Visiting Microsoft Research, Cambridge

This week I visited Microsoft Research in Cambridge for a 2.5 day workshop on how to build a successful career in research and get to know more about the work that goes on in these labs.

It has been a fantastic opportunity to learn hands on about Azure, but also find out for example how computing can be used to cure cancer, capture medical imaging and predict bio-models. I had no idea Microsoft Research covered so many different topics related to computer science! We also got very good tips and tools to on how to write a paper, think strategically, present data and do interdisciplinary research. 

This workshop was the kick-off event of a pilot mentoring scheme project for women in research. Together with other two women, Kavin from Queen Mary University and Annet from Oxford University, I was chosen to take part in this project and will be mentored by Siân Lindley for the next 12 months. During the past week I had the chance to meet researchers, interns and other students, network, talk about my research and get incredibly useful feedback.

Experiences like this are what make me want to go into industry after my PhD (and not just because food and drink are better!), but especially make me realise how much I like my job!!

Keep scrolling for some useful links that were recommended this week.

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Here are a few links on useful tips and tools suggested during the workshop:

• Example of good data visualisation:

  http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_good_news_of_the_decade

• Data Visualisation tool

  http://www.tableausoftware.com/products/desktop

• A tool to create your own timeline and put it into historical perspective

  http://www.chronozoom.com/#/t00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

• A website that challenges you to replicate studies in name of research transparency

  https://www.codalab.org/

• Lecture by Richard Hamming on “You and your research”

  http://www.paulgraham.com/hamming.html

• “Where good ideas come from” by Steve Johnson

  http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from

• Heilmeier’s  Catechism for research

  http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~ddahlstr/misc/heilmeier.html

• 12 resolutions for grad students (Matt Might)

  http://matt.might.net/articles/grad-student-resolutions/

• Simone Payton Jones on how to give a good presentation and write a good paper

  http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm