Early Career Researchers (ECRs) are leading the way when it comes to challenging traditional approaches to scientific research and publishing, but achieving buy-in from senior investigators and peer scientists isn’t always easy. Jessica Polka would know, as an early career researcher (ECR) and the director of the ASAPbio initiative, her career is devoted to achieving and streamlining the use of preprints in biology.

In episode 26 of PLOScast, I chat with Polka about preprints as a tool for science communication, as well as her career trajectory thus far and how she deals with feelings of imposter syndrome.