Four years ago today was my first day at the NIH. I still remember walking into my empty lab — thrilling, terrifying, and lonely! Each year, I like to look back and see how far I’ve come since that first day. Here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Trust Your Gut
When I started my lab, imposter syndrome hit me harder than ever before.
Can I really do this? Who would want to join my lab?
Over time, I realized one thing I should have trusted more: my gut. It’s rarely steered me wrong.
Especially in hiring, if something doesn’t quite add up or feels off, I’ve learned to pause, dig deeper, and figure out why my instincts are sounding alarms. Your intuition is data. Listen to it.
2. Establish Strong Systems Early
A few systems I’m so glad that I put in place from the start:
- Digital lab notebook: At NIH, this is required which is very helpful for compliance. It keeps us accountable, organized, and helps me troubleshoot experiments with my trainees so much more efficiently.
- Worm and plasmid databases: I adapted these from my postdoc lab and improved them for my own team. They have ensured that all lab members have access to the same reagents and have been lifesavers for documenting and tracking strains and reagents details.
- SoftMouse.net for mouse colony tracking: This digital tool logs every mouse ever in our colony. The family trees helped us troubleshoot a Cre strain issue that led to our first publication! https://academic.oup.com/g3journal/article/15/8/jkaf138/8165983?login=false
3. Remove Barriers to Getting Science Done
If something slows your lab down or compromises quality, invest in removing that barrier. Sometimes that means spending money on better equipment; other times, it’s taking the time to rethink and improve a system or process.
Example: We originally used a shared gel imager was just one floor below. I did not want to spend my startup on this piece of equipment if we had access to one. However, it was slow and clunky. People started cutting corners to avoid it using it. Buying our own gel imager saved time, improved data quality, and gave us control of storing our raw images.
Even small upgrades, like a faster PCR machine, can make a big difference. Evaluate what slows your team down or creates headaches, and spend time or money strategically to clear the way.
4. Know Your Non-Negotiables (and Explain Them)
Every PI has a few hills they’ll die on (the standards and practices that matter deeply to them). Identify yours, own them, and communicate why they’re important as needed.
Some of mine:
- Rigorous record-keeping: Digital notebooks are non-negotiable.
- PCR protocol standards: Always include a no-template control and proper wild type/mutant controls. Label every band in notebook.
- Protocol details: When I’m particular about something, I try to explain the why—for example, “It is very important to do xyz because…” One thing I’m still working on is being clearer about my expectations. I have a habit of saying, “I would do it this way, because” which can sound like a suggestion when I actually mean, “please do it this way, because.”
Clear reasoning makes expectations feel less arbitrary.
5. Build Your Local Network
I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the NIH community. The tenure-track network here is vibrant and supportive, and senior mentors have been generous with both time and advice. Having peers who are “in the trenches” with you makes all the difference. Find your people, share what’s working, and ask for help early and often.
6. Focus on what brings you joy in the process.
Starting a lab is a privilege and also one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Between rejections, confusing data, and inevitable people challenges, it’s easy to lose sight of why you started. In those moments, I try to return to the parts of the job that truly bring me joy, like mentoring. I love watching a lab member master a new skill or seeing a suggestion I made help them troubleshoot a tough problem. Whatever sparks that feeling of joy for you, hold onto it — especially when everything else feels uncertain or impossible.
Looking Back
If I could tell my past self anything, it would be this:
Trust yourself. Build good systems. Invest in your people. And don’t lose sight of the parts of science that bring you joy.
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