Alan Marsh is the associate director for the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
In December 2022, Alan Marsh took over leadership of OPA. Most recently, he was a postdoctoral researcher with the Microbiome Core and the Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, where he performed independent research and supported microbiome-based services for core users. He also served as the most recent chair of the UNC Postdoctoral Association.
UNC Research spoke to Marsh about his new role and what’s to come for the office.
How did you become interested in research, specifically the gut microbiome?
I was always drawn to science, in particular biology. This curiosity spurred me to pursue an undergraduate degree in microbiology. I think you only discover these interests as you go.
I was offered a summer scholarship between my third and fourth years of undergrad — my first foray into research and an all-around great experience. At this time, an early-career PI served as an excellent mentor, one that gave me the encouragement and freedom to explore ideas and to realize that I should pursue research as a career.
My graduate program was funded by the APC Microbiome Institute in Ireland, and I was surrounded by gut microbiome research. My specialization was with microbial populations of fermented foods and peptide antimicrobials. Following an early career break to travel, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow researching how probiotics can be used to improve gut health in piglets. I was eager to shift more into human gut health and nutrition, so I began a second postdoctoral fellowship at UNC-Chapel Hill with Andrea Azcarate-Peril’s lab. I spent nearly five wonderful years exploring new microbiomes and bugs and had the privilege to work with human organ donors, probiotics, and nutritional fibers. I also gained new skills in genome sequencing and RNA expression analyses.
What do you want others to know about postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) and the role they play?
Postdocs have long been touted as invisible scholars, but the reality is that they are one of the primary engines driving research forward at every top-tier university and are at the forefront of innovation. Postdocs are highly skilled and ambitious, and by sacrificing lucrative positions elsewhere, bring a passion and dedication to an institute’s research that should be respected.
The postdoc position is inherently ill-defined, falling somewhere between structured learning and traditional employment. Conceptually though, a postdoc is more akin to junior faculty as opposed to being an extended graduate student experience, and most postdocs embark with the intention of pursuing a faculty position.
The value that postdocs bring to projects cannot be understated. In a harmonious environment they should lighten the load of the PI by acting as a reliable hand in the lab, while also learning new skills and preparing for their future. They benefit from mentorship and guidance in pursuing grant opportunities and training initiatives, including the development of skills away from the bench.
I would also like to highlight the value that international postdocs bring to Carolina. At a time when postdocs are relatively scarce, especially domestic ones, there is an opportunity to secure international talent to fill emerging gaps in U.S. research. In addition to attracting the best talent from around the world, Carolina should also be ready to support the retention of this population following years of investment in their training.
What role does the OPA play in the Carolina postdoctoral experience?
OPA provides a safety net for postdocs. We are a centralized office that offers administrative support for the 800 or so postdocs at UNC-Chapel Hill, across all schools and disciplines. We act as an institutional voice for postdocs among staff, faculty, and various committees. We also support HR professionals and faculty mentors in recruiting, mentoring, and guiding the professional development of postdocs. OPA centralizes postdoc communications, provides orientation and ethics training, and supports professional development, including grant writing.
Our office also emphasizes career management. OPA provides training and resources to help prepare postdocs to transition to the next stage of their career. Our office has an amazing support system overseen by Dara Wilson Grant, our professional development director, that provides postdocs with career consultations and support with resumes and application packages. OPA also oversees the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity.
In addition, OPA highlights and celebrates Carolina’s postdocs through initiatives such as the Postdoc Awards in Research Excellence and National Postdoc Appreciation Week. Working closely with the fantastic Postdoctoral Association, we also strive to create a sense of community among the postdoc population with social outreach and networking events.
As you take on this position, what are you most excited about?
I am excited about engaging with current and future postdocs to learn which programs we should implement to best support them. I look forward to bringing increased visibility to the incredible postdoc talent here at UNC-Chapel Hill and would like to see us leverage our location in the Triangle to build better and stronger bridges with industry and other academic institutions nearby.
I am most excited to see where the future leads. This is an interesting economic landscape to be involved in postdoctoral affairs. Postdoc numbers are declining globally, with even prestigious labs struggling to fill positions as universities must now compete with an increasingly attractive private industry. From a global research perspective, we should be asking how the postdoc experience can benefit the non-academic minded — those who will end up in other positions of influence. Are there ways that we can craft a postdoctoral experience that simultaneously satisfies the demands of research while also preparing a postdoc for what comes next?
As graduate students and postdocs are questioning the value of what it means to be in these positions, we should be a part of this global conversation by evaluating whether the postdoc role should adapt to meet these challenges. We must ask ourselves how Carolina can remain attractive for postdocs in an era of increased competition. It is in our own interest to ensure that postdocs are satisfied with their experience here as they continue to contribute significantly to UNC-Chapel Hill’s reputation for research excellence.