Core Values

Culture is simply the behaviors that a group rewards or looks down on. This document is meant to exemplify our desired lab culture. If you think there is something missing or that needs to be clarified, please let me (Josh) know. With that said, the values that our team rewards and aspires to are –

• Teamwork. Science is a group effort and it relies on everyone working together and supporting each other. You may have an individual project that will rest on your shoulders to complete, but so much of your day-to-day hinges on supporting, and being supported by, your coworkers. This takes the form of being a good lab citizen, good communication, teaching and mentoring (more later), and valuing other’s time and effort.
• Hard work (but not overwork!). We work hard in the Currie lab. The PhD is the highest degree that you can earn in science and this is evident by the hard work required to literally expand the boundaries of human knowledge. You will fail more than you succeed, and the most valuable skill you’ll learn is to be persistent and not give up. Hard work does not mean overwork. We will never celebrate or romanticize long working hours. Being efficient with your time and thinking ahead should mean that you do not need to maintain outrageous hours to get stuff done. Sometimes we have periods of extra work to meet a deadline or finish an experiment, but afterwards we know how to unwind and take breaks. We recognize that we work our best when we can get proper rest and not obsess over work. The lab manual has more general guidelines for how work gets done (core hours, working alone, weekend work, etc.).
• Teaching. Mentorship and teaching permeates many of the professional interactions that we have in the lab. I expect every lab member (including the PI) to be both a teacher and teachable. Being a teacher means that regardless of defined roles, we take the time to help our colleagues when they need to learn a task or analysis. Being teachable means that everyone has something to contribute and we are never too proud, old, or degreed to learn something new from a lab mate. That also means that we regularly ask our colleagues for help and advice (we value teamwork!).
• Respect for each other. There is an absolutely zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination, harassment, or bullying in or outside of the lab. Lab members should feel safe and comfortable enough to bring their full selves to the lab and not feel excluded or discriminated against.
• Carefulness and rigor. Carefulness relates to the way we do experiments and conduct ourselves in the lab. We are careful to follow safety guidelines and keep ourselves and others in the lab safe from hazards. The good health (both physical and mental) of each person in the lab is paramount, and far more important than any experiment. We are also careful to do the most rigorous science possible. That means that we plan out complete experiments, do the proper controls, and perform the proper analyses to thoroughly answer our scientific questions.
• Preparedness. In line with valuing teamwork and respecting our colleagues, we want to plan ahead and be prepared for our commitments and responsibilities. That means having presentations and writing assignments finished on time, showing up for shared equipment bookings, and performing lab tasks and animal care on schedule.
• Honesty. We represent ourselves and our data in the most honest manner possible. If we make mistakes, we let others know and try our best to make amends. We do not condone or accept data manipulation or falsification in our science.

Expectations

In addition to our lab values, there are  detailed expectations for certain types of lab members and their relationship with the PI:

Graduate students
 
What you can expect from me:

• I will be your advocate.
• I will help you develop as a critical thinker, experimentalist, and communicator. That help may look different from one lab member to the next, but it will hopefully be the best method to both help you and challenge you. This is open to change based on your feedback, feedback from your committee, or based on your progression and growth.
• I will discuss your career goals with you and help you develop a plan to move toward those goals.
• I will commit time to help you develop a project, help you work out experimental methods, write extramural proposals, proofread reports and manuscripts, and talk about your project progress on a weekly basis.

 
What I expect from graduate students:

• That you read relevant literature and think about your project and experiments outside of prescribed journal clubs and meetings. I am here to advise and mentor, but my hope is that you will take ownership and steer your project toward completion. Asking you to take over your project is not due to laziness or apathy on my part, but rather I believe it is the most effective way for you to practice and develop as a scientist.
• That you are well prepared for personal meetings, lab meetings, seminars, and conferences posters or talks. For seminars and conference presentations, this means finishing your communication early to get feedback from the PI, the lab, and colleagues so that you can make edits before you need to print a poster or travel.
• That you strive to meet writing deadlines and communicate well ahead of time if you are struggling to do so. For external deadlines, you should expect to give me your complete draft at least one week in advance for proof-reading. I am happy to look and offer comments on early drafts. Often small, iterative back-and-forths are more productive than struggling on your own to create something “perfect” prior to getting feedback.
• That you attend all relevant seminars, journal clubs and training events to the degree that is reasonable for you. I am happy to brainstorm and provide feedback if you think you are having a hard time balancing lab work and obligations.
• When applicable, I expect students to apply for fellowships. This benefits the entire lab and your CV.
• I expect you to keep a lab notebook that is legible and detailed; sufficient to replicate all of your experiments. This notebook must be in the lab or available digitally to the PI at all times. This is a safeguard for you, your methods, and the lab.