Ten simple rules for choosing a PhD supervisor (PLOS Comput. Biol.)

Choosing a PhD supervisor is one of the most important and difficult decisions of an academic career. This new entry by Jabre et al. in the “Ten simple rules” series endeavors to highlight some of the factors to consider when faced with this decision. These span from the early steps of identifying potential supervisors based on their research interests and methods, to how to investigate if the adivisor, research group, and institution are good fits for your interest. Talking to people who know you and can advise is crucial, as is talking to the individual’s current and former students. Lab cultures vary tremendously, and no matter how much you love the research question, you’ll be unhappy if your approach to work and decision making is at odds with the lab group you find yourself in. This is a very useful set of “rules” to share with those who are preparing their search for a PhD supervisor – please share! (Summary by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching) PLOS Comput. Biol. 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009330