DESIREE SEIB, Postdoc
DS: Definitely coffee. I don’t have it every morning but it wakes me up when I need it.
JS: And how do you like Vancouver? Where did you live before coming to Vancouver? Vancouver’s better, right? KIDDING! There are no wrong answers here! Please, go ahead.
DS: Before I came to Beautiful British Columbia I lived in Germany. Vancouver unites all the features I appreciate: mountains with lots of snow, the sea, sunshine in summer and really nice people.
JS: Standard interview question, sorry: What’s your worst feature and how can you spin it to make you sound amazing?
DS: If I do something, I do it either properly or not at all. So either do an experiment as perfect as I can or don’t even think about doing it.
JS: Tell me about your first experiment. Not from your first lab experience, school etc, but your REAL FIRST experiment. If you have amnesia or if your first official experiment in a lab is particularly memorable, that’ll work too.
DS: I admit, I seem to have amnesia. But I remember, watching mice running in a running wheel for hours every day for a few weeks as my first experiment working on neurogenesis.
JS: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? How about 50 years? 400 years? I’m talking at a basic level about where do you think you’ll be at but, also, what do you hope to have contributed to planet earth?
DS: I plan to be in science still working on neurogenesis in my future – where? Well, we’ll see.
JS: What are you up to when you’re not in the lab? WHAT? YOU’RE NOT ALWAYS IN THE LAB? Just kidding, do tell!
DS: I love snow, so skiing is one of my favorites. I also like to run to clear my mind or think about science. Pacific Spirit Park next to UBC is a wonderful place to go for a run. Last but not least I enjoy travelling a lot. I prefer a mixture of relaxing on a nice beach and a bit of sight seeing.
JS: Standard interview question #2, really sorry: Tell me about a challenge you faced (and totally overcame).
DS: I am here in Vancouver as a Postdoctoral Fellow. That is something. Germans are known for their red tape and their plethora of official forms. But in my opinion, Canada is not far behind. Finally, I am glad to have all the necessary paperwork done.
JS: If you were to come into the lab one morning (it’s ok to leave the lab to sleep at night, sometimes) and find that someone had brought in your favourite edible treat to share with the lab, what would that favourite edible treat be?
DS: Anything containing chocolate.
JS: We don’t have chocolate in Canada.