The postdoc paradox: a career without a path

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Title:	The postdoc paradox: a career without a path
Creators Name:	Pansieri, Jonathan, Figiel, Sandy, Menassa, David, Ricigliano, Vito A G, Seferoglu, Meral, Borrelli, Serena, Szejko, Natalia, Samadzadeh, Sara, Boldrini, Vinícius, Zarco, Luis, Correa-Díaz, Edgar Patricio, Pozzilli, Valeria, Marenna, Silvia, Carnero Contentti, Edgar, Koc, Emine Rabia, Dalla Costa, Gloria, Casallas-Vanegas, Adriana, Bakirtzis, Christos, Gluscevic, Sanja, Tunç, Abdulkadir and Gomez Figueroa, Enrique
Abstract:	In biology as in many fields, the academic path begins in a structured, comforting way: a Bachelor's degree, a Master’s, then a PhD. On the surface, this system makes sense, a meritocratic progression toward expertise. Then comes the (in)famous postdoctoral position, and the clarity vanishes. The so-called “post-doc” is ubiquitous but strikingly undefined. In fact, it might refer to someone six months out of completing their PhD or someone with fifteen years of experience. It is perhaps the only label in academia spanning both supposed training and de facto independence. Paradoxically, it reflects a systemic failure: after years of education and specialisation, researchers are thrust into a professional holding zone, with neither job security nor a clear roadmap. Despite repeated warnings and policy recommendations from some academic bodies and many researchers for over a decade, little structural improvement has been achieved. In this Opinion, we explore the postdoc paradox: how a short-term role originally designed to launch academic careers has become a prolonged period of uncertainty. We argue that the challenges facing postdocs are not simply the result of neglect or poor mentorship but reflect deeper systemic issues rooted in how research is organised and governed. To move forward, we must confront these failures, reject the culture of “divide and conquer” that isolates researchers, and begin imagining a more equitable and sustainable academic ecosystem.
Source:	Brain
ISSN:	0006-8950
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Page Range:	awaf314
Date:	8 September 2025
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf314
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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