Research continuity

I've written before that my research is interdisciplinary, and alluded to the fact that my postdoc is taking that to a whole new level.  My PhD work crossed two main subjects: A and B.  My postdoc research is still about A and B, but also includes C (which I knew a little about from my work in A), D, E, and possibly a little bit of Z.  These letters stand for disciplines that could have their own department at any typical American university.  Z is radically different from the rest.

Learning all this new stuff is exciting and overwhelming.  Fortunately, I still get to work with my PhD research adviser on the A and B, so there is something familiar among all the new stuff.  In fact, a big part of my job is to help develop this new highly interdisciplinary research by building the relationships between the A+B people, the C+D people, the E people, and maybe even the Z people.  So far it's cool, but much more complex than anything I've done before.  The science is complex, obviously, but the interpersonal/management aspects are also tricky. 

I'm glad there are at least a few familiar personalities in the mix to ease the transition into this new research.  I'm finding that I'm more excited to go to work than I have been in a very long time, and that the days just fly by.  But I'm also so tired by the end of the week, even when it feels like I hardly did anything.  It takes a lot of effort to learn (which is probably why kids need so much sleep!), so it's good that my whole world didn't change all at once.  I'm still with EGM of course, we didn't have to move for this postdoc, I still get to interact with Research Adviser, and I still get to work on my PhD topic, albeit in a very expanded way.   It's comforting to have some measure of continuity as I embark on new research territory.

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