Mentoring and Supervising Staff and Students
Ellis Meng, Ph.D.Associate Professor
Departments of Biomedical & Electrical Engineering
Biomedical Microsystems [email protected]
Biomedical Microsystems LaboratoryDepartment of Biomedical Engineering• microdevice solutions at the interface of
biology and medicine– new and improved tools for therapeutics,
monitoring, and discovery– translational technologies– many applications
• expertise in– microfabrication– microfluidics– sensors– implantable devices– neural interfaces and prostheses
My Research
• hands on, multidisciplinary, and collaborative• requires many specialized skills that take time to
develop• students never come in with the right background• few post-docs in the field
My Mentoring History
• as a graduate student/post-doc (all at Caltech): 4 UG researchers and > 200 UGs
• at USC: 3 PhDs, 7 PhD candidates, 4 MS, 89 UGs, 7 HS students, 3 HS teachers– PhD students: 8 domestic & 2 international– MS students: all former USC undergraduates
that worked in my lab
• to new and aspiring faculty: figure out who you need on your team to be successful and choose your people wisely
Recruitment
• figure out how your department works– quality of students applying– make the effort to contact students– how are matches made? rotation system?– finances: fellowships, TA, RA, other
• courtesy appointments in other departments• create a website and keep it updated
Mentoring and Supervising your Team
• many roles to play– lead by example and
set a culture– build a relationship,
trust, understanding– grooming future
colleagues and mentors
• learn to communicate (listening too)– set your expectations
and put it down in writing
– email, in person, phone, text msg, skype, IM, etc.
– unintentional intimidation
Mentoring and Supervising your Team
• know your team - every member is different– learning curve is a moving target– level of intervention towards self-sufficiency– developing a management strategy
• team dynamics and lab moral– rotation systems offer a trial period– attitudes and personalities– disputes
Dealing with Crises
• personal issues– a friendly ear– time off– counseling
• attrition– many reasons: performance or personal– unpredictable and unavoidable
• don’t forget about your own mentoring needs and work-life balance
Research Integrity
• lead by example and educate your lab• your own team and your collaborators• Responsible Conduct of Research training
– http://research.usc.edu/policies/rcr/– Largely applies to students
• plagiarism is not universally understood (text and figures)
Authorship and Credit
• authorship is straightforward– conventions in your field or set by you– write it down, explain in lab mtgs, set your expectations
from the start– publish with undergraduates too!
• inventorship is not straightforward– it’s all about the claims– not all research contributors are inventors– any inventor can seek a license to university owned IP
Additional Reading
• K. Barker – At the Helm: A Laboratory Navigator• C.M. Cohen & S.L. Cohen – Lab Dynamics: Management Skills for
Scientists