November 2019

Visiting CIMER: Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research

By Tracey Baas, PhD, URBEST Executive Director

Recently, I had the good fortune to work with Drs. Lynne Maquat and Jeff Hayes, who are the directors of the T32 NIH Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical & Molecular Sciences. We were able to procure funding for a Supplement for Future Faculty Skills Training: Mentoring and Manuscript Writing. One of the things that the supplement allowed was to send two faculty members to University of Wisconsin-Madison to be trained at a Facilitator Workshop: Learn to Implement Mentor Training through Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). The intent is that what was learned at the training will be shared in some format here at the University of Rochester. In the meantime, I’d like to offer some basics that you could peruse to provide some different viewpoints on the ideas of mentoring and being a mentee.

Mindfulness for Scientists

By Kathleen Miller-Rhodes, PhD Candidate in Neuroscience

Scientists are excellent storytellers: we can take data and connect them into a cohesive story. Storytelling is integral in communicating research to other scientists and the public, but what happens when storytelling boils over into our personal lives? Taking time to actively think about unhealthy habits and correcting them with new healthier habits is the first step towards improved mental health. Even if you find yourself spinning stories, maybe they will take on a new tone – one that supports you rather than tearing you down. 

Yes, You Can Do a Fellowship and Graduate

By Candace Wong, PhD Candidate in Toxicology

I wasn’t actively looking for a fellowship. I was a fifth year graduate student, working hard to figure out what I needed to do to wrap up my studies to defend. However, a wonderful opportunity presented itself as a fellowship and things ended up better than I could have imagined. Returning from the fellowship, I feel much more confident in many aspects – as a young toxicologist, as a future employee, and most importantly in myself and my abilities.