Hidden Stories at the Bench

“I Thought I Messed Up” — Lauren Blake on Accidental Discoveries, Doubt, and Doing a PhD

In this episode of Hidden Stories at the Bench, I sit down with Lauren Blake for a candid, deeply honest conversation about what it really feels like to do a PhD. Lauren shares how many of her most important discoveries began as moments of doubt — data she assumed was wrong, experiments she thought she had messed up, and observations she nearly dismissed. We talk about accidental findings, learning to recognize meaningful signals, and how supportive mentorship can shape both science and mental health. From discovering the role of processing bodies in RNA decay, to navigating insecurity, failed experiments, and the long stretch of “90% ahhhhhh,” Lauren reflects on how scientific intuition is trained — and why the real antagonist in research should be the biomolecules, not your advisor or yourself. We also discuss life after the PhD: shifting fields, working on sustainable biomaterials, entrepreneurship, and why trusting your gut — and the vibes of a lab — can matter more than prestige. This episode is for PhD students, postdocs, and anyone who has ever wondered whether struggling means they don’t belong. Hidden Stories at the Bench is a podcast about the human side of science — the doubts, detours, and small sparks that never make it into the paper.