One person's toxic lab is another's ideal...

Using your PhD lab rotations to assess culture fit

Sep 4 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

2

August 2025

The Value-Forward Approach to Community

(“I have nothing to offer” is bullshit)

Aug 5 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

1

July 2025

Is your institution using a pre-CIA sabotage manual to set policies?

You decide.

Jul 9 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

Nothing Foreign Has Decided What We Are

Why Soft Skills, Connection, and Action Are the Keys to Meaningful Outcomes

Jul 8 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

Please Stop Replying All

I received the following email on Thursday:

Jul 6 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

1

4

How to Use eLife to Learn Peer Review

(and Outsmart Reviewer #2)

Jul 2 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

June 2025

My Ultimate Guide to Research Presentation Slide Preparation

Some of you are going to hate this.

Jun 12 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

Things I Learned From My Couch

This time last year, I purchased a couch from the internet for the third time in my life, firmly operating from the “third time lucky” perspective.

Jun 7 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

2

5

May 2025

5 Things I Think PhD Students Should be Using AI For

Hint: None of them are reading, writing, or thinking.

May 26 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

1

How Crisis Comms Became My Favorite Life Skill

Overthinking worst-case scenarios turned into a weirdly practical hobby

May 16 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

2

Things I learned from being a scientologist

(No, that’s not a typo for “scientist”)

May 11 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

Anara AI’s Ads Are Undermining What a PhD Is Supposed to Teach You

AI can support research, but it should not be used to replace the core academic skills grad students are supposed to develop.

May 7 • 

Louise Pay, PhD

1