Brian Coon, PhD, is an associate research scientist in Schwartz Lab at the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center where he focused on the study of endothelial responses to hemodynamic stimuli.
Was academia always the first-choice career for you? If not, what made you choose academia over other options?
Brian Coon: Yes, I always wanted to be in academia. As I’m principally interested in fundamental biology, academia enables me to establish my own voice and influence several scientific communities.
What do you look for (‘your criteria’) in a faculty job advertisement?
BC: Overall, be cognizant of the career trajectory you aim for.
For job search, I usually use Nature Careers and Science Careers. When looking through job advertisements, I am open to established departments looking for new enthusiastic PIs. Some departments are growing and keen to invest in new talents; other are looking to simply fill in vacancies. I prefer research institutes or universities that are already home to either known experts of the field or have an outstanding potential for collaboration. The composition of the faculty in the recruiting department is important; is it balanced? who is in the department? what is their work on? who are their newer recruits and what kind of CVs do they have? am I going to bring in a new expertise? how productive are they? who has active grants? Are there underlying tensions or power struggles? Make note of the wording of the job posting: is it going be a teaching position/semi-independent position etc.; tenure track or non-tenure track. If you are unfamiliar with a place, ask around. Obviously, several factors such as a location’s geography, amenities, and personal/family preferences also matter.
Are you focusing on your specialization or are also open for broader departments where you could bring in your own additional skillset?
BC: Being a multi-disciplinary scientist, I have considered diverse departments for prospective positions. As you might imagine, I found that a multi-disciplinary approach isn’t very helpful when applying to traditional academic departments but was very attractive to research institutes. Though I had different types of institutes interested in recruiting me, some positions would require me to tune my research goals more than others. In the end, I picked the place where I was most squarely centered into the department’s mission, which would enable my science to guide itself naturally. What is the department’s central mission – if your science doesn’t fit there, then you don’t fit there.
Is it advisable for individuals seeking faculty positions to restrict their search to positions solely in their area of expertise, based on their PhD and postdoctoral training?
BC: While this is often recommended, I don’t consider it necessarily a requirement because the search committee might have desire to grow in a different direction that involves your expertise and then they’ll invite you and tell you all about it! Many universities and research institute are now seeking candidates who offer a fresh perspective/expertise to the institution. However, your proposed work should align with the institute’s work and mission; conversely, the institute should also add to your research goals and be able to foster your growth as a scientist. I look at it as ‘being a salesman for your own self and your science’. So, it is crucial to research each position thoroughly and tailor your application accordingly.
Any advice for international trainees as they navigate the academic career trajectory?
BC: That’s a relevant point. Navigating the U.S. academic system can be challenging, particularly for international trainees. Hopefully, the time here as a grad student or postdoc has helped in understanding the system and what you need to excel. For postdocs with an undergraduate degree from abroad, it may be challenging to secure a traditional academic position with teaching responsibilities. While it's not a reflection of their capabilities, their lack of experience in the US education system may be a disadvantage. However, they still have a fair chance at a faculty position if they can demonstrate the skills to secure funding and manage projects. It is important to understand that grant writing would be critically important as a PI so many places like to see people who not only can get funding through traditional mechanisms (NIH, AHA) but are also resourceful in pursuing alternate types of funding such as pilot grants, internal grants, or biotech project awards. We are fortunate to have a diverse and collaborative community at YCVRC, and I would always encourage you to reach out to your peers for support and guidance.
Any resources at Yale that you found were helpful? (ex. Office of Career Strategy)
BC: Grant writing workshops offered by Yale are phenomenal and definitely very useful. I hear that the Office of Academic & Professional Development and the Yale University Office of Career Strategy offer a lot of good resources and provide help with CV and resume building. So those would be beneficial.
Can you describe the faculty recruitment process?
BC: Normally, there are a series of common steps. After you apply, the department may or may not reach out to do a remote pre-screening interview. In that case, they ask you pre-determined questions and you argue your case to the search committee for an invite. Sometimes they will ask you to give a very short presentation. Then, they will invite about 4-6 candidates for a few days wherein each will give a seminar, interview with the search committee and other key people, and then give a chalk talk. You will need to discuss where you stand in the recruitment process with them and any other interested departments. Then, about a week or two after the final candidate interviews, they will reach out to their preferred candidate and submit an offer. Assuming that you are interested, you would then need to return in preparation for your final decision. Realistically, it is very difficult to coordinate multiple interviews and juggle multiple offers at the same time. You can postpone signing an offer if you are hoping for a better one somewhere else but not too long. I needed to let some expire.
How did Yale prepare you for the seminar and the chalk talks?
BC: Over the years, presenting at various YCVRC meetings and scientific conferences has helped me hone my science communiaction and presentation skills. In addition, the Chalk Talk rehearsals that the department has started more recently will be very useful as it offers us a platform to practice pitching science ideas, arguing their value, and discussing scientific approach in the abstract, which is much more important but difficult compared to the data-heavy seminars and RIP talks that we’re used to. I would recommend attending prospective candidate seminars and chalk talks held throughout the Yale School of Medicine and other departments, such as those recently organized by YCVRC. These can also provide insight into how one adapts their science in subtle ways to present themselves as a good fit for the job and other valuable opportunities to learn others’ professional skills.
I would recommend attending prospective candidate seminars and chalk talks held throughout the Yale School of Medicine and other departments, such as those recently organized by YCVRC.
Brian Coon, PhD
What should a chalk talk include?
BC: My chalk talks look like outlines for an immediately fundable R01 and an R21. Usually, a chalk talk is a summary of a project carved out of your own niche work, either your technical or scientific expertise. Considering the importance of the audience perspective, none of my chalk talks looked or sounded exactly alike. Sometimes, for example, I might include nuggets of information or propose a type of experimentation that might be of special interest to that institute because of potential collaborators, different missions, or special interest in some aspect of my science. One also needs to implicitly highlight how their scientific interests and/or approach would synergize with the institute. Just like writing a grant, it is important to command the science and convey not only is this the important question but also that you are best situated to perform the study. Considering that the chalk talk is basically an hour-long discussion, you need to be familiar not only with your own proposal but also mindful of alternate ideas, approaches, and related scientific topics. For example, be able to discuss the ideas of other fields studying your favorite genes. Can you discuss your science and identify important questions from molecules to medicine? Start by practicing chalk talks alone. After you know what the board should look like, you are sure that you can defend your proposal, and have 30 minutes of material to discuss, perform a real chalk talk for senior scientists willing to engage in fruitful discussions, and provide constructive criticism.
Can you share some tips for preparation of the chalk talk?
BC: Prepare your chalk talk such that you reveal one aspect after the other- you get the audience excited and remember to write it only when you are ready. Frame it in a way that elicits a discussion. Do the little reveals as you talk and describe the core things which you think are essential but also ones that are exciting. The bells and whistles aspect of a chalk talk are important.
- You will have about 15 minutes beforehand to organize the board. Have a hand-drawn copy of your final board in your notebook but know that you won’t have time to look at it once you get going.
- During the setup period, get the spacing correct, add titles, placeholders, and any drawings you might need but don’t write too much information, certainly nothing that will prematurely derail the conversation.
- Once you get started, you will only have a few minutes of uninterrupted time where you need to establish the project’s scientific foundation. Thereafter, I like my talks to trigger a few rounds of scientific stimulation as I flesh-out the aims and reveal tidbits of information that trigger intense, but controlled discussion.
- I recommend preparing for 5-7 minutes of introduction, 15 minutes to discuss the central projects aims, about 5 minutes to discuss a more high-risk/high-reward second line of research, and about 2-3 minutes of a wrap-up speech. The rest of the hour will be filled-in by discussion.
- Be prepared for spontaneous subtle adjustments as the audience is a huge variable. You might find yourself expanding on the day’s discussions with the search committee, or wrestling with competing ideas, or filling-in audience members who didn’t attend your seminar.
- No matter what happens, your job is to accommodate as much of the audience as possible while preventing the discussion from being too sidetracked.
- After your chalk talk, take a picture of the board and later privately criticize it.
What is the interview process like?
BC: Most interviewers are interested in your questions for them. They will be able to gauge your interest, which will then play a huge role in whether or not they extend you an offer. I found that everyone is extremely forthright about their department and helpful in discussing how they see you fitting in with them as a potential colleague and/or collaborator. On our end, it is very important to be able to convey your central scientific hypothesis in a succinct, enthusiastic manner and have a plan for your lab that aligns with the department’s mission.
What were the questions you asked the prospective employer?
BC: I asked them about the composition of their labs and how they were finding scientists to fuel their research output. For example, are there pools of talented grad students or postdocs? What are the facilities/instrumentation that the department offers and the institutional support? I also ask about their plans for the future and vision for future growth. Are they looking to replace someone (who had a designated lab space) or am I going to be part of a cluster of new hires? Each of these may be unique opportunities with their own sets of benefits and risks.
Have you said no to an offer? How do you convey that without burning any bridges?
BC: Yes, there have been offers I have not accepted. It is not uncommon for people who have offers to get more attractive offers. It is good to have a competing offer from places that you are genuinely interested in or prefer over others. But I wouldn’t recommend just hoarding offers for no reason. In case an offer doesn’t work for you, it is best to politely decline; you don’t really have to give reasons. To be honest, you have more on the line than they do.
How important was networking in conferences/workshops and other events?
BC: Networking and building relationships with individuals in your desired field and related fields is always helpful in expanding your opportunities. It helps build your science, expand your horizons, and also improve your ability to communicate and convey your work. Moreover, it is always good to find a familiar face when you are giving your seminars and chalk talks!!! Interactions with colleagues with shared backgrounds and interests helps create your own collaborative network which will be invaluable as you develop and grow you’re your lab.
We are fortunate to have experienced faculty in our department who have the expertise to provide great feedback and mentorship. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.
Brian Coon, PhD
What is one piece of advice for postdocs and associate research scientists who are interested in academia?
BC: Yale has a lot of institutional resources, and it is important to understand as early as possible what options are afforded by both academia and industry. I feel that the problem with acquiring jobs in academia is that it is easy until it suddenly isn’t, and that jolt might drive people into the industry without a strong sense of what they want to do. My personal advice is that if you want to become a PI, it is always good to try and apply for NIH or American Heart Association grants and work towards your career development. It's never too early to hone your skills. It's always good to plan ahead; having timelines may be useful. Waiting too long can create difficulties in the job market; however, in my case, this was somewhat offset by the advantages of getting to manage great projects and establish my own contacts and reputation. We are fortunate to have experienced faculty in our department who have the expertise to provide great feedback and mentorship. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.
Coon will start his lab at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Cardiovascular Biology Research Program. Postdoc positions will be available soon. Qualified trainees are encouraged to contact Coon directly for more information about the Coon Lab or his career trajectory.