Advice for Junior Researchers on How to Become a Better Mentor and Lead a Research Group

• Activity Number: 338 - Advice for Junior Researchers on How to Become a Better Mentor and Lead a Research Group
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 12, 2021 : 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
• Sponsor: ENAR
• Author(s): Brian Caffo* and Susan Paddock* and Paul S. Albert* and Brisa Sanchez*
• Companies: Johns Hopkins University and NORC at the University of Chicago and National Cancer Institute and Drexel University
• Keywords: Mentoring; Junior researchers; Leadership

Abstract

As young statisticians progress from being students and postdoctoral fellows into young professionals, they face new challenges as they transition more towards mentoring students and leading independent research groups. This is an exciting opportunity for professional growth, increased productivity, and helping to mold future generations of statisticians. Unfortunately, most junior statisticians are given very little guidance on how to develop positive mentor/mentee relationships or how to lead their own research groups. Leading and advising others on research projects can appear daunting to junior statisticians, and it can be difficult for them to construct productive research environments for those that they mentor. The purpose of this session is to bring together four accomplished researchers to discuss a variety of aspects of leading research groups that they have encountered throughout their careers. By bringing together researchers from academia, government, and nonprofit research institutes, the panel will provide young statisticians at JSM with insights into the problems and challenges that they will potentially face, and advice into building productive research groups.