively. The book, Advice to a Young Scientist, carried a weight beyond its physical form. I chose the title of this piece as a tribute to that book."

"From the very first year of your graduate studies, I encourage you to maintain a list of grants and scholarships for which you can apply. If you are an international scholar, gather concrete information on your eligibility. This list should evolve alongside your career, marking opportunities with specific eligibility timelines: those available one to three years into graduate school, one to three years postgraduation, less than five years postdegree and early-career grants (within 10 years)."

A mentor handed a copy of Peter Medawar's Advice to a Young Scientist and recommended attentive reading, inspiring the piece's title. Early career planning should include maintaining a running list of grants and scholarships with eligibility timelines and deadlines. International scholars must verify eligibility early to avoid missed opportunities. Developing pitching skills and clear communication is essential for persuading others of research importance. Regularly dedicate time to learn and record new technologies, tools, and scientific resources, such as antibody databases, protein–protein interaction networks, and pathway-analysis platforms. Updating a personal resource library supports ongoing research productivity and competitiveness.

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