LEARN
DISCOVER
TEACH
Training and mentorship of lab members, with a focus on career goals and development, is a key priority in the Wulfridge Lab. Whether your interest is in academia, industry, or even if you are still exploring options, I am dedicated to supporting the growth of recruits in all aspects of scientific research, from experimental and analytical expertise to writing and communication, through the philosophy of "LEARN - DISCOVER - TEACH".
LEARN Methodology and Scientific Rigor
Members of the lab will receive in-depth training in the field of R-loop biology as well as many supporting fields including epigenetics, cell biology, oncology, and genomics. The lab is structured as a "hybrid" or "moist" environment, meaning that trainees will receive experience in both "wet-lab" (benchwork) techniques as well as "dry-lab" (computational) analysis. In particular, I focus on full mastery of the entire genomics pipeline, such that members will become capable of performing genomics techniques on samples; prepare the outputs for sequencing; and analyze and interpret the results. My goal is for members to leave as all-encompassing experts with a full range of skills valuable in academia, industry, and beyond.
Those who join the Wulfridge Lab can expect to learn:
- Prokaryotic cell culture, plasmid cloning, and protein expression
- Eukaryotic cell culture and cloning e.g. knockout generation by CRISPR
- Molecular biology assays e.g. Western blot, EMSA
- Genomics techniques e.g. ChIP, CUT&RUN, RNA-Seq, Hi-C
- Proteomics techniques including Turbo-ID, mass spectrometry
- Library preparation and sequencing
- Programming and statistical analysis in Linux and R
Beyond this, however, even knowing what to learn, and how to learn, is a crucial skill in science. As such, conscious effort will be dedicated to ensuring trainees gain fundamentals in scientific thought critical for success in research, including:
- Seeking out sources of information (literature search)
- Finding and utilizing new protocols (methods search)
- Critical reading and evaluation of literature (journal club)
- Troubleshooting and learning from mistakes and setbacks
DISCOVER and Interpret New Science
Science is exhilaratingly complex and unpredictable, and one of the most important skills is not just producing results, but understanding what one has just discovered - and what questions one can ask with those newfound discoveries. Through their work and research, members of the Wulfridge Lab will become active participants in informing and shaping the lab's future directions. Through this process, trainees will be challenged to form their own interpretations, and in doing so learn skills essential for proposing future work.
Trainees will learn how to:
- Understand what conclusions to draw (and not to draw!) from data
- Fit results into a broader hypothesis and model
- Utilize literature knowledge to develop potential next steps
- Design and propose future experiments (e.g. grant writing)
TEACH Community and Colleagues
The final and most important step in science is to pass the knowledge onwards. This applies both to learning (training the next generation) and to discovery (informing the community of findings). In essence, to learn "teaching" is to develop skills in pedagogy, mentorship, and scientific communication that will establish lab members as pillars in their field. Of course, this section also includes the all-important art of publication.
Trainees will gain experience in:
Trainees will gain experience in:
- Outlining, drafting, and editing a clear and compelling manuscript
- The publication submission and revision process
- Visual and oral presentation of work (e.g. posters, lab meetings, and talks)
- Networking and discourse at international conferences
- Mentoring and teaching junior trainees
A Note on Language
As a Taiwanese-American, I was raised learning English as my primary language while still speaking Mandarin at home with my parents. Thus, while my scientific proficiency is in English, I remain conversationally fluent in Mandarin and am happy to hold day-to-day discussions in either language, especially for the purposes of clarifying instructions and expectations that might otherwise be lost in translation. My hope is that this "best of both worlds" approach will prove valuable for ensuring clear communication with lab members while also providing them with expert training and feedback from a native speaker on scientific communication in English, both written and spoken.