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Lab Statement

CNBD Lab Culture and Expectations

This document outlines the core expectations for conduct, collaboration, and research practices in the CNBD laboratory at FIU. These norms are designed to support a respectful, ethical and productive environment for all lab members. All incoming undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral trainees are asked to read and understand this statement. This document was adapted from “Wei Ji Ma Lab at New York University Statement on lab culture and expectations” (Version Feb 8, 2024) and modified to best reflect the culture and expectations in Dr. Kangjoo Lee’s CNBD laboratory.

Collaborative & Respectful Culture

Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment. Share knowledge, provide constructive feedback, and actively participate in lab meetings and discussions.

Work-Life Balance

Prioritize physical and mental health. Flexible work hours are allowed, with no expectation to work evenings, weekends, or holidays, except in rare, necessary cases.

Integrity & Accountability

Maintain high academic and research standards. Report mistakes promptly, document work thoroughly, and contribute meaningfully to projects and authorship.

Training & Expectations

Undergraduate and graduate trainees are expected to engage consistently, attend meetings, and plan PhD research with clear milestones.

Version – Jan 5, 2026

Lab Culture

  1. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment. All lab members are expected to be kind, respectful, and supportive.
  2. Our work is collaborative, not competitive. Share knowledge and take interest in each other’s projects.
  3. Open communication is essential. Constructive feedback, questions, and respectful disagreement help improve science and support professional development.
  4. Participation in weekly lab meetings, interest group meetings, external presentations by lab members, and weekly 1-on-1 meetings with Kangjoo is expected to the best of your ability (attend, pay attention, ask questions and offer constructive comments).
  5. Lab meetings are a shared intellectual space where all members contribute ideas and discussion. They are not venues for top-down evaluation or a command from the PI.
  6. Social and community-building activities are encouraged but optional and never affect evaluation.
  7. Share agendas, slides and relevant materials before meetings to help me provide more useful feedback.
  8. Allow at least two weeks if you would like me to review your writing.
  9. Please feel free to send me (multiple) reminders about deadlines, I always appreciate it.

Work-Life Balance

  1. Do not conduct research at the expense of your physical and mental health. Rest, vacations, family responsibilities, hobbies, and a social life are important.
  2. Work hours are flexible. You are responsible for organizing your own schedule, and I am available to help with planning to meet your goals.
  3. Attend meetings during normal work hours when possible; exceptions can be accommodated.
  4. You are not expected to work or respond to messages during evenings, weekends, or holidays. Messages outside your regular work hours do not require immediate response. Near external deadlines, I may request assistance outside regular hours but you may decline.

Undergraduate Volunteers

  1. Undergraduate volunteers are expected to spend 8-10 hours per week physically in the lab to ensure engagement with ongoing projects and hands-on research experience. Hours are flexible, but consistent attendance is important for learning and project progress.
  2. Weekly 1-on-1 meetings with Kangjoo or their project leader (typically PhD students or postdoc) are expected to review progress and receive guidance.

Holidays

Lab holidays include all federal and FIU holidays. During holidays:

  1. All lab and individual meetings are cancelled.
  2. No work is expected.
  3. Messages I send may be ignored until after the holiday.
  4. My response time to your messages may be delayed.

Academic Integrity & Dealing with Mistakes

  1. I cannot check every line of your code or re-run every analysis. I trust you to take reasonable, proactive steps to minimize errors: write, well-documented code with version controls if needed; and ask a colleague to review critical parts when possible.
  2. Mistakes will happen despite our best efforts. If you discover a bug in your code or an error in an analysis, please tell me promptly. Identifying and reporting mistakes is a positive sign of responsibility, it lets us assess the consequences, correct the record where needed, and develop strategies to prevent similar issues in the future.
  3. Transparency and a willingness to fix problems are essential for your professional growth and for maintaining the lab’s scientific integrity.

Authorship

  1. I will help students understand their roles - whether they are taking the lead or providing support - when they begin a new project or join an existing project.
  2. I expect that all authors understand and contribute meaningfully to the intellectual work of a project. In general, if a person’s involvement is limited to simple tasks such as participant recruitment and data collection without broader intellectual input, their contribution should be acknowledged in the paper rather than listed as authorship.
  3. The CrediT taxonomy may be used to guide authorship discussions.

PhD Dissertations

  1. Your PhD thesis should contain enough materials for at least three papers. These papers do not need to be published, although it is common for at least one to be at that stage. Typically, a dissertation includes three main content chapters, preceded by an introduction and followed by a discussion chapter. If you have the contents in near-final form, you should expect to spend at least approximately 3-4 months of full-time work to complete the dissertation. So please plan accordingly.
  2. PhD training is generally planned for 5–6 years, with a maximum duration of 7 years.
  3. Exceptions will only be granted for critical, clearly justified, and acceptable reasons to ensure fairness.

Interested in working with us?

Join us based in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University.

Email Dr. Lee BME PhD Program