The latest Soapbox Science mini-series focuses on the role of mentors in science. Tying in with this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting, where almost 600 young scientists have the opportunity to meet each other and 25 Nobel laureates, we’ll be looking at the importance of supportive relationships and role models. We’ll hear from a mix of mentors, mentees and projects set up to support scientists and we aim to explore not just the positive examples of good mentoring but what can happen when these key relationships are absent or break down. For more discussions around this year’s Lindau meeting, check out the Lindau Nobel Community site.

Stephani Page is a rising 5th year graduate student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She is pursuing her PhD in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and is a member of the Bourret/Silversmith Lab in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. 

There are many qualities that signify an outstanding mentor:  compassionate, wise, and humble; forthright, patient, and honest; knowledgeable, generous, and genuine. When I think of all of the individuals whom I have called “mentor”, they have demonstrated all of these qualities.  The attributes and qualities of good mentorship cannot be assigned to gender, race, religion, or economic status; I have had many mentors from diverse backgrounds.  Largely due in part to the depth and diversity of the relationships with people who have taken the time to mentor me, I feel equipped to step out into the vast unknown: a career in the sciences. Continue reading →