Let your interests guide you | A fulfilling academic career with Dr. Mark Blumberg

Mark S. Blumberg, PhD, is a professor, neuroscientist, researcher, and author who specializes in the fields of developmental psychobiology and behavioral neuroscience. He is currently the department chair in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa. In addition to writing academic research articles, Blumberg has served as the editor-in-chief of Behavioral Neuroscience and authored several books, including Freaks of Nature: What Anomalies Tell Us About Development and Evolution. His research also appeared on a 2020 episode of the Netflix series, Babies. Research in the Blumberg lab at U-Iowa focuses on sleep: its development, neural control, and functional significance. Read more about Mark's research here.

Topics in this episode:

• Mark’s research on: Why do we sleep so much when we’re young?
• Researching niche/obscure constructs and why that’s important to Mark
• The uncertainty of science
• Planning for the future versus following present interests and passions
• Non-permanence of seemingly permanent decisions, like pursuing a PhD
• How Mark got to love what he does
• Horrible mentor experiences
• How to properly read a CV to assess mentor fit
• Finding funding for obscure research interests
• Pros and cons to an academic career
• Hard and soft salary academic positions
• Being a psychology department chair
• Developing a mentorship philosophy
• What Mark looks for in a student on his lab
• What makes Mark a successful leader
• What skill does Mark want his undergrads to leave college with?
• Advice for college students on getting research experience
• Getting into grad school

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Music by: Adam Fine