Hiya Sixkitten (how are you? Nice to see you back on the forum )

I think you (and others) have a point but there are other factors to consider, especially if the postdoc does have an advisory/supervisory role to play. Certainly it is the policy of the institution where I work that a person cannot be line-managed by their 'spouse'. To me, moving labs (if only for a short time during this intense phase of the relationship) shows that you are committed to your research and prepared to create the best working environment for yourself and your colleagues. There is nothing to be ashamed of in the relationship between the people in question (assuming both are single and adults!) but I don't think moving labs suggests that there is. They could still meet up at lunch and for breaks etc? Just hope it works out well for them one way or the other

Congratulations Dr Fluffymonster!!!!! We all had faith in you! Very well done!!!

Yes, move labs. It's clear that everybody knows or strongly suspects. When people are attracted to each other, the body language is very hard to hide and can make other people feel awkward. If you move labs, you'll both be able to concentrate on your work but can still see each other out of work (although if the post-doc has any kind of supervisory role, that could be an issue). Hope things work out for you.

UK PhDs don't really work on a 'credit' type system though (excepting the newer 1+3 PhDs where the first year is spent doing a masters, which will earn credits) so I don't think it's necessarily that straight forward. Your best bet is probably if your current research team have some US collaborators who you could work with to finish your research...

Good luck fluffymonster, you'll be fine once you get in there, I promise that waiting for a viva is much worse than actually being in one! All the very best

So why are you trying to avoid your supervisor?

Hehe 404, yes, just like that one!

Lab photos are generally dreadful! Photographers always seem to want you to do really stupid poses i.e the classic holding something (test tube/beaker/microtube) filled with something (blood/interesting coloured substance/nothing at all) up to the light and staring thoughtfully at it. Or else they want you to being holding a Gilson pipette in one hand and a volumetric flask in the other but they don't want the Gilson to have a tip on the end...

I was photographed recently in the lab (long hair down, no safety specs, not good from a Health & Safety point of view!) and the photographer got really stroppy because I refused to pose lounging across an HPLC system! I do have some professional integrity...!

Yes, go for it, PhD floppy hats are great!

I wouldn't ask during the interview! The time to ask is when they offer you the job!

BTW, I've been postdoc-ing since 2004 (although didn't complete until 2005) and have not hit £25K yet, so I don't think £25K is too bad for a first post-doc!!

As a newly qualified post-doc (or maybe even a writing-up student?) you would most likely be given the bottom spine point on the salary scale. In my experience, pre-PhD experience is not considered when deciding the salary scale. However, I have never pushed this i.e. was just very grateful to be offered a post-doc position and didn't try to negotiate my way up the salary scale (knew there wasn't the grant funding available to support a higher salary anyway!). Good luck though

Hehe, Pea, I've been on telly tap dancing (few years ago, very briefly, local TV production!) and that was scary enough! Now, if they were thinking of bring back Tomorrow's World, I'd be up for that

Well, I'm obviously dynamic and telegenic but not my field, doh!

I laughed at "NB: Filming can be tough, demanding and physical. Patience and good humour is a must." I can't believe filming is tougher than actually doing a PhD

Since writing my thesis, I find I use words like 'hence', 'therefore' and 'thus' in normal conversation (and forum posts )