The Lake Lab will uphold a set of key values that guide our approach to our science, lab culture, and overall impact. Fundamental to this is creating an environment that fosters excellence through a commitment to mentorship and integrity, and ensuring an inclusive and supportive lab environment where everyone can thrive and achieve their goals. Above all, we value diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives and the well-being of our team members, and strive to make a meaningful impact on our community through our research, outreach and service. Lab members will have the opportunity to shape our core values, and we will revisit this statement periodically as the lab evolves.
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Scientific Integrity We believe that integrity is a cornerstone of ethical research and a fundamental value for every team member. Our team is committed to conducting research with honesty, transparency, and accountability. We are also committed to scientific rigor, recognizing that ensuring validity and robustness of results is also crucial to scientific integrity. |
Research Impact As a team, we strive to conduct impactful research, that includes translating our discoveries into real-world impact. We will push the boundary of knowledge by embracing innovation, fostering curiosity and passion, and working collaboratively to address important research questions. We also prioritize translating results into practical applications that benefit research, clinical and broader communities. |
Inclusivity & Diversity The Lake Lab places great importance on creating an inclusive environment that is welcoming and respectful of all individuals. We will ensure that every team member feels safe, valued, heard, and supported to reach their full potential. Having diverse lived experiences in our team not only enriches our science and lab culture; it is also important for fostering diversity in the next generation of scientists. |
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Teamwork We pride ourselves on cultivating a supportive lab culture underpinned by mutual respect and kindness. Every lab member will contribute to maintaining a collaborative, communicative, and collegial team dynamic where everyone feels valued. As a team, we will also make space to celebrate success and support each other through challenges as we work towards our goals. |
Well-being Research is hard work. We will foster an environment that values our team members for who they are both inside and outside the lab, and provide support for time-management and balance of work and life, recognizing that our individual well-being is integral to our collective success. |
Outreach & Service We encourage our lab members to develop leadership through outreach and service, and support their participation in activities that give back to our academic and broader community. As a group, we will also be proactive about contributing to initiatives that improve equity and inclusion in academia. |
Mentorship Statement
Mentoring students and early-career scientists is both a privilege and an important responsibility. As a mentor, I believe that my role in helping each lab member achieve their own goals is central to achieving our shared lab goals. To do this, I will provide support, resources, and encouragement to empower my lab members to accomplish their career and research goals. This will involve working with each team member to develop and implement a mentorship plan tailor-made for their career level, interests, and needs, and providing ongoing support via regular meetings, feedback, and an 'open-door' policy. In my experience, the most effective mentor-mentee relationships are those where each takes an active role. From the mentee, I expect and encourage taking ownership of professional and scientific development, and to proactively seek opportunities to grow. Like the mentee, I will also place importance on being open to feedback and accountable for my commitments. Lastly, I am supportive of mentees establishing diverse mentorship networks, recognizing the importance of having mentors with varied perspectives and or shared experiences.
