The Lonely Pipette : helping scientists do better science

TLP #19 : “Should I stay or should I go?” - Jenny Rohn

Jonathan Weitzman & Renaud Pourpre Season 2 Episode 9

In this episode, we talk with the multi-talented Jenny Rohn about her journey zig-zagging from academia to a biotech-startup, to science publishing and then back into academia.

  • She tells us about her unconventional path and how she decided to go to a start-up and then come back to academic research
  • She made long, agonizing lists about pros and cons of leaving or staying in academia
  • This period of indecision led her to start writing novels
  • Jenny admits that it was not easy to get back on to an academic path
  • She warns people against giving negative advise and she always tries to be honest, but positive feedback
  • Jenny says that In the ‘old days’ there used to be a myth that there was only one way to do science. She says that somewhere in the ‘90s there was a shift but it took a while for the old-guard to notice.
  • “Do not ever turn away from an opportunity to network. You need to get out and talk to people”
  • She tells us how she came up with the idea of ‘lab-lit’ and recommends some of her favourites
  • “If you want to be a writer… you need to write a lot and read a lot”
  • Jenny shares her thoughts about the place of narrative in scientific writing 


She mentioned these labs, resources and lab-lit authors

To find out more about Jenny visit her website or follow her on Twitter

To find out more about Renaud and Jonathan :

More about the soundtrack :
Music by Amaria - Lovely Swindler https://soundcloud.com/amariamusique/