From PhD to Associate Investigator
Forrest Collman, an Associate Investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, shares how he went from a PhD in Neuroscience and Molecular Biology to leading large-scale neuroscience research.
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👔 The Job 👔
As an Associate Investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Washington, Forrest co-leads a major project using electron microscopy to map synaptic connections throughout the brain.
In his role, he:
Manages interdisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers
Oversees software infrastructure and technical workflows
Writes grants and scientific papers
Presents research findings and helps guide strategic decisions
Reviews and writes code to support large-scale neuroscience projects
Best part of the job:
Having a diverse set of responsibilities while working with cutting-edge datasets at a scale never previously possible.
🛣️ The Path 🛣️
Forrest first joined the Allen Institute after his postdoctoral advisor was hired there. Over time, his contributions and growing responsibilities led to promotions within the organization.
Key steps in his career journey:
• PhD Graduate ➡️ Postdoctoral Fellow ➡️ Staff Scientist ➡️ Investigator
🧠 The Decision 🧠
Forrest views his role as a hybrid between academia and industry.
He still conducts research, publishes papers, and leads scientific projects, but outside the constraints of a traditional academic institution. He found that the Allen Institute allowed him to lean into his strengths as a scientist while working in a structure designed for large-scale collaborative science.
Once he experienced the type of work possible in that environment, choosing this path became easy.
💡 The Advice 💡
Recognize the role of luck and circumstance.
Many aspects of academic success depend on factors outside your control. Learning when to pivot away from approaches that are not working is a valuable strength, not a failure.Tell the real story behind your work.
A major strength of PhD training is learning how to tackle ambiguous problems with no clear path forward. When describing your work, explain not just the polished outcome, but how you reasoned through uncertainty to get there.Package your work for broader audiences.
Take extra time to make your work accessible outside your niche. This could mean documenting code on GitHub, creating visualizations, or building demonstrations that help others engage with your research.Look for environments with room to grow.
Your skills matter, but organizational structure matters too. Seek workplaces where strong contributors are given opportunities to expand their responsibilities and advance.
🔑 The Takeaway 🔑
Forrest’s story challenges the idea that research careers must follow a traditional academic model.
There are many environments where PhDs can do ambitious, cutting-edge science while benefiting from collaboration, infrastructure, and career growth that may not exist in academia.
Success is not about fitting into one predefined system. It is about finding the environment where your strengths can thrive.