Assistant Professor | She/her/hers | Founder @organizolife | Angsty hematologist | I work on/am stress & bloodš©ø š¦“ š ā¢ views ā my employer.
Seattle, WA
- Tweets 6,911
- Following 880
- Followers 18,878
- Likes 22,993
Pinned Tweet
It brings me so much joy to unveil organizÅ: an online forum for sharing organizational tools & resources to support scientific operations and mentoring. Seeing @organizolife come to life is beyond anything I could have dreamed. I guess Iām a founder now!
organizolife.com/
34
122
712
269,721
Being told by grant reviewers that my "recent productivity
has declined" during a global pandemic has me concerned for the future of science and especially worried for early career scientists.
50
375
4,342
Iām a woman married to a pediatrician and we donāt want kids. We donāt owe anyone our reasoning.
We are tired of people telling us we will change our minds. You may just be trying to be playful, but it comes off as disrespectful and hurtful. Plz stopā¦ š«
358
204
4,300
565,114
When I choose to interview a candidate for a position in our lab, I share the list of interview questions that will guide my conversation with them ahead of time. Why? Because I want the interview to be equitable for all candidates - everyone gets the same questionsā¦ andā¦
49
108
1,976
436,215
Itās time to peel back the curtains of the struggles of a #NewPI trying to find her way. I was invited to interview for an award that was a great match for my research. Here is me cheesing before the interviewā¦ Little did I know how quickly would change... [long] š§µ
107
184
1,934
630,402
I find it so disturbing that applicants are concerned about not having publications when applying to graduate school and that some schools weigh this criteria heavily. This inadvertently penalizes talented scientists from circumstances that donāt align with publishing.
33
223
1,877
325,401
Another grant rejected today. I canāt catch a f*cking break lately. Feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, and like Iām letting everyone (including myself) down lately. Just a day in the life of a PI still trying to figure out how to be a PI.
117
37
1,813
380,330
A casual mentee received this comment on their grad student fellowship app: "Weaknesses: 10+ years of research experience, but publication record is relatively sparse with 3 first author publications lower-tier journals."
This comment is so unfair & damaging. I can't.
47
84
1,715
389,796
Reviewer comment: āIt is recommended that the PI include in the proposal a collaborator who is an expert in bone marrow imaging.ā
What the actual f*ck? I am the expert in bone marrow imaging! š¤Æš¤Æš¤Æ
How do you respond to a comment like this?
161
68
1,578
450,205
We decided the best way to incorporate advice from Twitter into the lab is to print the tweets and put them by the relevant pieces of equipment #TheLabEdit
Any random lab wisdom? Real, surreal, and unreal guidance accepted.
Thanks for the PCR machine advice, @BStevensonLab
34
123
1,502
Sometimes I feel so out of place in academia. I am not cut from the cloth - I do not have academics in my family. Iām here because I worked my tail off, but it was not a logical path. This comes with a lot of pride and a lot of shame. Itās uncomfortable. #FirstGen
30
83
1,367
Big news... we got a major grant ā¤ļøš° I found out while in a meeting at ISEH, so I sobbed briefly in the hallway outside a conference room. So relieved/happy/excited. Thanks to all who helped, especially the talented scientists in our lab who made these ideas a reality!
96
22
1,286
96,451
I am thrilled to announce I will be joining the Clinical Research Division @fredhutch as an Assistant Professor! It is surreal to say the Termini Lab will open in Spring of 2022. Thank you to those who supported me ā I look forward to joining such a vibrant scientific community!
119
41
1,148
New PI in the wild!! These clean benches are just asking to be slapped by an ELISA plate.
21
20
1,078
I was not kidding when I told you it's a roller coaster š¢I couldn't be more excited that the Reviewers enjoyed our vision, especially after hitting some #NewPI turbulence. Looking forward to diving into new niche-related research questions very soon š¦“ā£ļøā¢ļø
79
13
971
121,032
Something for the lab arrived in the mail yesterdayā¦ one of the perks of being the daughter of a woodworker is that my dad can make anything. So proud to put this art up in front of our space #TheLabEdit #NewPI #FirstGen
33
17
998
I love being a PI, but this job comes with a sense of loneliness I never felt as a student or postdoc. I am thankful for my support system of family, mentors, and colleagues, but no one can fully understand the daily challenges. Iām pretty sure this is normal, just unexpected.
55
34
981
218,177
Assuming that people getting excellent positions when they leave a lab is because they received excellent mentorship from their PI is a big assumption. Many get these positions DESPITE abusive, toxic, or absent mentorship.
10
59
920
Hello from your favorite fluorophores: DAPI, BV605, Alexa-488 and PE!
Happy Halloweenš š š š§”
10
41
976
71,168
Just a #NewPI posing in the hallway with our newest arrival, the microscope. She really makes the lab feel complete. #TheLabEdit
I canāt wait to share the beauty of fluorescence microscopy with our team. What should we name the scope?
57
12
926
2022 was a wild year of perhaps my darkest and brightest moments:
āļøLeaving my postdoc to start my dream job as an Assistant Professor
āļøMoving out of our shitty LA apartment and buying a house
āļøFinally seeking help to salvage my mental health
āļøGetting my 1st grant as a prof
21
6
848
108,316
Iāve said it before and lāll say it again, neglect is a form of trainee abuse.
If you donāt have the bandwidth to effectively mentor, donāt take trainees.
And if you see neglect, donāt say itās due to busy PIs or big labs - thatās excusing bad behavior & discounting the trainee
12
139
849
96,199
This $1,300 bill is enough for me to never see a therapist again. Feeling so defeated, confused, and wondering why institutions make it so hard for postdocs to take care of themselves. Throwing a National Postdoc Week BBQ does not resolve these issues!
35
84
815
My research stands on its own, independent of my parentsā level of education. Iām not going to play their game to get money... But if you know of a donor who might want to fund a PI who stood up for herself and others to come and is paying the price, send them my way.
31
17
814
55,168
I knew this would eventually happen... my seminar announcement says Christina Termini, M.D., Ph.D. instead of M.M., Ph.D.
My Master of Music degree in flute performance isn't going to help anyone during a medical emergency. A musical emergency, however... š¤
20
14
848
136,046
Not sure why I need to say thisā¦ but itās not funny/cool to make a joke about the PI of a lab looking like an undergrad when you know damn well Iām the PI of the lab.
1) Undergrads can be any age
2) This is what a PI looks like
3) Would you make the same joke to a dude PI?
41
33
797
124,138
My last tweet was super dark so Iām going to cleanse by sharing with absolute joy that I received my first grant as an Assistant Professor š itās an exciting relief to have secured some bags. Thanks to my lab for holding it down while I hibernated to write. More deets to come š°
52
10
766
When all of the males with doctorates on the schedule are labeled as "Dr. X" and I'm just "Tina", I will remind you that I also have a Ph.D.
12
29
752
To pivot from my recent post... If you are a current PI and could offer one piece of advice to an incoming PI, what would it be?
176
144
775
Week 3: a systematic approachā¦ reducing confusion about what goes where or the source/identity of items. I designed labels that can be easily edited, printed, laminated, and adhered to surfaces with magnetic tape. Easy to move around as we settle into the space #TheLabEdit
46
21
769
I am begging (white) men in positions of power to PLEASE request/demand gender equality of the speaker population before you agree to speak at seminars, symposiums, and panels. I just want to lead my lab & work on my grant, but rn I feel so defeated by the fight for inclusionšš¢
32
87
679
272,492
My pet peeve: when folks go over on time for a talk. Itās not even about how this gets the session behindā¦ itās b/c this act indicates that you think your research is more important than others. The job of moderators is to step in but power dynamics can complicate this š«
53
40
652
110,356
I was asked yesterday if my identity has ever made me feel isolated in science. I said yes, but when asked to elaborate, I declined. I often feel pressured to share about this stuff and it weighs heavily on me. It felt good to set a boundary to protect my peace.
5
29
605
Resubmitting a grant during the pandemic was a challenge and would not have been possible without the support of my family, colleagues, and mentors... but I'm happy to report my K01 got a perfect score this time around! š¾š¬ā¢ļøš¬
36
4
609
Life got kind of murky during my postdoc and I neglected my hobbies. I am reclaiming my joy and bringing music back into my life. Major thanks to the Seattle Piano Recycling Program for dropping off this baby (grand). My childhood dreams have come true.
16
12
600
Several people said our labsā inventory and purchasing worksheet was just me reinventing Quartzyā¦ wellā¦ I guess now itās just a free and homegrown version of Quartzy š happy to share! šø
Just got the email from @Quartzy that we will have to pay $159/month for the database functions that have been free for the last 10+ years. I still have the email from Jan 2016 that reads: āWhat the future holds: Quartzy is and always will be free for scientistsā šš¤¬š
53
47
626
323,848
What a dayā¦ our NCI R21 was just awarded! And I am SO proud to be on this all Latinx co-PI team ā¤ļø
Looking forward to digging into how radioimmunotherapy regulates the bone marrow niche š¦“ ā¢ļø
47
17
590
45,156
My lab barely exists but I have recruited two incredibly talented postdocs to join. I recently traversed the good, the bad, and the pandemic of a postdoc myself... postdoc candidates need to be sure they will be supported and respected. Show this when you're recruiting them.
8
26
580
šGrant rejected.
š„³A month later, the agency emails to say they procured additional funds and will fund us!
šAnother month later, the agency emails to say they actually will NOT fund us... again.
Y'all are playing with my emotions over here.
55
5
601
109,268
Yesterday I was told my grant application was going to be disqualified, but with the swift action of the staff here at Fred Hutch, we fixed the issueā¦ and then today, I learned funding is now pending! The roller coaster is so realš¢š°ā„ļø I am so grateful for my team!
27
2
585
64,619
Another grant rejection today, but we will keep moving ahead. I think Iām 0 for 5 for grants this year? Iām here to keep it real for those struggling to get a project funded. Itās rough, but I look forward to reworking the ideas with new data and trying again.
26
15
595
80,041
Not thrilled to be the only woman PI in the room at faculty meeting, but quite pleased I chose to wear the brightest neon pink top I own todayš©· šš
15
6
576
52,693
As a postdoc, my advisor never read any of my proposals...ever. I missed out on an entire era of learning how to write grants I should have had as a trainee.
Am I mad? Yes.
Am I getting even by pouring myself into teaching the folks in our lab how to write? Also, yes.
14
29
581
92,241
Major lab milestone unlocked ā¤ļøšš©øā¢ļøš¦“
Just got word that the first paper from the lab was accepted for publication š„¹ overjoyed and so so so proud of our team for the incredible work they did to make these discoveries happen.
27
17
683
40,087
There were days during my postdoc when I would drive to work, sit in the garage, and drive right back home because my anxiety left me immobilized. I'm super proud of how far I've come. This job is hard, but I've never been more fulfilled - so thankful for my colleagues and team.
14
11
560
82,035
Another grant was rejected today. I don't disagree with the reviewers, this was NOT my best work... but some of the comments were rough. So... I had my 10-minute pity party and am back at the bench channeling my energy into my experiment today. Onward and upward ā¤ļøāš©¹š¢
17
12
535
63,282
As a person with anxiety, I know how stressful an interview is. Knowing the questions always made me more relaxed and I could think thoughtfully about my answers beforehand instead of being tested for whether I could think of a good example of x, y, or z on the spot.
3
14
517
41,993
Congratulations to @nj_setiawan on publishing your first author article in @Nature today. Super proud of all you have done to make our lab a welcoming environment for rigorous and reproducible research.
š š š
nature.com/articles/d41586-0ā¦
14
37
534
58,163
Week 2: So thrilled our piece, āThe transition phase: preparing to launch a laboratoryā is out in @TrendsBiochem! We created this resource to guide incoming group leaders. Thank you to my dream team collaborators @karalmckinley @DrDidychuk @QuinaScience
āØauthors.elsevier.com/a/1f8OPā¦
25
102
507
It usually goes like this:
Q: Do you have kids?
A: Nope.
Q: Oh, youāll have them soon
A: We donāt want kids
Q: youāll change your mind.
A: š¤·š½āāļø
Anyone else have this convo over and over? I guess, one day Iāll get old enough that itāll stopā¦?
77
11
485
45,057
Thereās a misconception that all women in academia support women in academiaā¦. False. Some of the most toxic and sexist academics Iāve ever met are women. Itās bonkers, but IYKYK.
46
32
567
59,346
Itās impossible for me to keep my head down and just do science, but I do understand why people do that. Speaking out against bias or harassment comes at an enormous emotional and professional price. Iām paying it today.
23
29
474
95,139
When you donāt get a grant, you call your friend who also didnāt get the grant to meet for a drink. Gotta love my Seattle #NewPI community!
9
3
473
41,947
If I wrote a book recounting toxic lab tales and what I've learned along the way, would you read it? ā£ļøšš„¼
[I'm being serious. I want to get some of this stuff out of my system and think writing might do the trick.]
69
15
487
93,253
Manuscript accepted toš©ø! This one hits differently - itās the ābigā first author postdoc paper, one rejected from both C and N journals, one we submitted while moving our lab to a new institution during a pandemic. We did it. Syndecan-2 did it.
21
7
487
Technician from lab of PI with an endowed chair, multiple R01s, and hundreds of papers emails me to ask for help writing their own letter of support for grad school.
I have a purple armchair, 0 R01s, and 1 paper from my lab. I am a good mentor, though & they could be, too.
10
12
469
78,188
Week 2: a bench is born š š
Too bad everything else we need is backordered 1-2 monthsā¦ š©
19
7
473
Salary increases are coming soon at Fred Hutch (yay) but will cost me ~$200,000 over 3 years in unanticipated expenses. PIs want to pay people more, but this is going to be difficult to balance without institutional support. If I knew this, I would have negotiated differently.
22
22
443
Beyond excited to share that I was awarded V Scholar Grant! With this funding, our lab will study how heparan sulfate glycans influence acute myeloid leukemia development and therapy resistance. Thanks for the support of our work @TheVFoundation @fredhutch ā„ļø š š©ø š®
46
11
457
21,865
Negotiating a faculty position can be confusing. Here, as a group of new faculty members, we pull back the curtains to explain nuances, identify negotiable components, and build a framework for the process of negotiation based on our recent experiences.
authors.elsevier.com/a/1gDYRā¦
4
133
439
A friendly reminder that PIs make mistakes: we miscommunicate, we botch mentoring interactions, we f*ck upā¦ but we can also grow and change and have the opportunity become better mentors. Iām happy today but itās been a journey to feel like I know what Iām doing.
6
15
461
48,221
I've loved sharing #NewPI & #TheLabEdit journeys with everyone, but it comes at a cost. Being consistently mocked by people on this app for my mere existence hurts. As a person with mental health struggles, it makes me question why I'm putting myself through this.
68
7
447
The way people excuse bad behavior in academia is one of the hardest things to grapple with.
āOh, thatās just how he isā
āThey didnāt mean it like thatā
Or worseā¦ [SILENCE]
This culture where people are reluctant to hold each other accountable is debilitating.
21
80
414
60,760
Rounding out Week 2 of new PI life with my fresh office digs! Retro, yet modern, and quite livelyā¦ Just like my research program.
28
3
442
#TheLabEdit pro tip: color coding š Ever wondered where your pipette went? We have a system for that. Each station is numbered (1A-4B), given a unique color (red here), and stocked with color-marked items. People can still move things around as needed but everything has a home.
20
12
454
Week 2: Termini Lab essentials kit.
Itās the worst when you need to inject mice and you forgot a hair tie, or have dry hands after an intense day of pulling bones, or have a headache but youāre running a time course. We have a drawer of things (and snacks) for those days.
12
8
437
We hate it when you ask why we donāt want them or say we would be great parents. The reason I include my husbandās profession is because he gets asked about this at work every single day multiple times a day. Be respectful of peoples decisions, yāall.
17
10
428
43,050
ā¦ and just like that, we go to 2/7 for grants funded this year š©øšā„ļø
You canāt write the timing of this stuff - this job is a roller coaster š¢
17
1
449
32,384
Yes - the Termini Lab cell culture cart is extremely cuteā¦ but itās also ultra functional. Not all cell culture spaces have cabinets where you need them. Getting a cart can bring those essentials within an arms reach without taking up much space. I love it! #TheLabEdit #NewPI
17
14
435
84,723
Congrats on a beautiful article by @cellseywoodruff in our lab - out today in @Nature.
Organize your ā80 Ā°C freezer to save time and prevent frozen fingertips
nature.com/articles/d41586-0ā¦
New @organizolife freezer inventory template just dropped: organizolife.com/downloads
#TheLabEdit
5
83
453
81,991
I receive lots of emails and requests everyday, but I always make time for the people in my lab. They are why I do the job.
Mentee neglect is not a mentoring style, itās a form of abuse. As a community, we must intervene when we see neglect; neglect can destroy careers.
8
47
438
Happy official 2nd birthday, Termini Lab! Once upon a time, you were emptyā¦ now, youāre full of ideas, joy, labels, and so much energy.
Advice for incoming PIs: be patient, listen, and reflect. You wonāt always get it right, but learning and adjusting will help ā¤ļø
10
13
426
23,556
My husband texted to ask how it went, and my response was āI deserve a f*cking Oscar for not losing my sh*tā. I called my mom to talk about it, and she said, āwhat the f*ck does my education have to do with your lab?ā, and she was spot on.
1
4
402
48,656
Waking up to our manuscript being invited for resubmission with extremely minor revisions was the energy boost I needed. This job is a rollercoaster... but the ride broke down for a little bit there. Let's keep it moving onward and upward š¢ #NewPI
5
3
426
33,123
I am losing my freaking mind right nowā¦ my screen was just installed in my office so now we can cast data from our computers during meetings instead of squinting at a laptop screenā¦ PI DREAM COME TRUE!!! #TheLabEdit #NewPI šŗ š§« š
17
4
405
I cannot recall any professor during my grad training discussing mental health in general (how they preserve their mental health, their own struggles, etc.). This made me feel like I was not cut out for this line of work for a long time, so I "hid" my anxiety for a long time.
8
43
394
Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine 5,000 people would follow me but I reached that number this week. Thanks for joining me on this #NewPI and #TheLabEdit journey. It was picture day at work yesterday so here is the new face behind tweets šø
9
6
418
New lab, new house, new vibes. My husband and I have been living like nomads for a long time while we pursued our training in academic research and medicine. It feels so good to be able to finally put down some roots that will hopefully last more than a few years šŖ“ š²
16
1
389
Another day, another grant rejected ššš
I am 1/6 for full proposals funded this year. You get used to the rejection quickly.
I have 6 more full apps awaiting decisions (total of 12 submitted this year as PI). Fingers crossed!
16
5
399
56,648
Giving an inclusive research presentation means presenting enough background to get audience members on the same page. Walk people through the data - donāt assume anyone knows what theyāre looking at on your graphs.
Summary: Less data, more background.
15
37
385
We got another grant yesterday, and a thought that went through my mind was, "did they just give me this because of X circumstance?" My team said NO, and we went back to celebrating. Imposter syndrome is hard to mute, but surrounding yourself with quality peeps helpsā£ļøšøš©ø
20
6
365
I know itās not supposed to be personal, but the grant reviewers telling me I need to include experts really get to me.
Iāll play the game and add these consultants. But when will I be enough? Or seen as capable? Why canāt I be the expert?
Feeling defeated today.
29
9
364
105,652
Wow, 11K followers! Thanks for joining me on this wild journey. To all who have offered support and advice: thank you. I aim to provide a candid perspective of what itās like to try to āmake itā in this biz. Itās honestly the best job in the world, but has lots of challenges.
6
4
371
60,092
Once youāve been through a f*cked up mentoring relationship, itās hard to act ānormalā and go about your career. This job is particularly hard because you canāt ever really escape the triggers. Theyāre everywhere.
16
20
370
60,611
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we present The Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists. This resource showcases the scientific excellence of nearly 400 outstanding scientists. #LatinxAtlas #HispanicHeritageMonth
fredhutch.org/en/about/aboutā¦
8
168
360
129,874
While I'm disappointed to have been rejected from the HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Program, it doesn't discount what I've accomplished to make science a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. I know many more who do this critical work when no one is watching - I see you.
16
10
362
85,046
Persistence is the name of the game. Amid disappointment and failure, the tally for grants awarded this year is now n=3 š¤Æ
This comes from n=7 not funded, 1 withdrawn š”, & 3 undecided. I get the grants I almost donāt submit, so donāt let yourself get in your own way.
14
9
407
20,562
I love mentoring, but itās frustrating when I am asked to do the mentoring that another PI is supposed to be doing. Why? Because I feel awful when I canāt take on another mentee because I myself am overwhelmed. I know theyāre coming to me for help, sometimes as a last resort.
13
29
368
Lab warming: a celebration of the occupancy of a new lab.
Please join us next week for the Termini Lab warming. I am looking forward to meeting more of our neighbors and introducing you to our amazing team. Seriously, come by to check us out! #TheLabEdit #NewPI
ALT Person holding piece of paper with the text āLab, sweet lab. Please join us for the Termini Lab Warming. Friday July 22 D2-275 3-5 pm. Come meet the team! Pipettes. Labels. Snacks. Merch. Funā
11
10
365
Well... it's official! My K01 was awarded by the NIDDK. Resubmitting during the pandemic was complicated but with the support of my family, friends, and mentors, we did it š
Proteoglycans are absolutely fascinating - can't wait to explore them further in hematopoietic injury!
33
16
364
R01 SUBMITTED! I stashed a tiny bottle of bubbly in my office for a celebration like thisā¦ proud of myself š„ š©ø š¦ š§¬
17
4
361
22,744
Itās no secret that I suffer from anxiety and in this line of work, it seems unavoidable. I appreciate everyoneās support as I clumsily learn how to be good at my job. Iām here to start discussions that will help us improve the scientific ecosystem. Iām still smiling tho!
6
4
362
Mentors LOVE receiving emails from mentees about recent accomplishments (interviews, awards, acceptances). Please keep the updates (which are the best form of fuel) coming! š„¹
3
32
358