Diversity

I am committed to fostering a diverse, respectful and caring lab culture, inclusive of all students, postdocs and staff regardless of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation or beliefs. These goals/values are broadly embraced by our department. Our lab participates in our department's DEIJ Community of Practice, and I help to run our department's Post-baccalaureate Research Scholars Program, which is designed to provide individuals from underrepresented backgrounds with additional research experience in preparation for grad school. Our lab is a very supportive place, and we recruit new lab members with the goal of maintaining a supportive environment for science and learning.

Lab Culture and Mentorship Style

Our lab manual lays out my expectations for the lab, and for myself. I tried to distill my mentorship style here.

For Prospective Graduate Students:

I generally take one or two students each year, and always consider grad student applications. Interested students should apply to MIT's Brain and Cognitive Sciences graduate program and/or the Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology graduate program (officially based at Harvard, but with faculty at both Harvard and MIT). The two programs are very different, but from the standpoint of working in my lab there is no advantage of one over the other. I recommend applying to both. Application fees for either program can be waived upon request.

It is not necessary or advantageous to contact me before applying. I generally cannot respond to inquiries or meet with students prior to the application process. The reason for this is that there are too many prospective students for me to respond to or meet with everyone, and it is unfair to respond to some people and not others. And there is usually not much information I can provide in advance of your application that is not on this page. However, you are welcome to contact lab members if you would like first-hand information about the lab or department. If you are invited to interview with either program please feel free to email at that point with questions. Prior to that the best thing is just to put together a strong application. I have pulled together some thoughts on the grad school application and interview process here in case it is useful.

For Prospective Postdocs:

Postdocs in my lab must be passionate about science, open-minded, and kind as well as having strong technical training and good communication skills. In an ideal world postdocs in the lab will get their own grants under my sponsorship, perhaps after being supported off of one of my grants for the first year they are in the lab. Email me if you are interested and we can discuss further. I get a lot of email and don't always reply straight away - this is not indicative of a lack of interest. Feel free to email me again if you don't hear back.

For Prospective Post-Baccalaureate Students:

I encourage students interested in our lab to consider applying to the BCS Research Scholars Program, a post-bac program intended to give talented students from underrepresented backgrounds cutting edge research experience prior to grad school. The program pays students a stipend to work in a lab in our department for two years. In the second year students are encouraged to apply to PhD programs. Our lab is enthusiastic about hosting students in this program.

For Undergraduates:

Undergraduates typically work with a grad student or postdoc mentor, and opportunities in the lab thus depend on whether someone is available and interested in working with an undergrad. If you are interested in a UROP in the lab, please email me with a description of your background, including any prior research experience, your major, and any relevant coursework (computer programming is usually essential), along with a description of why you are interested in the lab and what you hope to get out of the UROP. I will then forward to relevant lab members and let you know if there is a potential fit. I get a lot of email and do not always manage to reply to each inquiry - this is not indicate a lack of interest. Feel free to email me again if you don't hear back.

If you would like to learn more about the lab you are welcome to sit in on our lab meetings. Email me if you would like to do this.

For High School Students:

We generally cannot host high school students. But if you would like to learn more about our research you are welcome to sit in on our lab meetings (they are currently held on Zoom, so can be attended virtually). Email me if you would like to do this.