Apologies in advance for the long story.
I started my PhD in an immunology program in the fall of 2013. Throughout my first year of classes+rotations I never really found a lab that I fit into: most labs had poor funding, not enough room for new students, or just projects I interested in. I rotated in a lab outside of my program with a cancer biology focus a great reputation: good funding, happy, successful students, productive and meaningful research. I left immunology to join the new program (molecular bio) so that I could be in the lab. I passed quals and looked forward to starting my thesis work in my new lab and program.
Major problem: My PI, who was supposed to return from maternity leave in January 2014, never came back to the lab. She was becoming more and more difficult to get a hold of, and to this day I have never seen her in office. She does not attend thesis committee meetings, seminars, conferences, lab meetings, office hours, or journal clubs. Others are starting to panic and morale is at an all-time low in the lab. I am contemplating applying to immunology programs elsewhere to get into the type of research I originally wanted to be a part of and leaving with my masters. I want to be excited about my work and I need mentorship. Am I jumping the gun?
If I do decide to leave, should I be contacting PIs at universities I am applying to directly so that they know me on some personal level, understand my complicated situation, and can vouch for my application? Application deadlines are coming so soon and I can't seem to decide whether I should wait this out a few more months and see if anything changes or if I should just cut my losses and move on with my career now while I still have time.