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Current postdoctoral fellows have a range of career options; however, following a career path into acade- mia can be daunting. Here, we dis- cuss essential elements needed to transition the postdoctoral position into faculty candidates. Further- more, we provide critical hacks to help postdoctoral fellows to be well prepared to navigate the appli- cation and interview processes 

To prepare for an academic career requires a postdoctoral position that provides an advanced research experience, which leads to increasing independence. However, it is critical to develop other parts of your academic portfolio to create a robust application. Here, we discuss the critical steps in preparing a competitive faculty application. 

Cultural humility allows a better understanding and appreciation of others, as well as fostering positive interactions with different kinds of individuals. Here, we discuss the difficulties faced by persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) in immunology and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), as well as the importance of cultural humility in research and academia. 

One of the biggest obstacles to success is a lack of practical time management skills. Here, we provide suggestions on how to optimize time management. 

High-resolution 3D images of organelles are of paramount importance in cellular biology. Although light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have provided the standard for imaging cellular structures, they cannot provide 3D images. However, recent technological advances such as serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) provide the tools to create 3D images for the ultrastructural analysis of organelles. Here, we describe a standardized protocol using the visualization software, Amira, to quantify organelle morphologies in 3D, thereby providing accurate and reproducible measurements of these cellular substructures. We demonstrate applications of SBF-SEM and Amira to quantify mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) structures. 

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is widely used as an imaging modality to provide high-resolution details of subcellular components within cells and tissues. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are organelles of particular interest to those investigating metabolic disorders. A straightforward method for quantifying and characterizing particular aspects of these organelles would be a useful tool. In this protocol, we outline how to accurately assess the morphology of these important subcellular structures using open source software ImageJ, originally developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Specifically, we detail how to obtain mitochondrial length, width, area, and circularity, in addition to assessing cristae morphology and measuring mito/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interactions. These procedures provide useful tools for quantifying and characterizing key features of sub-cellular morphology, leading to accurate and reproducible measurements and visualizations of mitochondria and ER.