Mark, Postdoc USA
Name: Dr. Mark Viggars
Where you are from: Liverpool, UK 
PhD University: Liverpool John Moores University
PhD topic area: Transcriptional regulation of skeletal muscle growth & disuse
Current job title and company: Post Doctoral Research Associate, University of Florida
Current location: Florida, USA
How would you describe to your granny/granddad what you do for work?
A scientist. I figure out how/why genes in our skeletal muscles are switched on or off in response to exercise and circadian disruption. I work on how exercise benefits our muscles and other organs health at the molecular level and how we can use exercise as a therapeutic tool to combat metabolic diseases.
What does a typical day/week look like for you?
Weeks vary a lot. I typically have long weeks of data collection and wet-lab work followed by months of bioinformatic analysis. I spend a lot of time with large datasets and computational tools to understand the changing biology.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Flexibility to explore fun, exciting areas of biology!
What hard skills does someone need for your job?
Good pipetting skills, understanding of molecular biology/physiology, bioinformatics.
What soft skills does someone need for your job?
Patience, organisation, time-management, communication, welcoming & open-mindedness towards others.
In 10 years' time, what job/position do you see yourself in?
I’d love to be running my own lab or project managing pre-/clinical science in 10 years’ time. I also enjoy reading/writing about science in general, so I’ve considered moving into medical writing or health/science policy.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your industry?
I would say learn how to be patient. Science can be slow, stressful, and challenging, but the rewards can be worthwhile to both you and the public. Pursue something you enjoy and take care of yourself while you do it!
Can you tell us a little bit about the move to the USA - how did you get the role and what are some of the best/hardest parts about living in the States?
I was in contact with my current PI and others during my PhD to seek out potential opportunities in her lab for 12-18 months in the future. I never really expected things to come to fruition and really just wanted to gage what was out there and whether I was employable.
However, I moved to the University of Florida back in 2021 to start my post-doc and found that opportunities for science funding are much greater here compared with the UK. Being away from family, friends and culture is always challenging, but it gets easier. Living in Florida has its perks, the weather and nature are great here and I enjoy being able to cycle to work/ access trails easily!
What advice would you give to someone coming to the end of their PhD?
Pursue something you enjoy and are passionate about, it makes it easier to get up in the morning! Academia has its pros and cons, but the skills you have learnt in your PhD are transferrable to a wide range of jobs and industries. Make sure you’re happy and financially secure, but don’t be afraid to make a leap of faith into something new!
How can people contact you?
