Both research types take a very long time before seeing any results, or before using the results to make changes. But, I agree with research done in industry is faster and if lucky, we might see the products developed in our generation. With academia, I do not think there is hope of ever seeing products researched on the market, maybe in a different generation. This is because research professors take projects after projects, and end up with more than 50 projects to work on. In industry, there is management that ensures work gets done within the deadlines. Research done to help current generations is more beneficial because we need to consider the time it takes to develop a drug or a product. We are still discovering many new strains of diseases that need attention before developing projects for the future generations. But researching for current generations also means researching for the future. For instance, many people believe that disease that our generations lived through, are going to appear or come back in the future. Technology is developing and scientists are going to find advanced ways to make their research easier in the future. So, working on current research to benefit us now helps researchers in the future and develops results for our current problems.
I feel more comfortable doing research for a living than doing engineering work for a living. There are two options, either academia or industry. Although I would be more comfortable and more efficient doing research, I want to make a decent living as a result of my graduate education as a financial benefit rather than making a name for myself. My view is helping others is nice, but I got to be okay myself to be able to do that. Altough, I am a little confused about how I can find a position in the industry. What are the hiring managers look for while hiring a Biomedical Engineering Researcher? In academia, if you have a Ph.D. or Masters, you can join a lab eventually in the field of your interest, but in the industry, they want to experience, and I am not sure if they count graduate education as research experience. So although I want to work in the industry as a researcher, I cannot figure out what I must do to be considered.
I prefer doing research for a living than doing engineering work for a living, especially when I become old, it will be more comfortable to use my brain rather than my muscles. But in my view, to be able to be a good researcher, you need to see both sides of the coin. What I am trying to say as a biomedical engineer having some hands-on experience gives me a new perspective when I am doing my research as a Ph.D. student. You may not need the abilities you earned from doing engineering or technician work, but you will have a more comprehensive picture of the question in front of you. When I graduated, I worked as a Biomedical Engineering Technician for a while, and I saw some of the results of our research studies in the field. I noticed how they are being used, how valuable they can be, what might be the downside, and what impact they can do. As a researcher who only seen research and nothing else, it is impossible to have a clear view of this. To sum up, yes, I want to be a researcher, hopefully in a company. Still, I believe that we need some hands-on experience as biomedical researchers, even if its just a little bit of experience.
Personally, I would like to conduct research that has a more current effect. This would align more so with industry. However, it would not be surprising to conduct research that is beneficial for the future through industry either. I think that any research done is something that can be built upon and used in the future. Just because an individual is in industry or academia does not necessarily affect the longevity and impact of their research. Another point to be made is that typically research is done within industry for quicker results. It is to be able to come out with a new product faster. On the other hand, research done within academia is typically more scientific. This means that despite having some findings, there may not be any direct implementations or changes that can be made from these findings. Regardless, the results from either form of research can be referred to and even used in developing future research studies. Thus, despite certain forms of research having much quicker and direct impacts, I think all forms of research play some role in affecting the future.
I think both are equally important. I prefer to take part in research that would help people now or in the near future (10 years down the line). I wouldn't like to take part in research that won't reach patients and help heal them/improve their lives. I do understand the importance however of doing research that helps gain better understanding of the body, chemistry, etc. This research is the building block to many findings years down the line. During my undergraduate years I took part in drug development research that was incredibly interesting and rewarding. While, the concept had great potential for helping cure diseases that currently have no cure, it wasn't helping people now or in the near future. It could be many years before this concept would be robust enough to start clinical trials. In industry however, while it takes close to ten years to bring devices/biologics to market, there are more resources to help fund and speed up the process. Companies don't waste time on things they don't think will bring them money (has it's own pros and cons), however it helps bring patients treatments they need faster. At the same time some promising treatments that would cost too much to develop might not make it.
@patricia But people don’t always choose short-term rewards over long-run gain. All will depend of the research. It improves services and treatments not just for you but also for future generations. It helps develop new tests for diagnosis, treatments and processes that could eventually help children, or even grandchildren. You may gain access to treatments that are not yet readily available to the general public. Base of that, I will prefer a short term research that will be beneficial to the general public and I will also be able to experience it
@myton provides some good remarks. Industry and academia can be a bit different, when considering the goals of each field. But, research holds an important role throughout any field. From my experience, academic research prepared me for actual experiences and work in industry. Sometimes both can go hand in hand if you can move forward the research and make advancements in the field.
In industry, research is done to make discoveries for products that can help people right away, while in academia, research create results for the long run. I feel that both types of research are important and necessary. However, I am more interested in doing research that will have beneficial results right away. I would like to see the results of my research being used right away, rather than passing on my research to someone else to continue and one day make a discovery. Would you rather do research that would result in making discoveries to help future generations or the current generation, and why? Which do you think is more important?
This is honestly a really great question @hm243, I personally would like to work in industry because as you mentioned the results are more easily visible and can have a positive effect on lives much more quickly than academic research. However, I do feel that each pathway has its benefits and drawbacks but the main difference is the reasoning behind each path. Academic research is more for people who want to earn their PH. D. in a specific field and then either use that to continue research with another school that has funding or go into the industry with higher credentials. On the other hand, people who go straight into the industry after undergraduate or graduate school are most likely looking to apply their knowledge to current real world situations to gain experience.
I would rather do research that can benefit the current generation and also be able to progress with the time to help future generations. An example of this would be the cell phone. This device was helpful during the nineties, but has progressed over time and is even more helpful in today's time. With a medical device, the research required can help both current and future generations with constant progress and ongoing research.
As research scientist I venture to say I want both, I want my work to be beneficial for today’s access and I want my work to inspire and lead to discoveries or pathways to new aspirations at the same time. Quality work. I am going to use sickle cell disease as my example, I would love the opportunity to participate in the clinical trials phases that are currently occurring around the world or SCD, with years of studying and speculation as well as animal testing, it’s finally happening. Even though we are in the clinical trials phase, that does not mean there is an effective cure yet, that is why we do these. IF I could contribute to find the missing link within gene editing to not just cure a person with SCD but prevent the inheritance of SCD gene than I would want that to contribute to today’s society! However, how would like my research to contribute to the future, in the same way, SCD is not the only disease/disorder that involves sickling. There is sickle cell trait, sickle cell anemia, then you have the disorders that occurs due to sickling such as strokes, and the biggest one I am aware of organ damage. I would like my SCD research to contribute to the future generations as they tackle these additional disorders that are directly linked to sickling.
In industry, research is done to make discoveries for products that can help people right away, while in academia, research create results for the long run. I feel that both types of research are important and necessary. However, I am more interested in doing research that will have beneficial results right away. I would like to see the results of my research being used right away, rather than passing on my research to someone else to continue and one day make a discovery. Would you rather do research that would result in making discoveries to help future generations or the current generation, and why? Which do you think is more important?
Whether your research benefits a recent development or the work you do will be passed on to future generations for the benefit of future research is inconsequential in terms of the purpose of research in and of itself, the process of discovery and experimentation. That is the route of focus, your research has a function of discovery and whether that discovery takes place in the recent or is a product of future developments should not be the focus but the process in and of itself should be the goal. A great example of this is the process of mRNA vaccines which have been in development for the past 17 years and only recently how they become a novel and innovative treatment to fight against the current pandemic but this was a process of many years of research and development and it’s a testament to the quality of research when done right.
In industry, research is done to make discoveries for products that can help people right away, while in academia, research create results for the long run. I feel that both types of research are important and necessary. However, I am more interested in doing research that will have beneficial results right away. I would like to see the results of my research being used right away, rather than passing on my research to someone else to continue and one day make a discovery. Would you rather do research that would result in making discoveries to help future generations or the current generation, and why? Which do you think is more important?
Although I cannot say which is more important (because I think it is a personal preference), I will attempt to answer the other questions. Each type of research, whether in academia or industry, has its place. I think I would be more interested in doing research that can immediately be used. I do not think I would like the idea of picking up where someone else left off or eventually giving my work to someone else. Passing the baton is not quite my interest. Anything that I begin, I want to see through to the end.
In industry, research is done to make discoveries for products that can help people right away, while in academia, research create results for the long run. I feel that both types of research are important and necessary. However, I am more interested in doing research that will have beneficial results right away. I would like to see the results of my research being used right away, rather than passing on my research to someone else to continue and one day make a discovery. Would you rather do research that would result in making discoveries to help future generations or the current generation, and why? Which do you think is more important?
Whether your research benefits a recent development or the work you do will be passed on to future generations for the benefit of future research is inconsequential in terms of the purpose of research in and of itself, the process of discovery and experimentation. That is the route of focus, your research has a function of discovery and whether that discovery takes place in the recent or is a product of future developments should not be the focus but the process in and of itself should be the goal. A great example of this is the process of mRNA vaccines which have been in development for the past 17 years and only recently how they become a novel and innovative treatment to fight against the current pandemic but this was a process of many years of research and development and it’s a testament to the quality of research when done right.
I like your perspective. I agree with your point of view. It is far better to take into account the point of the research. Where should one's focus be placed? If it is on the goal of the research, that is likely a better place than only considering the role from a personal perspective. If only individual pursuits are considered, I suppose we would never have come as far as we have. Thanks for your response.
Both areas of research are essential for different reasons. Researching the present can be compared to what has been done for the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Rigorous research was being done to understand the virus and treat it in a short amount of time with little to no background knowledge or journal articles to compare this situation. Research for the present is necessary to treat those suffering from illnesses now, especially if the technology has evolved enough to treat them. On the other hand, performing research for the future may help those who are not treatable today because the technology has not evolved to that point yet. Also, researching future generations allows them to learn from your knowledge or mistakes and improve on them. Your research may inspire others to go further, or it can be a reflection of the time period.
In industry, research is done to make discoveries for products that can help people right away, while in academia, research create results for the long run. I feel that both types of research are important and necessary. However, I am more interested in doing research that will have beneficial results right away. I would like to see the results of my research being used right away, rather than passing on my research to someone else to continue and one day make a discovery. Would you rather do research that would result in making discoveries to help future generations or the current generation, and why? Which do you think is more important?
I would love to research for now that has the potential to be manipulated so that it may evolve for the future. Is there a both option? Because there are benefits to doing it all. If there is research that can evolve, then that means I've satisfied both briefs. And I don't think one is more important than the other though I do see set backs in both areas. There are some professors who have been doing the same research for the last 30 years; their protégé will take it on continuing for another 20 before its completed. That's too long. Things change. Although its likely that the work will still be needed, they'll never get to see the impact. I don't like that. However with the instant impact, it could still be out done by a fellow researcher just a few months down the line. So, I want to have the best of both worlds, final answer.
