Can I do a postdoc in a lab where the co-PI wasn’t interested in me?
When I was applying for PhD programs, I emailed two professors and didn’t know they share the same lab and many projects.
Dr. A was interested in meeting me. They both scheduled to meet me, but Dr. A couldn’t attend so I met Dr. B. Basically, Dr. B didn’t think I had the quantitative skills to be in their lab. To be fair, my undergrad and master’s weren’t rigorous with this specific skill set. Dr. B was polite but told me to apply somewhere else.
I ended up applying to another university that is well-known but less prestigious. My current PI is a very well-known researcher in her field. She is also good friends with Dr. A. While it’s the same field as Dr. A, they have different concentrations. I’m very passionate with Dr. A’s work and have met her at conferences.
Dr. A, Dr. B, and my current advisor are considered legends in my field. Should I give it another try and apply for a postdoc with Dr. A? I haven’t talked to Dr. B, although I saw her at a distance at conferences.
Posted Dec 1, 2025, 8:19 PM UTC