Philosophy

  • Most importantly, in the Smith Lab, we aim to cultivate a rigorous academic environment that is safe, inclusive, fun, and scientifically ethical/responsible.

  • Everyone is welcome in the Smith Lab and we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind including on the basis of race, sex, gender, disability status, religious belief, immigration status, nationality, etc.

  • Our complete lab policies can be found in the lab manual below. All members of the lab agree to abide by our Lab Compact. Both the policies in the Lab Manual and the content of the Lab Compact are iterative and can change over time with the needs and input of all lab members.

Lab Manual

Smith Lab Compact

  1. We agree to create, and work actively to maintain, an inclusive and supportive community free from discrimination and harassment for everyone. We agree to be kind, honest, patient, and considerate with everyone. 

  2. We agree to assume best intentions and approach all interactions with curiosity and compassion. 

  3. We agree to show up fully. 80% of success is showing up. We will be fully present at work so that we can be fully engaged while we are here, while protecting our personal lives and identities outside of work. This means doing our best work, and being fully committed and attentive to whatever we are doing (bench work, meetings, etc.). This also means being accountable: being on time, showing up for our commitments, and being responsible for our animals and experiments. 

  4. We agree to be collaborative. We are a team, and we can achieve the best results by being helpful and supporting each other. Science can feel very competitive, but in reality, teamwork is absolutely essential.

  5. We agree to take responsibility for ourselves. We will work to be self-reflective and to take ownership of our own career paths, admit our mistakes, and apologize when we need to. Admitting when we have made a mistake can be scary—but it is essential to doing good science! We strive for clear, open communication and the willingness to lean into discomfort to resolve any issues/conflicts that may arise.  

  6. We agree to fail upwards! Science is always a process of trial and error–we will “fail” often. If you never fail, then you aren’t pushing up against your own limits. The important thing is to learn from your failures and try something new and failure-informed next time. 

  7. We agree to ask for help when we need it! And ask the question (whatever it is!).

  8. We agree to be constructively critical. Science is all about challenging our ideas to see if they hold water. We aim to create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable challenging each other scientifically (including challenging me!). This challenge will always be KIND and constructive. This last part is absolutely essential.

  9. We agree to conduct honest, open, reproducible science. Plagiarism, forgery, or data manipulation will not be tolerated. We agree to keep impeccable records of scientific experimentation and to conduct all work with integrity. 

  10. We agree to dream big!! And then break it down into smaller, accomplishable goals. We agree to celebrate our victories (however small) and support each other through the harder moments. 

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