After several weeks of unpacking, testing of new equipment, visiting department meetings for other labs, and other such work joys, we finally did honest to god lab work today. I’ve almost missed it. We also got one machine to let us upload it’s new program, so we can test it and use it. We’re very close to being an operating lab. This means less dicking around time, but at least everything will be sort of exciting and new for a while.
One of the things we’ve learned about in the last couple of days is a huge presentation in May, which none of the principle investigators are allowed to present at. This is to allow Staff Scientists (my boss) and Research Techs (me) to be able to present about research they’re working on. I knew my boss was interested as he kept asking about it. What I didn’t know was that he was actually submitting 2 abstracts for the May project Event.
What my boss didn’t know was that people are only allowed to submit one abstract.
Apparently he was going to try and talk me into doing the presentation on one of the submissions anyway, he was going to surprise me with it if it got accepted. But that plan got foiled as he needed me to be listed as the presenter just to submit the abstract, and he didn’t want to possibly lock me into that without my agreement. (With the surprise, if I had refused, he just would have done two presentations.)
I’m stoked, if a bit uncomfortable that I’m listed as author on an abstract I didn’t write. On the other hand, it *is* a project I have done all the lab work for. And when I interviewed at Roche, one of the things I was promised was that I would get a chance to publish. That hasn’t materialized yet, but then again, we haven’t finished the project I was hired for yet either.
Three years ago, when I was looking for a job, one of the listings I wanted to apply for would only accept curricula vitae. I didn’t have one, and I really didn’t have a god damn thing to put on one.
If this abstract gets accepted, I will have an entry for a curricula vitae.
Apparently, not only have I moved from Roche to CHORI, I have, apparently, moved from a cog lab tech to a research tech in a pure research institution.
I am not foolish enough to think this is going to change my job on the day to day level or anything… but I have to admit, for the first time in my (dare I say it?) career, I feel like, well, a scientist.
Even if I am still just a research technician.