Among all the shapes I can work hard to morph into, I aspire the most to become the one who points the way. It is also my greatest wish that everyone in this lab can grow into the ones who point the ways.

Reliability

Well, as a matter of fact, anyone can point a way. The ten-trillion-dollar question is whether there will be any other person who follows. There are many aspects of being reliable: being honest, being wealthy in knowledge and experience, being helpful and friendly, being a team player, and of course, being present. They are all characteristics we value in this lab. The core principle of this lab is “do reliable science and become reliable people”, but also “be excellent to each other and party on”. Good treelings grow in good soil. Together, we will create a nurturing environment where all of us can get the training and helps we need to achieve all aspects of being reliable.

Possibilities

I don’t do well when given only limited options I don’t like. I can’t help thinking that there must be another way. I wonder about the possibilities. I believe in the teaching of the sage, Gazelle of Zootopia, that we should “mess up tonight and lose another fight”. Nuh, nuh, probably not this one. Anywho, as an academic lab with academic funding, we will definitely not be able to try everything, but that doesn’t mean we should always do the safest yet very boring stuffs. We will be strategic and we will be creative. We will bring new dishes to the table, and they will be delicious, I HOPE.

Happiness.

There is no y in happiness, but why? I consider myself a good joke teller but I am not quite confident that I am able to make everyone happy, though that would be a superpower I’d love to have. However, before I identify that magical mutagen, peeps, you are on your own. In this lab, we hope everyone can be happy all the time. I’d love to offer to be verbally abused if that helps the cause, though that seems pretty extreme. So, how about a nice meal, over which, I can be a good listener? I am somewhat a workaholic science nerd myself, but I do understand that work is just one aspect of life, and the enthusiasm for science requires other aspects to nurture. Therefore, I am all for team members’ work-life balance. Adding on that, I will ensure team members’ rights, including accessibility, paid maternity leave, family leave, freedom from any discrimination, fair payment, and equal opportunities for personal and professional development.

Ok…

As you can tell, this page is supposed to be the lab value page. I don’t typically like to impose my values on others. After all, life is to be lived, not controlled. With that being said, I did learn a lot from my own mentors, and I will be honored if I myself can also serve as a not too bad example for my team members.

Here is to the vision that we can all learn to appreciate what is good and live long enough to witness a better world that we contribute to build. Cheers!

“Don’t lose your kindness. Take care of the weak and help each other. And don’t stop trying to be friendly with people from other countries. No matter how many times you’re disappointed. Those are my unchanging wishes.”

―Ultraman Ace before departing from Earth, You Are the Ace of Tomorrow!