Mission statement
The Wang lab has four main goals:
- To make exciting, novel, reproducible scientific discoveries
- To help each lab member develop into an excellent scientist, which will include skills that are important for many career paths
- To create and maintain a fun, collegial, intellectually-stimulating lab environment
- To contribute positively to the greater scientific community
Core values
First and foremost, science is fun! We are passionate about our scientific questions and love the process of discovery. However, science is not always easy, and structural problems can prevent people from fully enjoying their work. To maintain the joy of science for everyone, our lab values include the following:
1. Science is for everyone. We’re enriched by each lab member’s unique, diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and we strongly believe that good ideas and excellent experiments are not limited to members of any particular group.
2. Teamwork, respect and collegiality are essential. We believe that each lab member has an important role, and it’s important that we work together and help each other. We strive for open communication between lab members, and mutual respect for differing opinions. We do not tolerate harassment, bullying, or discrimination of any kind.
3. We maintain honesty and integrity at all times. Interpersonal honesty and integrity are important for sustaining healthy working relationships and for allowing us to help each other. Scientific honesty and integrity are absolutely essential to our work.
4. Science is an iterative process – it will never be perfect on the first try! We aim to cultivate growth mindsets.
5. Hard work is important – but not over-work. Making new discoveries requires hard work and dedication. However, to maintain creativity and efficiency, it’s important to take time to recharge. Your mental health and well-being are extremely important.
This is a living document, and I (Jenn) would be happy to chat about these ideas at any time. We thank the creators of other lab values and expectations documents, particularly Meyer lab, Milligan-McClellan lab, and Currie lab.