Philosophy
At its core, science is a process of discovery fueled by curiosity – a desire to unravel the inner workings of awe-inspiring systems like the human mind and brain.
However, as an institution and occupation, the scientific enterprise doesn’t always live up to these lofty ideals. The work of science can be tedious, punctuated by setbacks, and structured around problematic incentives. At the Social Memory Lab, we strive to actively counteract the institutional shortcomings of science, to promote a healthier academic culture and actively nurture the curiosity that drives our work.
Creativity
The lab aims to conduct science that is creative and rigorous. Scientific progress is sparked by creative ideas – theories or experimental approaches that offer a new perspective on the natural world. We place a strong emphasis on playful and explorative thinking, integrating insights from psychology, neuroscience, and engineering. Once a new idea is formed, we put it to test with rigorous experimentation and critical thinking. Scientific rigor means leaving no stone unturned when it comes to considering alternative explanations of data, or control experiments to rule out those explanations. It means setting aside our desire for a hypothesis to be correct, and letting data speak for itself, even when we don’t understand it. Finally, it means replicating results across different groups of participants and experimental contexts, to ensure their robustness.
Open Science
Psychology and cognitive neuroscience are undergoing a replication crisis – a critical self-assessment of the extent to which findings are robust and reproducible. To promote reproducibility, the Social Memory Lab engages in open science, enabling other researchers to access our data and code. Our experimental code is publicly available on the Open Science Framework; data analysis code is available on GitHub; and datasets are available on OpenNeuro. Our data are stored using the Brain Imaging Data Structure standard, so that filenames can be easily interpreted. In addition to letting other groups replicate and extend our results, these practices ensure that future members of our own lab can understand existing datasets, and instill positive incentives like honesty and transparency into the scientific process.
Work-Life Balance
Many scientists believe that academic success requires intense work hours – laboring through evenings and weekends, at the expense of a balanced lifestyle. The Social Memory Lab rejects the premise that working around the clock is necessary to succeed in science. While completing projects quickly is important in a competitive field, we feel that this is better achieved by working efficiently and with focus during normal work hours. Spending time away from research to develop relationships and hobbies is critical for mental health, and this well-being in turn promotes the sort of creative thinking that drives science forward.
Diversity
Science and engineering have a diversity problem. Women and marginalized groups are underrepresented in scientific jobs relative to the US population, and this imbalance is amplified at higher levels. To combat inequity in science, our lab strives to create an inclusive atmosphere in which every member feels welcome and excited to come to work, regardless of their racial/ethnic background, gender identity, or disability status. Microaggressions are not tolerated in the lab, and should be brought to the PI’s attention. Establishing a safe work environment with a diversity of perspectives enables our group to conduct its best scientific work.
Lastly and most importantly, we believe that conducting science should be fun!
Research is a team effort and thrives in a supportive and friendly atmosphere. Labmates are not just coworkers, but members of an extended family, involved in celebrating every success and commiserating at every setback. Scientific insights only exist insofar as they are shared with others, and this starts with a community of coworkers that enjoy interacting both within and outside of the lab.
Join the Lab
Are you interested in doing creative and rigorous science with us? Join our team!