Knowing When to Walk, Knowing When to Run: Lessons from the Bench
- Dr. GPCR Podcast
- May 20
- 1 min read
Updated: May 27
Early-career scientists often wrestle with impostor syndrome. Ben Clements has been there. But over time, he’s learned a skill that transformed his career: pacing.
“Academia is about knowing when to walk and when to run.”
This simple advice, passed on to Ben in grad school, has helped him stay sane, focused, and impactful.
Running Too Hard, Too Fast
In research, there’s always more to do. Grants. Experiments. Data analysis. Teaching. The pressure to stay productive never stops. But as Ben points out, burnout is real, and it doesn’t make you better.
Some weeks, the best use of your time is reading, thinking, and slowing down. Other times, you’ll need to sprint. Knowing the difference is survival.
Imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Place
Ben shares the moment he realized he mattered, when he was the only one in the lab who knew how to do a particular injection in rats.
Moments like these helped him own his identity as a scientist.
A Final Aha Moment: Try the Crazy Idea
When a collaborator offered a neuroma model (one where opioids usually fail), Ben took a chance. The result? A tenfold increase in methadone efficacy using PAMs.
Sometimes, science rewards the bold.
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Keyword Cloud: GPCR online course, early-career scientists, imposter syndrome, GPCR podcast, neuroma model
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