If You Build It

If You Build It

How to set up and manage your first lab.

Each issue, we ask a trainee or early-career member to pose their career questions to an established investigator and mentor. Here, Lila Wollman, PT, PhD, assistant research professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, asks Catherine Uyehara, PhD, for advice on setting up and managing a lab. Uyehara is director of research at the Defense Health Agency-Hawaii Market and chief of the Department of Clinical Investigation at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. 

Q: What advice do you have for a new principal investigator (PI) trying to set up and manage their own lab for the first time?
A: Physical lab setup: Prioritize what you will need to do your first experiment in your lab. This will help you focus on getting your first set of data, which will help you move forward and feel a great sense of accomplishment. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you feel you can start your research. The building or lab room itself may not be exactly what you would want, but make do with what you have and start with making it safe to operate. Not everything needs to be bought and you can adjust your research project to use what is available, or find ways to collaborate, or borrow equipment from colleagues. 

Your lab team: Hire a good technician who will be a good teammate. A working relationship where you can trust that your tech will not be afraid to share with you their ideas or let you know what works or does not work is important. Learning from mistakes together builds a great foundation for your research team. Don’t ask your team to do work you wouldn’t do yourself. Working out a method first yourself so you can explain the special nuances of a procedure is critical to properly training your team to perform. Personally train your technician yourself.

Funding: Pay attention to the details of what it takes to run your lab financially. Understand what you need from core funding support and what budget you will need to adhere to or supplement with grant funds. Figure out how long it takes to procure supplies, services you need so you can properly plan.

Institutional support: Make friends with the folks who you will depend on for support, including maintenance and facilities crews, who can help you get your physical lab set up. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice from old-timers, colleagues and your supervisory chain, who can share their experiences and give you different perspectives on solving problems.

Q: What do you think are the most important things that you do as a PI to create a supportive environment for your trainees?
A: Be attentive to their needs and ideas. Include them on your decision-making process for the workings of the lab. Don’t always tell the trainee what to do, but help by listening to their plan for a solution to a problem and provide feedback. It is important to understand the overall goal of the trainee and timeline to achieve that goal, but it is also important to help the trainee set smaller goals that are achievable to encourage them with little successes more frequently along the way. Put aside time for quality individual time with each trainee to discuss and review what they are working on at least once a week. Once your lab grows, it is good to have team huddles to discuss lab operations and share data once a week. Don’t forget to showcase your trainees’ accomplishments whenever you can. 

Q: What is your best advice for someone trying to get a tenure-track faculty position? What can make one candidate stand out?
A: When I review candidates for tenured positions, I look for faculty who are able to support the mission of the organization and do so in a variety of ways. Research production, as evidenced by peer recognition through grants, publications and presentations, is expected. Equally important is if what is being researched ties into the overall needs of the institution and how that research translates into the organization’s mission advancement. Tenured faculty should be great leaders, showing innovation and great working relationships with colleagues, the lab team and trainees. Leading an important committee or being a training director of a program are ways to show your ability to lead complex teams while providing service. Faculty should have a track record of keeping at the cutting edge of their field of research and also be able to teach basic concepts so each student can succeed. 

Got a career question you'd like to submit? Email it to tphysmag@physiology.org. We may use it in an upcoming Mentoring Q&A.