The Protein Benders!
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Lab Agreement
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We treat everyone in our lab with respect and compassion. We understand that we may have different opinions about things, but that does not lead to disrespect or judgment. As scientists, we believe in the power of discussion and learning. We are all different, we all need to learn, and sometimes there are multiple right answers.
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We support each other in times of trouble. We strive to make the world a better place and that starts from us.
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We believe in the power of open communication. Sometimes it is hard to say things in person, but we can write to each other. Problems often start due to lack of communication and misunderstanding. My office door (and email) is always open for you if you want to talk. There is also a mailbox outside my office where you can put your comments if you wish to remain anonymous.
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We believe science should be fun and collaborative. We strive for excellence and impact but we approach it with an open eye and accept the data for what it is. We believe a collaborative and friendly environment will inherently result in better science.
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We all are here because of our love for science. But, we also know that before being a scientist, we are humans. We have life outside the lab. We all have good days and bad days. Feelings outside the lab will affect our productivity and mood. In addition to collaborating on projects, we check in with each other regularly and give each other space when needed.
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We respect each other’s time and effort. That means: we don’t show up late in meetings without noting someone; we don’t under-appreciate people’s contribution, experimentally or intellectually, in our research.
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We believe in a growth mindset. We participate in giving and receiving constructive feedback (every 6 months) to and from all lab members. Together we become better.
Mentorship
Your scientific career is a journey towards self-improvement as a responsible successful scientist. I am dedicated to helping you through this journey, but you need to help me by educating yourself on what you want and actively communicating with me. Below you can find several resources that can be useful during this journey.
Mentorship by Parisa
When you first join, we will set up a meeting to go through your goals, your vision, and your needs. Together, we work on:
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Fill up your first Individual Development Plan
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Set up milestones and goals for the next 6 months
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Set up meeting plans for the next 6 months to make sure we catch up on things and hold each other accountable
This goes on every 6 months at the beginning, but the frequency can change based on your needs and my understanding of where you stand
Brief on Individual development plans:
IDP is a powerful tool for identifying and preparing for your career. There are several versions of IDP developed. We like to use a combination of myIDP and the form by Wisconsin-Madison. But if you already are using another form or like one of the other formats, we use that . (Credit to Jim Hutchinson for collection and summaries).
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myIDP developed by AAAS with a web interface. The most comprehensive tool with an emphasis on career exploration. May be too much for first year students
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IDP by University of Wisconsin-Madison heavily based on IDP
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IDP by university of Minnesota simple approach to start your plan. Little guidance on how to populate the plan
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Stanford Bioscience IDP the most structured form. Not as focused on career exploration and skill building
Peer mentorship
Everyone in our lab has a mentor when they start and will be a mentor when they’re more familiar with projects (year 3 and higher).
Why do I need a mentor:
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Mentor is your contact point for learning where things are and setting you up with lab accounts, etc.
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Your mentor is a person you can ask questions of without worrying of taking up too much of their time (it’s their payback time ;) )
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Regardless of how experienced you are, every place has its own culture and its own way of doing things. Your mentor helps you get up to speed with our lab’s culture and routines.
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Working side-by-side a mentor on their project helps you practice collaborative science
Why should I be a mentor:
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It’s a great way to practice mentorship and people management, important for whatever career you choose next
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Your mentees are wonderful help for pushing your projects forward
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Being a mentor helps you gain many valuable soft skills: self-confidence, time management, people management, collaboration
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You are playing an essential role in training the next generation of scientists that come out of our lab.
Meetings
The goal of meetings is to give updates, brainstorm ideas and learn. In addition to our one-on-one meetings and practice talks, we will have:
Group meeting
When: Every week, 1-1.5 hours
How: 2-3 members give 30 min presentation about their work since their last meeting. This is a chance for you to discuss your research with others, get ideas, and practice presentation. Start with a brief big picture of your project. Talk about what you've done. What worked, what failed, what are the next step you are uncertain about. Brainstorm new ideas
Who: Everyone. You need to tell Parisa if you cannot attend. If you have qualification/preliminary exam in two weeks, or you are defending in a month, you don't need to present.
Journal clubs
When: Biweekly, 1 hour
How: Every meeting has a lead person (rotates every time). The lead chooses a paper and announces it to the group. They also moderate the discussion by giving the big picture idea of the paper. We as a group will go figure by figure and discuss the results and experimental set up. We then talk about what we liked and disliked about the paper and what we learnt. We want to read interesting papers, they don't have to be in our research area.
Who: Everyone. Learning how to read and discuss papers, especially when you don't like them, is a great practice!
Case studies
When: Once a month, 1 hour, during lunch (Lunch will be provided)
How: The idea behind case studies is to discuss a topic that is challenging and open ended. We will have a moderator each session. The moderator picks a topic that is of interest to people. This can range anywhere from "when to quit a project" to "racial justice in STEM" to "what is plagiarism anyways?". Parisa will attend these meetings unless you specifically tell her to not. She understands!
Who: Whoever likes a fun lively discussion and free lunch.