Kendall Powell

These 99 'lab hacks' will make your scientific work easier Nature asked contributors, editors and working researchers to share their best advice for scientists.

My colleague Jack Leeming curated this list of 99 lab hacks for handy tips for researchers of all kinds. My fave is the 'cut glove hair tie' - priceless for those with long locks in lab!

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

You can download the data directly from the link inside and crunch it for yourself! Next up will be "27 Things we wish we'd known before starting the PhD" and "Where are the happiest PhD students on Earth?"

Huge thx to the team @thinksinsight.bsky.social for their partnership on the survey!

How money, politics and technology are redefining the PhD experience in 2025 Nature’s global survey of 3,785 doctoral students shows satisfaction has recovered from pandemic lows, but harassment and inadequate supervision remain widespread.

At long last, the 2025 @nature.com global PhD Survey is out! This first article by @lindanordling.bsky.social charts the state of the PhD experience in 2025. Good news: satisfaction is high. Bad news: so is harassment and discrimination.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It’s not wokeness — it’s human rights Maydianne Andrade focuses on action and support, not guilt, when helping people to recognize biases and identify ways to change unfair outcomes.

Have I mentioned that I love it when scientists speak so directly about #DEI in #STEM that you can pull their words up to the headline? Here, @widowweb.bsky.social tells @ljevanso.bsky.social how she leads anti-bias workshops that focus on action, not guilt.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘Communities already have the solutions’: why I advocate for Indigenous knowledge Environmental scientist and global advocate Jessica Hernandez works to secure women’s rights and to integrate Indigenous science into environmental policy.

Enviro sci and author Jessica Hernandez tells @nature.com why she spends much of her career advocating for Indigenous knowledge to be integrated into science studies and curricula. As told to @vanesadelacruz.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Five reasons why Nepal struggles to attract women into science Biochemist Babita Paudel urges her female colleagues to dream big, work hard, take risks and embrace challenges.

In the last episode of the #Changemaker @nature.com podcast series, biochemist Babita Paudel describes why there is still a glass ceiling for women scientists in Nepal - and what might help to break it.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

My moonshot to preserve endangered species Coral cryobiologist Mary Hagedorn wants to bank biological samples at the frozen lunar south pole.

Banking biological samples from endangered species on the Moon? It's not a crazy as it sounds when you hear cryobiologist Mary Hagedorn tell it to @ljevanso.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Most fun writing a headline I've had in a long time! Great reporting by @scigat.bsky.social

A sit in the sauna can save endangered frogs Anthony Waddle’s unconventional approach resulted in a stunningly practical solution to fight a deadly fungal infection.

Who doesn't love a good sit in the sauna?

The world needs more practical solutions like this one for endangered species that can be literally built in your own backyard - and more enterprising 'out of the box' scientists like @anthonywaddle.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘Computing is a Black people’s thing’ Passionate about making smaller and more efficient semiconductors, physicist Sonia Guimarães is a relentless voice for equity in Brazilian science.

Brazilian physicist @soniaguimaraes.bsky.social has a lot of 'firsts' to her name as a pioneering Black woman in #STEM, but she is also first and foremost an advocate for Black girls and young people to pursue science.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Why strong mentorship was essential for my career success in science JoAnn Trejo has turned mentoring into an evidence-based science, driven by her own exposure to inspiring mentors.

Next up in our @nature.com Careers podcast series on #Changemakers is an interview with @joann-trejo.bsky.social. Her career journey really epitomizes why we need these #Changemakers and good mentors in academic science.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

As my first time as an editor on the other side of the microphone, I'm both excited and a bit nervous!

*And* empathetic to the pitchers! Can't wait to see everyone there @sciencewriters.org

Huge thanks to @mariadelmarq.bsky.social, Carolina Lambertini, Mario Romero and Juan Henao for sharing their personal stories.

How to thrive as a Latin American researcher abroad Four scientists share the emotional toll of pursuing science far from home — and the strategies that help them to protect their mental health.

In this @nature.com Careers article, 4 Latin American researchers share how they cope with studying and working abroad, far from extended family and the culture they grew up in. As told to @vanesadelacruz.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How researcher visa curbs threaten science careers Anti-immigration sentiment is fuelling a drive to slash international student and worker numbers, but at what cost to researchers and countries leading the charge?

Anti-immigration sentiment is making it harder for international graduate student and postdoc researchers to obtain visas in many countries (hint: it's not just the US). Excellent reporting by @virginiagewin.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Why I co-developed a research career launchpad for first generation students Arezoo Khodayari and a colleague at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory provide paid internships aimed at under-represented groups in science.

Next up in the @nature.com Careers podcast #Changemakers series: Azeroo Khodayari speaks about her own first-generation journey to becoming a professor and why she co-designed an internship for first-gen students in LA.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Guess we'll let all the other countries have the edge on that life-saving and in demand technology.

I could not have become an astronomer on my own An astronomy conference changed the course of Brenda Namumba’s career and taught her the importance of networks.

In the last article in @nature.com's series on a 20-year push by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory to increase the numbers of African astronomers, Brenda Namumba chronicles her switch from schoolteacher to postdoctoral astronomer.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Episodes:
@ranadajani.bsky.social: Why I study trauma's genetic legacy

@tatsuya-amano.bsky.social: How AI can deepen inequities for non-native English speakers in science

@vukosi.bsky.social: ‘For AI to change how economies work, it has to represent all of us’

www.nature.com/nature/artic...

Huge thanks to producer Dom Byrne, host Deborah Daley and editor David Payne for making this series shine.

Celebrating researchers who make the scientific workplace more inclusive Eight scientists who appeared in Nature's Changemaker series are to feature in a forthcoming podcast series. Kendall Powell and Deborah Daley introduce them.

A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure to make my @nature.com Careers podcast debut to introduce our #Changemakers series.

These scientists describe their own career journeys and how and why they work to make the scientific enterprise more inclusive.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How your research can survive a US federal grant termination Researchers in the United States are filing appeals, seeking court remedies, turning to philanthropy and starting GoFundMe campaigns.

This piece was a wild ride with reporter @virginiagewin.bsky.social b/c of the chaos that is happening right now with US scientists' federal grants. It's terminated, it's reinstated, it's frozen...

Tips, advice & solidarity from researchers navigating it 👇🏻

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Super huge thanks to Carys Herbert, @rachelgatlin5.bsky.social, Khashiff Miranda, David Rivera-Kohr, and our anonymous PhD student for sharing your stories and perspectives with us!

Class of 2025: five PhD students reveal realigned priorities in wake of COVID and cuts Scientists who began their doctoral studies in 2020 found their feet during a global pandemic and are graduating into an uncertain and chaotic future.

Tough PhD timing - the cohort that started in 2020 (Covid) and finished by 2025 (waves hands) speaks out about their career high's and low's, how they coped and what they are doing to navigate the chaotic job market. Reporting by @scattercushion.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How AI can deepen inequities for non-native English speakers in science Journals and conference organizers could do more to help researchers overcome language barriers, but artificial intelligence might widen inequalities, warns Tatsuya Amano.

Next up in our #Changemaker podcast series @nature.com: @tatsuya-amano.bsky.social addresses the deep inequities experienced by non-native English speakers in science and science publishing and the research he's doing to try to change it.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Why I study trauma's genetic legacy Rana Dajani's research includes identifying risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and genetic links to trauma.

ICYMI: @ranadajani.bsky.social in a @nature.com Careers podcast on why she's driven to help women and children scarred by war and trauma and why she's a big supporter of women in the Arab world pursuing science careers.

Why I study trauma's genetic legacy www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Thanks to all the families for sharing their stories and especially TerryPirovolakis of Elpida Therapeutics,
Ilan Ganot of Solid Biosciences, Jill Wood of Phoenix Nest, Daniel Fischer of Tevard Biosciences & Brad Margus.

Meet the biotech-company founders driven by their child’s rare disease For some parents, finding a cure for their child’s illness is the ultimate motivation to start a company.

These parents wanted to find a cure for their kids, so they started up biotech firms to address their diseases. As reported by @rachelbrazil.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Help a reporter (and her editor) out?

If you've dealt with #AcademicBullying during #PeerReview, please reach out to Katya👇🏻

I help to build support systems for Latina researchers After leaving academia, chemist Daisy Rosas Vargas starting leading outreach to encourage Latina people in pursuit of science careers.

Next in the #Changemaker series @nature.com, chemist @drdaisyrosasv.bsky.social says at a time when US programs are pulling back on #DEI, Latinx researchers need to be even louder about the supports they need to succeed in #STEM. As told to @becroldan.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...