A Good Mentor: An Optimistic Outlook of A Future in Science (A Very Much Personal Take)
This morning, I came across an Instagram Reels by @itsalexml as you can see below.
Without thinking too much time, I chose C as if my life depends on it. When I looked again at the other answers especially Option A (”Experiment works first time, every time”), I questioned myself.
Why not… choosing A, Aulia? 😀
To reflect on my research job in 2019, it’s a no-brainer answer to choose A. The research took almost 3 years to finish, with a year prior to get done the paperwork. Conducting the research itself was even challenging due to pandemic. I had to deal with the uncertainty coming both from the drastically-changing nature of new variant of SARS CoV-2 outbreak and, sadly, the research itself.
One of research workflow had to do with mitochondria. The thing is, when you work with mitochondria, time is the essential factor. Cell fractionation to isolate the mitochondria is not a problem here, but the time during post-isolation is not a luxury especially when it comes to the research facility access. Most of post-isolation assays that we did are ideal for fresh up to 24-hours post isolation mitochondria. In other words, we basically raced against the time with our samples.
Time was not only the pressing aspect of my job. Several protocols we proposed were new in the lab. A lot of optimization procedures were done late near the end of 2020 after all labs could assess the safety aspect for anyone who needed to conduct research during pandemic. Frankly, it was hard. Hard because of the protocols, but even harder because we had to be very careful with time.
There was so many time when I woke up with the thought of “I really want this to be over”. Sometimes, I felt like everything was too overwhelming, “I can’t do this, can I?”, “Why is it so hard?”, etc., but I still remained working there. No, it’s not because of my love in science or the research (I questioned myself a lot, “Do I want to work in this field AGAIN?”). If I get asked “Why?”, I also wonder to myself. Maybe, it’s because of feeling responsible to finish this job although I could just resign whenever I wanted back especially when the outbreak seemed like it was nowhere to be over (mid 2020–2021 was terrible period here).
Some months after I finished the research job in July 2023, I pondered about the aspect of “being responsible” here. When I thought more about it, this driving force of responsibility was not a surprise. I mean, whatever job we do, it’s very logical to do it in professional & responsible manner, right? So, I thought, there should be a pivotal key to trace the root of “Why did I keep working in that research despite of the difficulty?”
Frankly, it’s silly to put my thoughts that way. It’s even silly when I realized the answer is as subtle as the air we breathe. The existence of our PI is the answer.
Our PI is an anesthetist who also spares his time as a lecturer and researcher in medical school. He also was shocked when the pandemic basically limited him to get the samples, let alone to perform more laboratory work (yeap, there was a working hour limitation, applied in our lab). When one of optimization protocols, a cytosolic calcium measurement, was met with confusing result, he caught me and my lab partner’s mixed emotion of doubt and tiresome. He gave us some days off to let us rest.
“Nothing’s good coming out of tired mind,” . The advice that has been my ‘mantra’ ever since. I think, my love of hiking or going out in the nature (for the sake of getting a fresh air) is also a product of this notion.
He is also very open when it comes to “Oh I’m not familiar with this one, let’s ask Prof. (his long-time advisor)/someone,” and “This is interesting, what are your opinion about this one?”. This manner taught us that it’s okay not to know anything and being honest about it.
I used to have this pessimistic view of how junior researchers like me back then were treated e.g. not really heard of. Not that I experienced the worse one in the lab during college, but having to deal with it in administration level was enough to give me a “Don’t hope too much to whatever institution I’m in”. However, our PI broke that stereotype. He did not only give us a space to speak up but also put considerations on our suggestion. He gave us a platform to raise concern and to question in order to teach us that we are actually on the same level when it comes to the research & science itself. And that was when I thought, “Hey, it’s nice to be heard of,”.
The support did not only come in a form of him giving us space and time for our own voices & concerns, but also a chance to learn. I myself learned a lot during my time in this job. Not only the experience that would shape myself as a skilled researcher, in term of lab technique and the object we were studying of, but the experience that essentially challenged me to find my voice in science.
What does science mean to me?
Being a good mentor, in this case a primary investigator in a research project, takes more than just leading your team to obtain a good result or to publish in a high impact journal. It trains you to be on the shoes of your mentee. Therefore, you’re capable to give them suggestions that will help them to develop as a future professional.
Being a good mentor drives you to understand how ‘to pass the baton’ of the knowledge itself because how could a progress in science be made when we are failed to nurture the next generation of scientists?
In a world, full of pressure for perfection, I wish to see myself as a scientist one day, to continue ‘passing the baton’ in kindness, as shown by our PI.
