Workshops

From Drift to Direction:
Group Sessions for Early Career Researchers

I facilitate workshops for postdocs, junior faculty, and other early-career researchers who want to step back, see patterns in their work, and build more intentional roadmaps forward.

These sessions help groups identify where drift is happening, understand what's driving their choices, and create realistic plans to move toward what genuinely energizes them within the constraints they're actually facing.

Get in touch to discuss availability, format, and rates. Workshops can be tailored to your department or cohort's specific needs.

Workshop Format

What we cover:

  • Map where you are: What have you been working on? What's been driving those choices?
  • Identify drift patterns: Where has curiosity become secondary? What structural forces are at play?
  • Find your throughline: What questions or interests keep showing up, even on the margins?
  • Build realistic roadmaps: How do you move forward within real constraints?

Designed for:

  • Postdoc cohorts navigating career transitions
  • Junior faculty building labs or preparing for tenure
  • Departments wanting to support early-career researchers

Format & Logistics

Duration: Flexible (2 hours to half-day), tailored to your group's needs

Delivery: Virtual or in-person (Seattle area, or with travel arrangements)

Group size: 5-20 participants for optimal engagement

What Participants Leave With

  • Framework for mapping their own drift and decision patterns
  • Clarity on what's been driving their work (curiosity vs. obligation)
  • Practical tools for making more intentional choices going forward
  • Understanding that drift is structural, not personal failure

Interested in bringing a workshop to your department or cohort?

Get in Touch

Here’s what a course instructor shared after a recent workshop on research and career planning:

“Dr. Jeff Malins gave an outstanding guest presentation in my Healthcare Data Science course at UVA. His talk seamlessly blended practical career guidance with personal storytelling, highlighting his inspiring transition from academic research to a data science role at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Malins’s ability to clearly explain key skills — from communication to project organization — made a lasting impact on our students. His engaging and thoughtful style, combined with deep industry insight, makes him an exceptional mentor for anyone considering a career shift into healthcare data science.”
— Christian Wernz, Lecturer at UVA School of Data Science

Listen: Career Transitions & Building a Coherent Path

I was recently a guest on The BOLD PhD podcast, and joined Dr. Gertrude Nonterah for a candid conversation about research, career transitions, and building a coherent path forward. If what you hear resonates, I’d love to continue the conversation!