Lab values and culture

Purpose (/ˈpəːpəs/): a person's sense of resolve or determination.

Like any other career, I believe that a scientist need to establish a strong sense of purpose in anything he/she does. Our purpose drives us to wake up in the morning to be in the lab. Our purpose keeps us grounded when facing problems and hurdles. Everyone's purpose is different, so do take time to reflect and be true to yourself when finding your purpose.

Programming is a core skill that everyone in the lab should be able to do. I believe that we have to be efficient and precise in our work, and constantly find better ways to perform our tasks. We put emphasis on writing codes that are robust and reproducible, and strive to be transparent with our work. A quote that I live by: "If you need to do/write something more than twice, you have to automate it."

I strongly concur that our lab members are our greatest asset. Everyone, regardless of race, language or religion, is uniquely talented and can provide specific skill sets to the lab. I strive to create a lab environment and culture where we can get to realise each other's talent and learn from one another. Whenever we work hard, we will reward ourselves by playing hard.

Expectations of Fursham

You can expect me to provide guidance and mentorship to help you develop your skills in bioinformatics, neurobiology and also in critical thinking. You should expect me to oversee the day-to-day operations of the lab, to ensure that our workstations run smoothly. In an event that things do not go as planned, you can count on me to remedy the situation.

You can expect my full attention and understanding everytime. You can count on me to listen to your opinions, suggestions, critiques and problems. I will ensure a smooth and quick transition upon joining the lab and that you have readily access to the resources you need. I will always be available for you, be it in-person or over Slack, should you need to discuss anything with me.

You can expect my full commitment when preparing for publications, theses, posters and presentations. I will be critical with the quality of your work, and I do this because I want all of us to excel. Should you require my suggestion and opinions on your career development, I will do my best to listen to your options and steer to in the direction that benefits you the most. You can count on me to support you and your career long after your leave the lab by reading your grants and writing support letters.

Lastly, you can count on me to ensure that we adopt a balanced work-life structure. We will gather for lunch together everyday and carry out monthly lab activities to strengten the bond of the lab members.

Expectations of lab members

Throughout your time in our lab, you WILL encounter numerous problems and hurdles. I expect you to be resourceful and invest the energy to formulate a solution to your problems. There is no such thing as a perfect solution. The solution that you devised on your own is way better because you will remember it for life.

Everyone starts somewhere. I do not expect you to be highly knowledgeable in Bioinformatics, programming or in the field of neurobiology. However, I do expect you to develop an inquisitive nature and the spirit of wanting to gain skills and knowledge. Obtaining and understanding a small amount of information goes a long way in developing yourself as a mature scientist. Never stop finding ways to be efficient in your work; simplify your codes, improve your presentation skills, organise your work.

I believe that the quality of your time in the lab is more important the amount of time you are present in the lab. I expect you to have a clear goal of what you wish to achieve on a daily basis and put in 100% effort in hitting your goal. When it is time to clock off, I expect you to leave on time and enjoy your evening. Have your well-deserved rest and be ready to tackle more problems the next day.

I expect you to take care of your health and wellness by adopting a good work-life balance. Take ample rests if you need to and use up your leave entitlements. Should you need a listening ear about work or personal related problems, feel free to approach myself or any of our lab members. Do join us for lunch and contribute to our casual conversations.