Education and training
- Take biology, chemistry, mathematics, and statistics courses in high school.
- Earn a bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, or a related field.
- Gain lab experience through research programs, internships, or university labs.
- Many research scientists earn a PhD. Some physician-scientists earn an MD or MD-PhD.
- Postdoctoral training is common for academic research careers.
Responsibilities
- Design and carry out experiments.
- Collect and analyze data.
- Read and write scientific papers.
- Present findings to colleagues and the public.
- Apply for research funding.
- Mentor students and lab members.
Skills needed
Curiosity and critical thinkingLaboratory techniquesData analysis and statisticsScientific writingAttention to detailCollaboration and patience
Career growth
Researchers can specialize in areas such as neuroscience, immunology, cancer biology, or pharmacology. Experienced researchers may lead their own labs, direct research programs, teach, or move into industry and science policy.
A typical day
A researcher might plan experiments, work at the lab bench, analyze data, meet with colleagues, read recent studies, and write up results. Days vary with the stage of a project.
Where can you work?
- Universities
- Hospitals and academic medical centers
- Government research agencies
- Biotechnology companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Nonprofit research institutes