Zavodszky lab
Guidelines
Welcome! I'm thrilled you are interested in my research and decided you want to work with me. I would like you to feel good in my lab. Feel the thrill of discovering something new, the satisfaction of solving a difficult problem, the pleasure of the work well done. Feel safe enough to ask questions, voice your opinion, and come forward with new ideas, even if they seem a bit crazy. I promise to take you and your ideas seriously, never laugh at them or ridicule you.
Notebooks.
Be organized, and write things down in your notebook so you (and whoever picks up your project) can figure out what you did and how weeks or months from now. Always date your notes. Write down the names and location of major data files in your file system. The notebooks stay in the lab, don't take them home. I find it useful to keep a separate "How to ..." folder or notebook for your own use, in which you can write down how you solved the problems you ran into. Chances are, you will run into similar problems over and over again. There is a lot to remember about how to find your ways around in Linux, small tricks is scripting and file editing, command line for various programs, etc.Cooperation.
Please do try to take advantage of other people's expertise so that you can profit from their experience, and don't hesitate to help someone who needs assistance. It will help you grow as a scientist, save you time, and prepare you for a future job in academia, industry, or practically any other area of science.Interactions with the P.I.
If you don't know how to do something or a program is not working properly, try to solve the problem on your own first by looking into books, help files, user manuals, or your notes. If you still can't find a solution, ask another student in the lab. If there is nobody else around or the help was not sufficient, come to me. Don't be afraid to ask me questions. I expect you to do that a lot, especially at the beginning, but I also expect you to take notes, so you won't have to ask the same thing over and over again. I would like to see your results at each step of a protocol, unless we agree otherwise.Reading.
You will be reading scientific literature as part of your training; it is a necessary component of becoming a scientist, rather than a technician. Scientific literature comes in many forms: books, articles, web tutorials, etc. Do not bring novels, newspapers, or magazines, because this isn't a doctor's waiting room. If you need to take a break, recognize it as such, and do it outside the lab.Computer use.
The computers in the lab are connected to form a local area network. You will be given an account (with username and password) and assigned one computer to work on, but you can access any other machine from the network using your user name and password. Each computer in the lab has two processors, so you can start two runs/programs on them at full spead. Occasionally, you will need to start more than two processes. In this case you might use the other computers. Before you do that, please check what other processes are running on the other computer by using the command "top". If there are already two processes running on it (the processors are showed to be 100% busy), don't start a new one. Also, before you start a long process on somebody else's computer, please consult the person working on that computer.Cleanliness.
I am a clean-freak. I have to live with it and so do you, if you want to work with me. You are responsable for keeping your computer and desk clean and neet. I will provide the necessary supplies to clean the keyboard (with cotton balls and alcohol) or whipe the desk at least once per month. Please don't wait until the keyboard sticks to you fingers! Somebody else, even me, might need to use your computer when you are not in the lab, and there are fewer things more disgusting in a computer lab than filthy keyboards. I don't mind if you eat in the lab, but you should clean up after yourself. Crumbs and coffie dropps are disgusting, will damage the keyboard and will attract creatures into the lab. Please avoid pocking on the screen with your finger.Safety and security.
Don't download and install anything onto your computer without asking. Log out every time before you leave, but don't turn the computer off. Never lock the screen, because that renders the computer unusable for somebody else after you are gone. Shut the door when you leave if there is nobody else in the room even you will be away only for a few minutes. Computers are attractive targets of thiefs.Work schedule.
We will work out a schedule that is conveninent to both you and me. Occasionally, you might not be able to come in as scheduled because of an exam, a wedding, a headache, etc. Please e-mail me if you have a problem and you won't be able to come to the lab. I will try to be flexible, but it is a good idea to roughly come in at the hours indicated in your schedule, especially at the beginning. The reason is that you will need help, so you would want to have somebody else around. I will try to make sure I or another, more experienced student is in the lab with you, but I can do that only if I know when to expect you to be in the lab. I will let you know when I expect to be gone so you know in advance. You don't need to ask for permission to take a short break. In fact, it is recommended you get up and walk a bit every hour or so.What to call me.
You can call me "Maria". If you feel uncomfortable with that, "Dr. Zavodszky" is the best alternative.General courtesy
Some people have a hard time tolerating strong smells that can even trigger migranes (in my case). There is a biological bases for this, it is not squeamishness. Be considerate of others confined to the same closed space with you and don't use strong deodorants or parfumes. If you like listening to music while your work, that is fine, but you have to use headphones so you will not disturb others.Reference
The Arnosti Lab Guidelines (http://www.bch.msu.edu/faculty/arnosti/guide.htm) inspired me to put together this set of guidelines for students who are joining my lab. Feel free to suggest any improvements.Back to the lab web page