During our interview with Dr. Andrew Magis, he talked to us about his responsibilities as the Director of Data Science at ISB. Dr. Magis explained his job of being a director and the challenges that come with it. His job includes writing grants, publishing papers, and getting people to work together. He explained that being a good manager is not something taught in a PhD program, and is a skill that he learned on the job. We discussed how scientists deal with adapting to new technologies. He explained that there are disagreements in the way that things should be studied and that there will never be a “right” way to study science. He also emphasized the importance of including new ideas and technologies in your research. Dr. Magis discussed the process of publishing a paper, including identifying publishable ideas and finding advisors that can help train you. He also mentioned that for the most part, research is a lot of work, and scientists fail for years before getting final results. Dr. Magis provided us with insights in biotechnology, research, and being a leader in science.
Quotes:
“Research is not a linear process”
On research: “More than intelligence and education, it’s about persistence”
On science: “It’s always adapting”
Link to Profile: https://isbscience.org/bio/andrew-magis-phd/