Name: Diane Hoffman-Kim, Ph.D.

Company/School: Brown University

Position: Assistant Professor of Medical Science and Biomedical Engineering

Degree(s) Earned:

BS Optics Engineering, University of Rochester

PhD Medical Science, Brown University

Contact: Diane_Hoffman-Kim@brown.edu

What positions did you hold before your current position (what other jobs led
you to where you are now)?

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Harvard

Postdoctoral fellow, Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College

Assistant professor (research), Department of Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University School of Medicine

What are your favorite aspects of you job? What are the drawbacks?

Favorites: Independence, freedom, and flexibility in research and teaching; Working with talented, motivated students

Drawbacks: High pressure pre-tenure; High competition for limited funding resources

General: Flexibility is a favorite and a drawback; favorite because I can structure my life as I want; drawback because there’s not a defined end to the work part of life each day

What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about pursuing a career in
your area?

• Get research experience.

• Find out what area of science is most interesting for you.

• Develop strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

• Work steadily on what interests you.

• Don’t be afraid to cross disciplines.

What do you look for in a potential job candidate/ what qualities are most
important for someone in your field?

• Intelligence

• Articulate presentation, both written and oral

• Organization, systematic approach

• Creativity

• Interpersonal skills

• Motivation

• Perseverance