Our philosophy

Lab goal

General expectations

Expectations of Postdocs

Expectations of Graduate students

Expectations of Staff

What to expect of me

Our mission is to make an impact on the field of stroke recovery and other pathological conditions by combining imaging techniques, brain stimulation and individually tailored recovery paradigms in behaving rodents. To do that we need to test our hypothesis by performing well-designed experiments that will lead to new discoveries and disseminate those newly generated knowledge to the scientific community, and to the general population to educate about neuroscience.

Everyone is expected to do their best in the lab. Difficulties and mistakes are part of the learning process, but I expect honest communication about it. Negative and harmful attitudes won’t be tolerated, as it can affect yourself, people around you, and the reputation of the lab. I expect you to work individually and as part of a team. I expect you to support the lab members and promote a fun and productive atmosphere in the lab. Everyone is expected to attend lab meetings and be active in discussions. I expect all lab members to have one on one meetings with me on a regular basis. All lab members are expected to strictly maintain the highest ethical standards, follow protocols, and stick to lab safety regulations. 

Work ethic

A priority for people in the lab is to be happy and motivated. Balancing work and private life is essential to keep both happiness and motivation alive. However, excellence does not come without hard work and dedication. Thoughtful planning and design are part of the game too, as well as discussions with your mentors and lab members. Be open about your ideas and use your peers and mentors as resources.

Vision on technical issues

Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it, but try to figure things out for yourself first if you can by using manuals linked to on GitHub. 

Vision on collaborations

Collaborations are an important instrument the scientific community has with the potential to accelerate progress and are extremely encouraged. The exposure to different techniques and styles of doing science has the benefit to enrich people’s experience.

Vision on Mentorship

The core goal as a mentor is to motivate students to think critically. I have had the privilege and the responsibility to mentor students in both research and coursework. As a mentor, I encourage students to think big and invite them to be open about their ideas, as I find the unfiltered and at times naive creativity of students to be a source of inspiration. I would like to cultivate in my research group, and the institute as a whole, a culture of curiosity in students, and to encourage productive dialogue and criticism. 

Vision on personnel fundings

Ideally, I would like to guarantee support for lab members for their first year, but this depends on funding availability. Therefore, I encourage every eligible person to apply for personal grants. This is particularly important for postdocs and their carrier. Obtaining their own funding is part of their training as independent investigators, and will give them the possibility to travel and attend more conferences and have more intellectual freedom.

Vision of the lab life

Considering that we spend a great part of our day in the lab and with people we work with, “life” in the lab has to be a happy life, and our colleagues people we can trust and rely on. My greatest achievement would be to be able to create, with the help of all the lab members, a safe and happy work environment for people to feel motivated to achieve great things – a place where lab members come for intellectual stimulation and emotional support as well as work.

I expect postdocs to bring in their vision and develop projects together. I expect independence, and you will be given opportunities to develop all the skills needed to became a principal investigator, including mentoring, grant writing, and participating in dissemination of knowledge. My goal as a mentor is to ensure you are given all the instruments for your fulfillment as a scientist, and for this, I expect you to tell me what you need to build your carrier path. I expect postdocs to help me becoming a better PI. 

I expect students to be enthusiastic and curious about the infinite possibilities that a scientific project could bring. I expect them to have questions they want to answer. Graduate school is an extremely stimulating time which can come with problems, and frustrations too. Be open about it, there is no shame in asking for help. My job is to guide students through all the phases of their training. Ask for – and then listen to – advice from postdocs and myself. Understand what really excites you most and try to make it your project

Technicians and research assistants are extremely important for the good functioning of the lab. You are to do whatever you are best at doing that the lab needs. This includes protocol work, returning broken equipment, ordering new equipment, helping out on specific projects, and leading projects if you are willing to do so. The needs of the lab will be constantly evolving as will your responsibilities, opportunities and abilities.

You can expect me to give you what you need to test your hypothesis, to be committed to your growth and your career development. You can expect me to give you the right recognition for your work, such as nominating you for awards. I will work hard to guarantee that your work gets the right exposure in the scientific community. I will always make myself available to meet in person or by videoconference, and we can talk about research ideas, how things are going in the lab, what you would like to do in the future, and your aspirations. You can expect me to meet successes with celebration and failure with moral support.