Name: Amanda Dossat (she/her)
PhD: Neuroscience, Florida State University, 2016
What was your main area of research?
In my PhD, I studied the behavioral and molecular characterization of ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects, emphasizing the impact of genetic sex and gonadal hormones. In my postdoc, I studied cellular and molecular neuroscience, using viral vector-driven cell reporters of proteostasis, examining the effect of seizure/glutamate on intracellular proteostasis and viability.
What is your current job?
I am a Field Applications Scientist for Bruker in Delray Beach, Florida.
Field Applications Scientists generally serve as the liaison between scientific tools and bench scientists. Responsibilities include:
Delivering onsite and remote customer training
Providing effective and sustainable solutions for customer issues
Optimizing experimental variables to support assay implementation
Reviewing and assisting clients in analysis of complex datasets
Collaborating with teams to deliver information and resources to clients
Identifying opportunities to improve product offerings
Leveraging scientific experience to support clients’ experimental design
The best parts of my job are the competitive pay and respect as well as not having to go to the office every day.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this position through LinkedIn/Virtual Job Boards.
PhD graduate ➡️ postdoctoral fellow ➡️ course director medical school/graduate school ➡️ Research Assistant Professor ➡️ Field Applications Scientist ➡️ Customer Success Manager ➡️ Field Applications Scientist
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
The funding pay lines are non-existent and the grants that are awarded appear to be based on nepotism. It was too little pay for too much work. I also did not feel respected in the workplace.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
LinkedIn and Reddit have been great resources!!
I felt unsupported in wanting a career outside of academia. I am still looking for guidance on how to manage that.
The process and activities associated with going through graduate school helped prepare me for my current job.