2 Culture and Code of Conduct
2.1 Lab Culture
We want to do good science. To make discoveries. To have fun while we do so. To support each other, but challenge each other too. To give away as many good ideas as possible. To spend our time and the funds of our supporters wisely. To be members of good standing and good reputation in our communities, both scientific and geographic. To feel no shame when we don’t yet know something, but to fill the gaps, patch the holes, and learn everything we can. To be constructive with our criticism. To be creative and collaborative. To follow our experiments, data, and analyses to whatever interesting conclusions they support, even if those aren’t the conclusions we’d hoped for. To be curious. To respect each other, both by giving the respect due to every human being, and by earning the respect of others by how we act.1
Doing good science is hard. You’ll make mistakes. Your work will get critiqued. Life will happen. This should be a lab where mistakes are opportunities for us to learn and improve our process; where criticisms are constructive, concrete, and addressable; and where you, as a person, are fully appreciated.
2.2 A Welcoming Environment
We want a research environment where everyone can do their best work, regardless of background, identity, or life circumstances. Diverse teams do better science. Our lab culture should be one where differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, nationality, religion, age, and life experience are respected — full stop.
This matters especially given our research. We study health inequities and the structural forces that produce them — our work is better when our team reflects the communities we study.
In practice, this means:
- We use inclusive language in our writing, our presentations, and our daily interactions.
- We think carefully about the communities we study and how our research affects them. Equity should shape our research design, analysis, and dissemination.
- We educate ourselves on equity and justice — both as they relate to our research and as they shape the institutions we work within.
- We speak up when we see behavior or practices that are exclusionary, and we hold ourselves accountable when we fall short.
See the Further Reading chapter for more about lab culture, equity in science, and well-being in academia.
2.3 Code of Conduct
As a member of the lab, everybody is expected to adhere to both the Code of Conduct and Honor Code of Stanford University.
Violations of these codes — including harassment, discrimination, bullying, or retaliation — will be taken seriously and addressed promptly. See the Getting Help chapter for resources and reporting options.