Lab ethos

Scientific Rigor and Integrity

Good science starts with asking the right questions and designing the right experiments to answer them. This means thinking carefully before you pipette, perfuse a drug, or patch a cell, not after. It also means doing what is right instead of what is easy or expedient: reporting your data honestly, including the results you didn't want, and always using best practices for analysis and dissemination. The credibility of our work depends on every one of us holding to this standard.

Dedication

I endlessly think about our research, and I work hard to push the science forward. I expect the same level of dedication from my trainees in the lab. Science is fun, and amazing, and extremely cool. It can also take long hours, necessitate working weekends, and a higher level of devotion than needed for most jobs. You are pushing the boundaries of what is known, that takes serious effort. These periods of intense work are balanced by periods of more predictable schedules and easy to manage work loads. We are not a lab that fosters burnout. We are a lab that fosters intensity and dedication.

Work-Life Balance

Research is demanding, and so sustainable science requires rest. I do not expect anyone to sacrifice their health or personal life for the lab.

Respect and Inclusion

We are a group of people from different backgrounds, with different experiences and different ways of thinking. That is a strength, and it only works if everyone feels genuinely respected. Harassment, discrimination, and derogatory behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Neither will gossip or passive-aggressive conduct toward labmates. If something is bothering you, say so, to the person involved or to me.

Collaboration

This is a small lab, and we depend on each other. Share what you know, help when you can, and ask for help when you need it. If you figure out a better way to do something, share it. Science moves faster when people work together, and a lab culture that hoards techniques or information hurts everyone.

Curiosity

The questions we work on don't have obvious answers. I expect everyone in this lab to be genuinely curious: to read broadly, to question their own assumptions, and to stay open to being wrong. Some of our best progress will come from experiments that didn't work the way we expected.

Communication

If something is not working, whether that's an experiment, a protocol, a working relationship, or your experience in the lab, say something. I cannot help with problems I don't know about. This goes both ways: I will tell you honestly how I think things are going, and I expect the same from you.

My job is to set you up to succeed. That means I will make sure you have the materials, equipment, and resources you need to do your work. When experiments aren't working, I will troubleshoot with you. When you are writing, analyzing data, or preparing a presentation, I will work through it with you and help you understand why certain approaches work better than others. My goal is for every person who comes through this lab to leave as a more capable, more confident, and more independent scientist than when they arrived.

Beyond the day-to-day, I will advocate for you. I will write strong letters of recommendation, nominate you for awards when I think you're a good fit, and connect you with people and opportunities that serve your career goals, in academia, industry, or anywhere else. I will continue to be a resource for you after you leave the lab. The mentoring relationship does not end at graduation.