Our October MCDB Alumni Spotlight is highlighting Danni Jin! Dr. Jin is a postdoctoral associate at Yale University. She graduated from MCDB in 2021.
We asked Dr. Jin some questions about her time in MCDB, as well as her career after graduating.
What is your current job and what does that entail?
I am currently a postdoctoral associate at Yale University, in the laboratory of Dr. Wendy Gilbert. My current research focuses on how viral proteins affect translation initiation in human cells.
How does your work relate to your time in the MCDB program? How did your time in MCDB prepare you for this job?
My research experience during my time in the MCDB program helped shape my research interest. When I first started grad school in 2015, I was looking for a retrovirus lab given my undergraduate research experience. I joined Dr. Karin Musier-Forsyth’s lab where I studied the functions of tRNAs and tRNA synthetases in HIV replication. This project and a tRNA-related side project made me interested in the regulation of human translation machinery and motivated me to do postdoctoral research in the field of translational control.
MCDB faculty mentors were very supportive when I was looking for a postdoc position. Dr. Michael Kearse was a great help when I explored potential labs. My PI Karin and committee members Dave Bisaro and Kotaro Nakanishi provided strong recommendations that helped me land my current position.
Are there any specific accomplishments that you're proud of since graduating that you would like to highlight?
I was fortunate enough to be awarded an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship that supports my current postdoctoral research.
What is your favorite memory that you have of MCDB?
My favorite memory with MCDB is participating in the annual 3-minute thesis competition. It was challenging and a lot of fun introducing my research topic to a general audience in a creative way!
What is one piece of advice that you have for current MCDB students?
Always be aware of the motivations behind the experiment you are doing. What questions are being answered? What existing data motivate these experiments? What problems are being solved? Prioritize the well-motivated experiments and avoid aimlessly trying many things at the same time. Discuss with your PI/mentor the motivation behind the experiment they told you to do. This mindset keeps your effort focused and your inner flame alive. I would like to pass on a piece of advice I got from my first rotation mentor (former MCDB faculty Dr. Li Wu): “Keep your research focused and keep your mind open.”
As for lab work, my advice would be to always validate any information given to you by others. Double check calculations in that Excel sheet. Sequence that plasmid. Make sure that primer design is valid. Trust no one – even if they are your senior mentors, collaborators, or yourself from months ago. Every scientist is a human who makes mistakes. Keeping details correct at the beginning will save you from frustrating detective works down the line.
Prioritize your mental health. Make sure you have hobbies or other commitments outside of lab. I recommend making good use of OSU Counseling and Consultation Service and speak to a counselor even if you do not have an urgent mental health concern. When research is rough, remember that your productivity curve may not be linear. Mine was nearly exponential – most of my publishable data were generated in or beyond my 5th year. Your turning point is yet to come!
What's something fun or interesting that you've done recently?
I took some time off in June by attending a piano festival in Texas, where I gave my first proper piano performance since adulthood (well, aside from those times I showed off at Karin’s holiday parties during my time at OSU).
Is there anywhere online where students can learn more about your work or connect with you?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danni-jin-9711a5b1/
Thank you again to Dr. Jin for agreeing to participate in our MCDB Alumni Spotlight series!