My Philosophy

Vision

To improve our understanding of how behavioral choices (alcohol and drug use and abuse) impact on physiological mechanisms and contribute to comorbid conditions. We aim to research, advance understanding, and disseminate our findings with the goal of preventing disease and ameliorating comorbidities.  Our responsibilities are to

• Conduct ethically, technically, and wisely-designed studies using the best available technical tools.
• Disseminate our findings to the scientific community and to translate them so that the lay public may benefit from the knowledge gained.
• Use our knowledge to develop, adapt, and implement interventions to ameliorate the biomedical consequences of alcohol and drug use and abuse.
• Train, mentor, develop, and promote the future generation of biomedical researchers.

Expectations for Lab Members

• To be curious, excited, and passionate about their work
• To be aware of their critical roles as team members and as part of our scientific mission
• To be self-motivated, driven, and responsible for maintaining outstanding work ethic
• To share their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the scientific team achievements
• To respect each other as fellow scientists and human beings
• To actively participate in lab meetings, seminars, retreats, and work-in-progress meetings
• To keep organized, clear, accurate, and honest records of their work
• To be active members of scientific societies such as the American Physiological Society, Alcohol Research Societies, or others as deemed pertinent

Lab environment

Our lab defines itself by the transdisciplinary, integrative, and translational approach to research. We believe that collaborating maximizes our ability to answer the research questions we are interested in and accelerate scientific progress. No discipline, specialty, or area of focus is discriminated against when trying to maximize our chances of learning and discovering. We aim to respect and maximize our resources, including our lab space. We are all responsible for the optimal functioning of our space and equipment. We aim to have a supportive environment to maximize success and accomplishments of all members of the team. Families are our most important priority, and our commitment is to maximize productivity and effectiveness to protect our time with our families. We consider our members part of our extended families and we nurture and support each other as such.

Benchmarks

All trainees and junior faculty joining the lab are expected to:

• Constantly think about how and when their data can be published
• Write individual fellowships or grants
• Actively seek networking and professional development activities
• Maintain a current and constantly evolving individual development plan
• Help each other to achieve their maximal potential
• Participate in outreach activities within the scientific and lay communities

Mentorship

My broader career goal is to make a lasting contribution to the scientific community, and I aim to do so not only with primary research findings, but also by providing exceptional training and mentorship to the next generation of biomedical research scientists. Each individual discovery is just that: a single discovery that will remain fixed in scientific history. However, each well-trained young investigator is a source of unbounded future contributions. Teaching and mentorship are the lifeblood of our trade, and core values of integrity, rigor, curiosity and inspiration are part of science. Mentorship is a very high priority for me, and it is a great privilege and a great responsibility. I have been fortunate to have had several incredible mentors in my career, and I have them to thank for all of my success. I have learned a great deal from them, and am excited to be able to pay their good deeds forward. That said, nobody was born perfect, and we are all learning as we go.

My commitment

My commitment is to ensure that the resources and environment you need to achieve your full potential are available, either by providing them directly or ensuring that the appropriate mentorship and collaborations are developed. Honesty, transparency, and trust must be at the core of our interactions. I will provide feedback - at times unsolicited, at times by request; remaining positive and constructive to the best of my ability. Communication is our most important tool and it can take many forms - email, phone, or face-to-face. Format is not relevant, but constancy is. As a member of our team, you have my commitment to train, mentor, develop, and promote you at every opportunity.