NextMinds

💭 At NextMinds, we offer tools and knowledge to early-career scientists to help them navigating successfully and with a happy Mind through academia (and beyond!). 

We empower PhD students and prospective candidates during their academic journey with:
🔸️ Digital courses;
🔸️ Newsletter with actionable tips;
🔸️ 1:1 coaching sessions; 
🔸️ Workshops; and
🔸️ Blog posts.

Chief Navigator & Founder

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

📍 Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry.

💡 Research focus: bioanalysis, metabolites identification, new psychoactive substances, separation sciences, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, forensic sciences.

💭 We develop novel analytical approaches to identify and quantify new psychoactive substances and their metabolites in different matrices, including street samples, biological fluids and environmental samples, using high-end mass spectrometry-based techniques. 
We collaborate with the Dutch Police and Trimbos Institute to maximize our impact on the society.

👩🏼‍🏫 I teach in different Bachelor and Master programs, including Chemistry and Drug Discovery Sciences, and mentor students and PhD students during their academic journey. Co-promoter of two PhD students.

Assistant Professor (Tenured)

C2W | Mens & Molecule

💡 Freelancer for C2W International, where I write a bi-weekly column titled "Exploring Academia with Isabelle", discussing tips and tricks that early-career researchers can use to navigate the academic jungle.

Regular Contributor

De NVMS

Secretary

A Little Bit of Science

📍 www.alittlebitofscience.com 

💡 My blog, where I merge my passions for science and education into blog posts focused on health and lifestyle.

Blogger

IMSC2022

Universiteit Leiden

📍 Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Division of Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology, Analytical Biosciences and Metabolomics group.

💡 Research focus: bioanalysis, clinical metabolomics, separation sciences, mass spectrometry, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, lipid mediators.

💭 Work package co-lead for EU projects Sybil-AA, ADAPTED and CoSTREAM.

👩🏼‍🏫 Lecturer in BSc and MSc Biopharmaceutical Sciences; Education Division coordinator; supervision (co-promoter) of three PhD students. 

Quality Manager for the Biomedical Metabolomics Facility Leiden.

Assistant Professor

Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics

📍 Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Metabolomics Unit. 

💡 Postdoctoral fellowship; untargeted and targeted metabolomics in a transgenic mouse model of familial hemiplegic migraine. Research focus: bioanalysis, clinical metabolomics, mass spectrometry, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, sample preparation, lipid mediators.

💭 Project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Early PostDoc.Mobility grant).

Postdoctoral fellowship

📍 Department of Parasitology and Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics. 

💡 Visiting scientist; cell-based metabolomics for investigating the effect of vaccines on human metabolome. Research focus: metabolomics, MS-based separation, data analysis.

Visiting Scientist

University of Geneva

Research Assistant

Sensitivity improvements in capillary electrophoresis - mass spectrometry for clinical and forensic toxicology

PhD Student

Morgenthal Apotheke, Zuerich-Wollishofen

Pharmacist Assistant

My mission is clear: mentoring and empowering early-career researchers by providing them knowledge and tools to effectively navigate through academia (and beyond). 

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🧡 Discover how I can help you with my company NextMinds: 
👉 https://www.nextminds.net/
📩 Sign up for the NextMinds Newsletter to receive every week free actionable tips directly in your inbox! 

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I'm a Researcher, Lecturer and Entrepreneur with a passion for empowering people through knowledge and education. I have 15+ years of experience in academia. 

Here’s what fuels me with energy:
🔥 Guiding early-career scientists. I enjoy teaching and actively supporting students during their academic and personal growth. I get tons of energy by mentoring PhD students, watching them developing their creativity, self-confidence, and scientific mindset under my guidance. 
💡 Research with impact. My research mission is to generate and use knowledge efficiently to benefit the society. 
🤝 Building bridges. Through my activities withing different Boards, I love creating opportunities for people to meet, discuss, exchange their ideas, and start working together. 
📖 Storytelling. I'm in my element when I can share (scientific) stories on stage, on paper, or online.

🤩 I want to do a PhD, Isabelle! Isn't it the best idea ever? 🤩

What is the major reason people want to do a #PhD? 

👀 Because we love research, Isabelle! What else! Research is cool! PhD is research! PhD is cool! 

That's true - a PhD is about research. A lot of research. A PhD is cool. 

But there are other realities surrounding a PhD that many prospective PhD students ignore. Some of these realities can be quite harsh, and impact:
🔸️Your PhD journey, 
🔸️Your future career,
🔸️Your mental/physical health, and/or
🔸️Your short- and long-term financial health. 

Let's delve into the harsh realities that (may) come with a PhD.

🙀 Mismatch with Career Expectations
You may believe that a PhD will always be relevant, regardless of your career path. But having a PhD does not necessarily mean an increase in job prospects. Sometimes, the industry roles that require a PhD are associated with high expectations for specific skills that not all PhDs find interesting. 

🙀 Opportunity Cost
A PhD can take 3-7 years. Consider what you are giving up in this time, including potential career advancement and income in other fields. 

🙀 Resilience and Mental Health
A PhD can be exhilarating yet challenging. Your PhD can be mentally taxing, with high stress and anxiety levels.

🙀 Working Together but Feeling Alone
It is rare for multiple PhD students to work on the same project within the same lab. This means that a significant portion of your work is independent, which can be frustrating when facing challenges - and lead to feeling isolated. 

🙀 Lifestyle Implications
Doing a PhD often comes with high demands: overwork, stressful deadlines, managing the expectations of your supervisor(s), working irregular hours, and having dreams about your PhD (nightmares?).

🙀 Supervisory Relationship
The relationship with your PhD supervisor can significantly impact your experience and success. A good match will make your experience easier, while a poor match can lead to a terrible experience. 

🙀 Intellectual Ownership and Freedom
Aspiring PhD students may believe they have the freedom to explore their interests deeply, but funding and departmental objectives may constrain this freedom. If you are part of a large consortium, you must adhere to the plan and deliver on time, as other researchers depend on your deliverables.

🙀 Pension and Unemployment
Often, PhD salaries or stipends do not include pension contributions (or a small one). PhD students often do not contribute to unemployment insurance schemes, which leaves you without eligibility for unemployment benefits - should you need them.

👀 So what to do, if you are interested in a PhD? 

💡 If you are considering a PhD, ensure that your decision is well-informed – not just inspired. 
💡 Reflect not only on the PhD itself but also on its broader implications for your career. 
💡 Aim to align your decision with your personal/professional goals. Take the time to define these goals thoughtfully and thoroughly!


Isabelle Kohler

🤔 Should I do a PhD, Isabelle? I mean, I like research a lot, so why not? 🤔

What question is in the top 3 of the questions I regularly hear from Master students? 

👀 Should I do a PhD? 

Many Bachelor and Master students really like research - they've experienced it during their (multiple) internship(s) and would like to continue on this path. 

The aspects they find the most appealing in a PhD? 
🤩 Doing research and focusing on their own project, for a long period of time (very often),
🤩 The prestige associated with the title "Dr" (sometimes),
🤩 The fact it's a good solution if they don't know with certainty what to do after their study (sometimes),
🤩 The fact they've been highly encouraged by previous supervisors (sometimes).

But doing a PhD is not only research.
Or research and prestige. 
It's much more than that. 

💡 A PhD is a is a springboard for a career. It is not a destination in itself.

This means that the first question that should be asked is:

👀 What do I want to do with my career? 

Curious to read more about this? 

Great, because this is exactly the topic I cover in my new C2W column!

How to read it? 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSEeENyY

Interested in receiving this column directly in your inbox every other week? Sign up for the C2W International newsletter from the Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging-KNCV 👉 https://lnkd.in/eS5JMyGV

💝 And you, what did you do a PhD? Or why do you want to do a PhD? Tell us in the comments! 


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👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia. 
💌 Interested in getting some of these tools directly in your inbox? Go to the "Featured" section of my profile!

🦄 Are you sometimes frustrated about academia, Isabelle? Or is it only unicorns farting rainbows? 🦄

If you spend time on LinkedIn and follow discussions around academia, you may come across many posts of people who spent some time in academia, and eventually chose for another path because they were done with it. 
(or academia was done with them, which also unfortunately happens)

That's something I understand. Academia is a special world. An academic career is tough. 

👀 So why would people choose for a traditional academic career to become a professor, Isabelle?

Because academia can also be nice.
💡 It's important to remember that what holds true for one person may not apply to everyone. The way people navigate and experience their careers is influenced by a mix of their personality, skills, and environment.
💡 It's not all black and white: some might find academia unfulfilling, while others could see it as the perfect fit. You might struggle in one academic position but excel in another academic setting or institution.

That's something I'd like to illustrate this week with: 
👉 The 5️⃣ challenges I'm struggling with in academia (today!), and
👉 The 5️⃣ things I love in academia (next post!)

My personal challenges?
❌ Work-Life Balance
My biggest challenge. The academic workload often goes beyond the hours in our contracts (MUCH beyond). It's hard to say no. It's hard to prioritize well-being. 

❌ Funding and Publishing Pressure
We’re all competing for the same money, against other talented researchers. Getting funding means writing lots of grant proposals, which means spending hundreds of hours on something with a small chance of getting funded. Research also means publishing. You know the saying - "publish or perish". It’s still true. 

❌ Salary Considerations
Academia has clear salaries because positions are linked to specific scales. A salary increase is guaranteed every year, along with other benefits (at least in the Netherlands). But salaries are usually lower than in the public sector. Special bonuses are almost non-existent. There's no extra pay for being excellent; extra hours are not paid.

❌ Competitive Landscape and Job Instability
Academia is all about competition: for funding, for positions, for being the first to publish in a field. Competition can be exciting but also tiring. Job security is not guaranteed. I have now a permanent contract, but it took me many years to obtain it. 

❌ Insufficient Administrative Support
The level of administrative support available often doesn’t meet the needs of academic staff, adding more challenges to our already demanding jobs. This means we have to do (too) many tasks ourselves.

🦄 Academia is definitely not always unicorns farting rainbows, but academia has positive aspects. 
🦄 Curious to hear more about them? Meet me here with my next post!

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👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia  

😶 Where do you find joy in academia, Isabelle? I thought academia was only about frustration and high workload 😶

Sometimes, I complain about academia. 
To my colleagues, my friends, my boss, LinkedIn, the world. 
Insane workload, pressure, relatively poorer salary, little administrative support.
Often, I see similar points raised on Linkedin by ex-academics who decided to leave this sector and chose for another career path. 

Yet, I'm still working in academia. 

👀 That's weird, Isabelle - it must be because you actually like some aspects in academia? 

It is! 

Today, we cover the second part of my what-I-like-and-dislike-in-academia-week:
👉 The 5️⃣ things I love in academia

(Did you miss the 5️⃣ challenges I'm struggling with in academia? Check my previous post!)

Academia sparks joy because of: 
🔥 Enthusiasm and Dynamism
Working in academia surrounds you with young people. Their stays are often temporary, ensuring a constant influx of motivated and enthusiastic individuals. This not only brings a breath of fresh air but also makes our job a lot of fun. It makes me feel young(er). 

🔥 Impact on Society
Being in academia is about making a significant impact through our research and the students we mentor. Mentoring future scientists, who will change the world, is a major drive for me ( I know, that won't surprise you).

🔥 Continuous Learning
In academia, there’s always something new to learn, and no chance to get bored. We also work with the latest tools and methods, being at the forefront of innovation, which is truly exciting.

🔥 Networking Opportunities
There are so many options to network in academia: conferences, symposia, or just through the students who join our network. I refer to my network as “scientific friends” because that’s how it feels. 

🔥 Personal and Professional Growth
Last but not least, climbing the academic ladder also means growing personally and professionally, and learning better about our talents – with the possibility to explore them further. Academia might be conservative, but I’ve seen positive developments recently. Individual talents start to be recognized and rewarded in different aspects than research, including teaching, impact, or leadership. 
An example? Ten years back, if someone had told me I'd start my own company while pursuing an academic career, I wouldn't have believed it. This is just a tiny example (for you - for me it's huuuuge 😅), but it demonstrates how the field is gradually changing. It's evolving slowly, yet surely.

My take-home message?
💡 What holds true for one person may not apply to everyone. Always look at the two sides of the coins and take informed decisions about your career.
💡 Yes, academia can seem resistant to change and slower to adapt than society at large, but there are positive developments occurring.

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👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia

🤨 How cool is it to pursue an academic career, Isabelle? Do you actually like it? 🤨

If you spend any time on LinkedIn following discussions about academia, you may have seen many posts that take a negative view of pursuing a traditional academic career. 

🤔 But is academia as bad as what you read on social media?
🤔 Does it still make sense to dream of an academic career? 
🤔 Can academia bring joy? 
🤔 Do I also experience the negative aspects of academia? 

Read my opinion about this topic in my new C2W column!

How to read it? 👉 https://lnkd.in/eaY67wUi

Interested in receiving this column directly in your inbox every other week? Sign up for the C2W International newsletter from the Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging-KNCV 👉 https://lnkd.in/eS5JMyGV

👀 Spoiler alert: 
Academia brings joy.
And challenges. 
And even though there are common aspects, everyone will experience it differently. 
Because experience depends on our personality, (soft) skills and environment.  

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👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia. 
💌 Interested in getting some of these tools directly in your inbox? Go to the "Featured" section of my profile!

🙄 Isabelle, you still haven't answered my email. Why do you always take so long to answer emails? 🙄

One of the tasks that I'm really struggling with is to manage reading and answering all my emails. 

😅 This struggle has only become worse since I set up NextMinds (hello, additional professional inbox!) and became more active on LinkedIn (hello, DMs!). 

Every time I open my inbox, the first thing I ask myself is:

😱 Where should I start?

Knowing where to start is already something challenging, but knowing that I will never finish this task can be very frustrating. 

This called for a column on the "email epidemic" in C2W this week! 

In this week's column, I reflect on:
💡 The interesting parallelism between the compounding effect in finance and in my inbox,
💡 The frustration I feel when I can't manage to answer students' emails in a reasonable time-frame,
💡 The strategies I've tried (with more or less success), 
💡 The wishes I have for the future. 

How to read it? 👉 https://lnkd.in/efn4fc3R

Interested in receiving this column directly in your inbox every other week? Sign up for the C2W International newsletter from the Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging-KNCV 👉 https://lnkd.in/eS5JMyGV

💝 And you, how do you manage this "email epidemic"? Do you have additional tips to help others (like me 😁) manage this task? 
Let us know in the comments! Or in a DM, but you know now what may happen... 

--- 
👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia. 
💌 Interested in getting some of these tools directly in your inbox? Go to the "Featured" section of my profile!

🌟 Calling all international expats and students in the Netherlands! 🌟

Are you currently living in the Netherlands as an expat or student? We'd love to hear from you! Join our survey aimed at understanding and enhancing the integration and onboarding process for STEM professionals in the Netherlands. ➡ https://lnkd.in/e2dE9JxX

Hello! My name is Stacie He, and I'm pursuing a Master's degree in Science Education and Communication at Utrecht University. Currently I am performing my internship at the KNCV. As part of my internship, I'm conducting research on the integration experiences of STEM expats and students in the Netherlands. Additionally, I aim to explore the potential role of KNCV in facilitating integration within the Dutch chemical landscape.

By participating in this survey, you're assisting KNCV in implementing strategies to improve inclusion in STEM fields. Your insights are very valuable, therefore we kindly request 5-10 minutes of your time to fill out the survey. ➡ https://lnkd.in/e2dE9JxX

Do you know other international people navigating the onboarding process? Please share our survey with them so we can gather a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Thank you for your dedication. Let's collaborate to make a meaningful difference!

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