Here today, gone tomorrow

Rumour has it that last week a junior faculty here at Harvard Medical School showed up to his lab and with no prior warning announced that he was leaving academic science. The next day he was gone. All of his students were absorbed into neighboring labs. Apparently he took some lucrative position in a local biotech.

Just another day in academia ...

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Just another day in academia losing faculty to biotech or spreading rumours? :-p

Sounds pretty inconsiderate, but maybe the guy had extenuating circumstances we don't know about.

Jackpot, that's what it is.

By RPG platinum member (not verified) on 01 Jun 2007 #permalink

"local biotech"

"Jackpot, that's what it is."

If it's a start-up, then it's more like a crap shoot.

By PhysioProf (not verified) on 01 Jun 2007 #permalink

Whoah. (Can you say who?) Poor lab underlings!!! At least they were absorbed and didn't have to start again - or did they? I'm never clear on the politics of this, but I guess if he went to biotech instead of another academic appointment they would be able to keep their projects?

Hi.

Therere many outstanding US cell biologists you touched upon Gundersen, Waterman-Storer, Borisy, Pollard, Mitchison

Its interesting: what the portrait of ideal Postdoc for these superstars is?