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Foreign post-docs speak

A recent survey by the Scientific Research Society found that 54 percent of post-doctoral researchers in the United States are non-citizens holding temporary visas. At Children's Hospital Boston in 2006, more than 65 percent of postdoctoral research fellows were from outside the U.S. These talented foreign scientists come from countries such as China or India, where scientific research and education are highly respected, encouraged and funded. They've become essential to American biomedical research, particularly as the number of U.S. science graduates per year has flattened.

Since the events of September 11, 2001, however, tightened visa regulations have left many researchers in immigration quagmires, unable to obtain long-staying J-1 visas or forced to endure long immigration processing delays when returning to the U.S. from visits to their home country. Foreign scientists also have difficulty obtaining research support because of funder restrictions, limiting their prospects for career advancement, and often face language barriers, cultural differences and financial issues. Here, several Children's researchers share the challenges they face.

Flavia Cassiola, PhD (Brazil)
Flavia Cassiola, a researcher in the Vascular Biology Program, is exploring the use of biomarkers from platelets that can detect cancer at an early stage. Trained in Brazil and at the Harvard School of Public Health, she has been in the U.S. for almost three years.

Sometimes I'm so concentrated on my work that I sit at my microscope and I don't speak to anyone at all, so I'm not practicing my English. Sometimes I feel other people think, "Maybe she's not smart." I did a work-in-progress presentation a couple of months ago. I think I did pretty well, but when I had to answer questions from the other researchers, I felt I failed a little bit. I had so much to say, but because I'm still struggling with my speaking skills, a lot, I think, was missed. I felt intimidated and frustrated that I couldn't perform the way I expected of myself. Even on the faces of the other researchers I could feel a little bit of misunderstanding, like, "Huh, what is she saying?" I am a quiet person naturally and I have a little difficulty with being aggressive. I see others who have problems with language, too, but they can promote themselves better. Generally, in research, if you are more aggressive you get more attention. It is not only about science, it is how you present it or how you show yourself and your work.

Lingyi Chen, PhD (China)
Lingyi Chen is a post-doc studying embryonic stem cells in the Children's laboratory of George Daley, MD, PhD. Originally from Fujian province in China, Chen first immigrated to the U.S. for graduate study in 1999, with minimal problems; that changed post-9/11.

My H-1B visa allows me to work for three years in the U.S., but every time I go out of the U.S., I have to apply for a new visa stamp to return. The first time I returned from China was in 2003. I had to remain there for five months because I was placed on [an anti-terrorism] high-risk list because I studied biology. The process of getting my return visa stamp was extremely slow and unpredictable. I couldn't complete any research; basically, my project was stopped for five months. Some students I know were stuck in their home country for a year.

In 2007, I went back to China again to present lectures; once again I was placed on the high-security list. It took two weeks before I was cleared and could return to the U.S. In March 2008, I went to China for an interview. Based on new U.S. immigration guidelines, I was told that if you were cleared from a high-security checklist within one year of a previous check, you would have immediate clearance. Unfortunately, I was again put on the list.

While I understand U.S. homeland security concerns, I think if they say it will take three weeks to clear you, then it should take three weeks. U.S. Immigration Services also need to distinguish what's really dangerous and what is beneficial to society. My past issues with immigration make me hesitate to go back and visit my family.

Parul Sharma, PhD (India)
Parul Sharma, originally from India, is studying bone remodeling at the cellular level for Children's Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

Work is kind of addictive here, so you tend to give up more of your personal time than you would back home and often do not even realize it. It is also easier to change career paths here. We work on more basic problems in science than we would at home, where research is very structured and narrowly focused. In my opinion, scientific leadership is less hierarchical here than in India, so I find you have to be more proactive and aggressive in taking on work. Less hierarchy means that you have to delineate work issues more clearly, otherwise there may be a less equitable sharing or acknowledgement of work, which may be assigned just because "you knew how" or your colleague did not want to do it.

I feel that the reduced numbers of American post-docs has meant that the postdoctoral training aspect of the scientific career may not receive as much support from grant agencies or from institutions as it should. Primary investigators get little credit for their role as educators or mentors of mainly foreign post-docs, and institutions do not highlight or advertise the quality or placement of foreign post-docs who were trained at their institution; rather, the focus is only on scientific leaders and their projects. It would be great if academics could write in thheir resumes about the quality or quantity of foreign post-docs they have trained for a promotion to the next level.

Are you a foreign researcher? Share your thoughts and experiences with the editor.