The Atwood laboratory is a place where all lab members are provided an environment where they can flourish and grow into better scientists and human beings. Differences in backgrounds and perspectives are valued as opportunities to learn from one another and gain new insight into the world around us. Research in the laboratory is focused on societal problems that have far reaching negative impact on life and communities and often afflict the most vulnerable. Current research is focused on the problems of opioid misuse and addiction and the consequences for children born to mothers that used opioids while pregnant. Laboratory members are expected to have an interest in not just the biological underpinnings of these problems, but also an understanding that our work is aimed at improving the lives of these women and children. Through the work performed in the laboratory and the interaction between research team members, trainees are able to major contributors to their own growth and development and the improvement of lives of their team members and the communities and world in which they live.
Dr. Atwood’s personal advising statement for trainees in the laboratory
Career Exploration and Professional Development
Each lab member’s career goals are taken into consideration when deciding on what research project to take on and what kind of career development goals are set. If a trainee is uncertain of what their career goal is, then exposure to a variety of experiences is ideal. If a specific type of career goal is in place, then Dr. Atwood will tailor a research project and career development opportunities to help achieve that goal. Past trainees of Dr. Atwood have gone on to careers in academia, industry and scientific communication. If additional mentorship is needed beyond what Dr. Atwood can provide, other mentors are identified and meetings arranged to allow for fostering additional career development. Students are encouraged, but not generally required to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP)? However, some assessment of career progression is important in order to determine whether goals are being met is required.
Co-curricular Activities and Scholarly Engagement
Trainees are expected to attend weekly lab meetings where they will learn about their co-lab members’ research as well as review current literature. The trainee will be expected to present at lab meetings on a regular basis. Trainees are expected to take attend local seminar series put on by UMN departments or other institutional organizations. Depending on the trainee’s career goals, attendance at a national conference or workshop may be warranted and arrangements to attend such a conference or workshop can be made. If career goals are related to specific types of committees or campus organizations, arrangements can be made to get involved with such entities. When funds are required for travel or registrations, Dr. Atwood can provide the funding to attend conferences or workshops if the trainee and Dr. Atwood mutually agree the event will help advance the trainee’s career goals.
Communication and Feedback
Dr. Atwood meets with trainees at least weekly in a one-on-one meeting to discuss research results, experimental design, career development, intra- and inter-lab interactions and communication, and lab responsibilities. It is expected that the trainee will come prepared to show data, report on progress and any difficulties encountered, and to make plans for the coming week. If the trainee cannot make it for the meeting, it is expected that Dr. Atwood is notified in advance and a time to reschedule is determined. It is expected that the trainee promptly responds to Dr. Atwood’s communications during regular working hours. In cases when a trainee has primary responsibility for the welfare of research subjects, the trainee must be available as an after-hours emergency contact.
Coursework and Degree Progress
Trainees are expected to remain in good standing in their degree or training program. Good standing means meeting coursework deadlines, achieving consistently positive evaluation of their work or performance (e.g. grades or other metrics). If a trainee fails to maintain good standing, a remediation plan will be developed to allow the trainee to re-establish good standing. Progress in coursework and standing in programs are topics of discussion during weekly meetings.
Research and Research Support
Research projects that trainees perform in the laboratory must fall within the umbrella of what the laboratory studies. Within those bounds, there is much latitude for trainees to work on a variety of research topics and use a variety of techniques. Before commencing research in the laboratory, Dr. Atwood will meet with the trainee to discuss interests and goals and what type of project will be of the most use for the trainee’s career progression. Determining whether the trainee will find a particular research project engaging and exciting is taken into account. Trainees in the Atwood laboratory are expected to have one research project that they are the lead on. They are expected to contribute in a meaningful way to other lab members’ projects as well. This helps develop leadership and team-player skills as well as increasing the number of publications the trainee has the opportunity to contribute to. The project that the trainee is the lead on is expected to be driven by the trainee and the data are expected to be analyzed and written up by the trainee, with support from Dr. Atwood and other lab members.
Student Support and Funding
Dr. Atwood generally provides full support to trainees, including salary/stipend and benefits. Trainees are encouraged to apply for awards and scholarships that they are eligible for. This benefits the trainee the most by demonstrating their skills and successes for future job prospects and helps the lab’s budget as an extra bonus. However, no trainee is every deemed lesser if they are ineligible for many awards or they try, but do not succeed, in getting awards.
Professionalism and Ethical Conduct
It is expected that every trainee in the Atwood lab maintains the highest level of ethical conduct in the way that they conduct science. This means adhering to research protocols and procedures, honest reporting of results, maintaining records, using rigorous analysis methods, and transparent communication with Dr. Atwood, their lab peers, program officials, and the community. Trainees are expected to take requisite training courses on ethical research conduct and maintain credentials in these as needed.
Publication and Authorship
All lab members in the Atwood laboratory that contribute to a manuscript’s content will be awarded authorship on it when it is published. Contributions include designing experiments, performing experiments, analyzing data, making graphical representations of the data or experimental design, and helping write the manuscript. First authorship is granted to trainees that led the project and performed the majority of the work on the project. Co-first authorship is granted when two individuals contributed equal magnitudes of effort. Middle authorship is granted when a meaningful contribution occurred to a manuscript. Senior authorship is reserved for Dr. Atwood or a collaborator that ran and obtained funding for the entire study.
Student Accommodations
It is understood that every trainee is an individual with a unique background and life experiences. If a trainee has particular difficulties, disabilities, or is in need of specific accommodations, the laboratory is ready and willing to provide support as needed. Early and open communication are needed in these situations so that the accommodations can be made from the start of a project, so difficulties can be avoided and responses can be appropriately made and planned for.