Lab Culture
There’s one overall goal of our lab culture - to do great science and have fun doing so. At the end of the day, this is why the members in our lab are in science today. To do so, our lab will foster a healthy community for scientific discussion and value being inclusive and equitable to all members of diverse backgrounds (both within our lab and to our colleagues). Science is a field that helps us generate solutions in our daily lives and answer the many mysteries of the universe. But it will ultimately take many minds from diverse areas, perspectives, and backgrounds to solve these problems - we strive to have a lab culture like this.
Cox Lab Handbook
My lab has a Lab Handbook that is a living document that outlines expectations for me and lab members. It also does a fairly good job describing what our lab culture is like. Since I was heavily inspired by other open source Lab Handbooks, I’m sharing a PDF of the handbook that is free to use for inspiration to other labs.
Kevin’s Mentoring Philosophy
I have been very fortunate to have great mentors throughout my scientific career. I credit this as a key factor in my development as a scientist. However, I understand that the way I was mentored will not work successfully for all of my future mentees. Therefore, my mentoring philosophy is to meet my lab members where they are and support their growth through equitable mentoring tailored to their individual needs. I aim to establish a healthy, active mentoring relationship with every trainee that comes into my lab, learn what their career goals are, and help them realize their full potential and achieve their aspirations. My lab will be a nurturing environment that will encourage members to ask questions and provide them with opportunities for professional development tailored to the career path of their choosing.