Philosophy
In the Heys Lab we're striving to build a diverse community of critical thinkers that are collaborative, compassionate, and honest.
We support diversity in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and identity, religious affiliation, ability, and age.
What does this mean in practice?
We are committed to fostering an environment where each lab member has the support necessary realize their highest potential, both inside and outside of the lab.
INDOORS & OUTDOORS
We learn about each other in order to facilitate an environment that encourages open, non-judgmental communication.
We do this through weekly one-on-one and weekly lab meetings. In addition, each month we also come together in an outdoor activity, such as a lab hike.
These activities give us the opportunity to talk about exciting and challenging work in the lab in a less formal setting, and also the chance to catch up on things outside the lab.
A MENTORSHIP TEAM
Each lab member crafts a career development plan that is updated annually by both trainee and PI. Here, trainees explicitly identify their career goals, the practical steps needed to achieve those goals, and detail what is expected on part of the trainee and mentor.
In addition to direct mentorship from the PI, we expect each lab member to seek out mentors that can offer specific insight and expertise to support different goals and needs of the trainee.
As a PI, I am committed to teaching and supporting trainees where my expertise is constructive. I also help trainees network and build a team of mentors that can provide counsel in areas outside of my own expertise and personal experience.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We seek to build a lab that promotes community engagement and work-life balance.
We designate time to allow for everyone in the lab to engage in their scientific and broader communities. For example, many people in our lab take a leadership role in our department and university level outreach activities, such as the Rising Stars in Neuroscience Symposium, Brain Awareness Week, or our vibrant SACNAS community.
We also promote community engagement through activities such as tutoring under-served groups or volunteering for elementary and high school STEM and diversity initiatives. As a PI, I am committed to fostering a lab dynamic that endorses engagement in these activities.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
We actively promote work-life balance by recognizing the importance of mental and physical health, and by creating time for activities outside of the lab. We recognize that mental and physical health are important in their own right.
We also recognize that our scientific success greatly benefits when we are taking the time necessary for our health, and this is especially true over the longer time scales that big scientific discoveries occur on.
