Lab Culture
The goal of the ATHINA Lab is to thoughtfully advance science in the fields of mTBI and aging. In order to achieve this, we work to foster a culture of respect, integrity, collaboration, and inclusivity in our lab and beyond.
Some ways that I work to build and maintain this environment include:
Mentorship: Having regular one-on-one meetings with all lab members to ensure they receive the support they need to accomplish their goals in the lab. We’ll use this time to discuss progress on projects in the lab, but also ways to successfully maintain a work-life balance, how to apply for grants/fellowships, next steps beyond the lab, etc.
Accountability: Holding weekly lab meetings to work through any challenges or road-blocks we all may be facing in our projects and share updates on study development, recruitment, data management, and analyses. We each bring something important to the table, so this time to share and troubleshoot is critical in our ability to progress towards our goals.
Sharing Accolades: Crediting lab members in talks and presentations for their contributions to ongoing and completed projects. Any work I share with others is the product of the whole team, and will always be discussed as such.
Authorship: Attributing authorship on papers based on contributions to study design, data collection, statistical analysis, and manuscript preparation. Publications will always be currency in academia, and I want to make sure credit goes where it is due to help us all succeed.
Funding: Continuing to ensure the lab stays fully funded. We can only advance our field if we have the funding to do so, so I will always work to ensure we have the resources we need to do the work we are doing.
Hiring: Maintaining an understanding of the needs of the lab in order to ensure that we have the personnel needed to accomplish our goals. Further, ensuring that the members of our lab embrace our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our lab will always be stronger for the diversity of our identities, backgrounds, and experiences, and I am committed to ensuring that we welcome and celebrate that diversity.
Some ways in which I expect the members of my lab to perpetuate this culture include:
Respect for Others: Understanding that each member of the lab brings important perspective, experience, skill, and knowledge to the table, and leading with empathy.
Respect for Time: Accepting that everyone has different commitments and obligations outside of the lab, and that none of these supersede or out-rank the others.
Honesty and Integrity: Recognizing that science is only as good as the people who do it. We are all human and make mistakes sometimes – that is to be expected – but we can only fix and move on from these mistakes when we recognize them, own up to them, and work together towards a solution. Science is never about assigning blame, but rather about working together towards a common goal.
Professionalism: Appreciating that for our research participants, participating in our studies is a big event that takes time out of their day and may push them a bit outside their usual comfort zone. We could not accomplish our research goals if not for the generosity of our research participants, and thus we owe them the utmost professionalism and respect in all interactions.