Culture

Embrace and promote diversity

• Diverse perspectives and ideas are critical to progress and succeed in science. These different ideas come from people from diverse personal and professional backgrounds.
• Our lab is a judgment-free zone where individuals are encouraged to share their cultural heritage, allowing others to learn from and enjoy it. We celebrate holidays together, share meals, and honor traditions.
• We are committed to making science accessible to all. We pay salaries to our undergraduate students and summer interns, ensuring that individuals from varied socioeconomic backgrounds can engage in scientific pursuits.
• We provide special accommodations for lab members and offer support and flexibility during life’s challenging moments.
• We maintain a safe environment where lab members can voice their needs. Working collaboratively as a team, we set individualized expectations to support each member’s success.

Pursue growth and learning

• We are all committed to self-awareness, striving to improve ourselves each day.
• As a team, we grow and learn together, collaborating with our peers and seeking assistance when necessary.
• It’s important to remember that growth and learning are not always straightforward paths. We focus on the larger goals and offer support when someone is facing difficulties.

Invest in other people’s success

• We work on diverse topics, but always dedicate time and effort to learn about other projects in the lab.
• During lab meetings and both formal and informal discussions, we provide constructive feedback to our colleagues, helping them to grow as scientists and as independent thinkers.
• We are generous with our time, reagents, and ideas, always ready to share what we have for the collective benefit.
• We support each other’s journeys, both personal and professional, and are always prepared to offer support in whatever form it’s needed.

Pursue holistic well-being

• Discover your identity both within the lab and beyond, and strive to harmonize these aspects.
• Your experiences in the lab and life outside should complement each other. We don’t like the term “work-life balance” as it suggests a constant battle between the two.
• Some days may be more science-focused, while others are for personal time — neither should incur guilt or shame.
• Engage in activities that bring you joy.
• Work smart and value your time and the time of others.
• Rather than seeking a perfect equilibrium, recognize that well-being is an ongoing journey.

Clear and open communication

• Our interactions are grounded in respect, and we always assume the best intentions.It’s natural not to agree on everything, and we welcome respectful discourse.
• Since we can’t read minds, it’s vital that everyone communicates their needs, expectations, and concerns openly. We are committed to providing a safe space for such expressions and discussions.
• We do not appreciate passive aggressive comments, insinuations, silent contracts, and assumptions. If we want something, we will say it loud and clear.

Deliver WOW (works of wonder!)

• Our passion for science drives us to pursue research that is not only exciting and novel but also challenges existing paradigms, reshapes our understanding of concepts, or carves out new avenues of exploration.
• Our aim is to advance the field substantively, pushing boundaries rather than moving laterally.
• We are eager to share our enthusiasm with the world, explaining to both scientists and non-scientists why these biological questions captivate us so deeply. We are continually honing our communication skills to ensure that our research is represented with the clarity and vibrancy it deserves.

Do rigorous high-quality science

• We are inspired by some guiding principles from friends of the lab:
  • “Don’t marry your hypothesis”, Marnie Halpern
  • “You can’t cheat biology”, Allan Spradling
• We rigorously test our hypotheses multiple times using as many independent methods as possible.
• We consider and rigorously evaluate alternative interpretations.
• We serve as the most critical reviewers of our own data.

Be adventurous to drive your project forward

• We don’t confine our science to familiar techniques or our current capabilities.
• We are not hesitant to seek assistance. We actively solicit advice from peers, collaborators, and both scientists and non-scientists we encounter on our professional journey.
• We embrace and instigate change. Curious about new technologies and their potential to enhance our research, we are not afraid to explore new ideas, even those that contradict our hypotheses or challenge our preconceptions
• We take time to think and reflect on your science.

Be Ok with failure

• We are not deterred by failure; instead, we see it as an opportunity for learning and growth. We approach failure proactively, not passively.
• Understanding that failure is an integral part of scientific discovery, we recognize that quick failures can lead to rapid insights, steering us toward the correct path forward.
• We rigorously scrutinize our own data, openly discussing our setbacks and negative results during our weekly T3 meetings (Talk, Troubleshoot, Therapy). We commit to conducting experiments that will test and refine our hypotheses.
• Coping with failure can be difficult; therefore, it’s essential to practice kindness towards oneself and others, particularly trainees.
• We take responsibility for our mistakes.