Prepolarized MRI: Low-Cost Imaging Steven Conolly

Finding the Ideal Lab for You Prof. Steve ConollyUC Berkeley BioE & EECS

Berkeley/UCSF BioE Grad GroupBerkeley Head Graduate Advisor

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Grad Choices are NewUndergrad choices: brought you here!What do I enjoy studying (major)?Grad school vs. MD vs. real job

Grad Choices: Set up career pathPassion: Engineering vs. Basic science, vs. Clinical science?Which research area excites you? Who will mentor me?

Choices impact career & salary!Rotations allow experimentationAlign choices with career goals

2Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Finding Ideal Lab for You (1 slide)3 classes plus one rotationHundreds of funded GSR positionsRotate once with cool-research PI Weigh PI funding and style, too! No herding into few hot groupsRotations are competitive!

Diving into the Deep End

3Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.First, Some Convenient Truths

How will I get paid?How will I be mentored?

4Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Who pays me?1st year paid by the ProgramAfter year 1, your PI pays youThis works well for most students

Worse in humanities (permanent teaching, few grants)Fellowships buy you autonomy

Prof. L. von Drake

5Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.How you will pay your rentGSR costs PI $50,000+/yr

Your PI must have grant support to pay you

Rotate with PIs who have history of grant support!

6Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Why is Fit So Important?Students ideal goals:Harvard faculty job or $10M startup

Profs ideal goals for you:Get fundable data today

Minor conflict is inevitable (but typically works out fine)

Prof. McGrumpy

7Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.What you already know you want in your PIGreat research vision100-200 CVs for each faculty jobAll PIs good (at research)

Some grad students choose PI based only on research reputationBad plan! Most unhappy students!

Reputation is trendy & subjective (and extremely unreliable!)Necessary but not sufficient

Prof. Hotshot

8Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown. Unreliable Metrics of Research QualityLong CVTitles Regal Bearing (OMG!)JargonLots of publications (50 vs. 200)High-Impact factor journal pubs (not a factor in engineering)Speaking ability (able to sell ice cubes to someone in Arctic Circle)

What impact will this work likely have in areas that matter to you!

Prof. Hotshot

9Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.What you should also want in a PICTO: Great Research Vision CEO: Stable 3-year fundingChairman: Good networking: job leadsCOO: Good managementNo PI in the world can do all 4 roles well.and teach, too!

Startup Burnrate ~$5,000,000/yr6 GSRs ~ $500,000/yrChairmanCEOCOOCTO

10Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.A Few Traps to Avoid

Student (self)-inflicted trapsFaculty-inflicted traps

11Avoid Common Student TrapsMultiple self-inflicted nail gun head injury. S. Med. J. 100: 608-10.

Uncommon TrapI can take 4 classes/semester and still ace my Rotations! (Not!)I will join Prof. Qs lab, so my other rotations are fake. (So dumb)Prof Y. is kind so s/he must be a weaker researcher than Prof. Q. (OMG!!)I have firmly decided on Prof. Z, but s/he has no money. (Be flexible!)Three buddies joined Prof. Qs lab so I will rotate too. (No herding!)I will do basic science PhD but get a job in engineering later. (No plan!)I will pioneer a nanowidget for Prof. Z, MD, who plans to use it clinically. (Wrong mentor background!)

12Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Avoid These (Rare) Faculty Traps!!Permanent GSI: Grant is certain to come in soon but GSI for now!Hidden Treasure: I have hidden grant funding but not for your project.Lose Your Rotations: Rotate again and we can send your paper to Nature!!

Do all 3 rotations with 3 distinct PIs who can fund your PhDRepeating a rotation is violation of Grad Group Policy!

13How do you find your Ideal PI?Discover Your PassionEngineering (better, faster, cheaper)Basic Science (discover the unknown!)Clinical Science (test new cures, diagnostics)Talk with PIs about the open challenges in their fieldWhich challenge excites you?Check this with friends, familyBe aware we all deceive ourselves!

14Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.How do you find your Ideal PI?List faculty in your passion areaAsk senior students about style Check on funding Check with Rebecca or SarahJaneNarrow down to ~10Ask PIs about vision, rotation projects, grants, former students jobs, duration

Hundreds of GSR slots open Be flexible!

15Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Management questions for senior students"How often do you see your advisor?"What's PIs management style?Is your PI ever unreasonable?Do students compete or collaborate?Lab culture fun, fast, exciting? Does PI help students get jobs? What jobs do you get (industry, academia, startup, Starbucks)?

16Money questions to ask senior studentsAre any students forced to GSI more than once?Is the grant budget enough for travel, GSRs & for experiments?Are junior students asked to write group research grant proposals?

17Quiz #1When is it OK to rotate twice with a PI? If the PI asks all students to do thisIf the PI is really famousIf the PI really likes my researchThe students are really cool & funNone of the above

Diving into the Deep End

18Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Read PhD Comicsfunny

PhD Comics Jorge Cham, PhD (ME, Stanford) Same era as Dan Fletcher and Amy Herr

19Summary3 classes plus one rotationPut serious effort into the rotation (competitive!)Find out about PIs Funding and Management Track RecordTalk with senior grad studentsTalk with HGAsPrivately ask Rebecca & SJTRotate only once with funded PIs do all 3 rotations to see all your options

Diving into the Deep End

20Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Just A Few Slides on Wily TricksProf. Hotshots lab has 5 candidates for 1 GSR spot!! That is really competitive! Now you want me to risk angering the PI with annoying questions about management and funding!

But if you are passive now, you may waste years in the wrong group

21Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Quiz #1When is it OK to rotate with a PI who has no grant support? If the PI is really nice.If the PI is really famousIf the PI has really exciting research The students are really cool & funNone of the above

Diving into the Deep End

22Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non invasive medical imaging method, like ultrasound or X-ray imaging. MRI is about 30 years old, and is used clinically in a wide variety of specialties, some of which are shown here. An axial image, a spinal image, and a cardiac image are shown.Career path: Keep Your Options Open~30,000 science and engineering PhDs per year~15% get tenure at a major research university"The number of tenured and tenure-track scientists in biomedicine has not increased in the past two decades even as the number of doctorates granted has nearly doubled. R. Monastersky 2007

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