MaineHealth Institute for Research Community

Nature Technology Feature  Five ways in which rookie lab leaders can get up to speed Jyoti Madhusoodanan Shortly after launching her laboratory last year, Catherine Schrankel began looking for people to fill it. Without a team, Schrankel had to do everything: hire students, organize freezers and establish protocols, among the many other responsibilities of a new principal investigator (PI). “I was just not prepared for how tired I would be at the end of the day,” recalls Schrankel, a developmental biologist at San Diego State University in California. The first few months were “mildly controlled chaos”, she says, as she juggled dozens of tasks for which she had little training. Schrankel’s experience, unfortunately, is not unusual. Would-be academics spend years as graduate students and postdocs, training to conduct rigorous scientific research. But those skills provide scant preparation for leading a team of one’s own, which many new PIs liken to running a start-up firm. Their res...

  Regulatory Changes & Guidance Updates - November 28, 2023 MaineHealth Government Affairs’ Regulatory Changes & Guidance Updates is an internal newsletter that will be distributed weekly including highlights, policy changes, and other pertinent announcements from the state and federal governments. Please note that any formal submissions to the state or federal government on behalf of MaineHealth are coordinated by the Government Affairs Team. If you would like to submit comments or respond to any of the announcements shared through these weekly updates, please email   Sara.KahnTroster@mainehealth.org   for guidance. State & Federal Rulemaking Federal: None this week. State: OADS  released  a notice of agency rule-making proposal to combine Chapter 10-149 (formerly the Office of Elder Services) and Chapter 14-197 (formerly the Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disability Services) into a unified Adult Protective Services System with a sing...

as seen in the MHIR DEI weekly email from Harvard Business Review Why Kindness at Work Pays Off by Andrew Swinand Summary.    Whether you’re just entering the workforce, starting a new job, or transitioning into people management, kindness can be a valuable attribute that speaks volumes about your character, commitment, and long-term value. Here are a few simple routines you can integrate into your everyday work life that will spread kindness and help create a culture of kindness at your organization. Practice radical self-care. The best way to be a valuable, thoughtful team member is to be disciplined about your own wellness — your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Do your job. Start with the basics by showing up on time and doing your job to the best of your ability. This is where your self-care practice comes into play — you can’t do your best work without taking care of yourself first. Reach out to others with intention. Make plans to meet virtually or,...

 from the American Psychological Association as seen in the MHIR DEI weekly update When and how to engage constructively in family arguments during the holidays Here are some things to keep in mind before you decide to dive into a brewing conflict and take sides. By  TaNoah Morgan Last updated: November 21, 2023 During the holidays, when some of us are spending time with family members with whom we may have sharply conflicting views—whether related to politics or the pandemic—it’s easy for conflict to come to the table. Some of this may be because stress is at an all-time high throughout the country: Nearly 7 in 10 adults (68%) said that the future of our nation is a significant source of stress in their lives, according to APA's   2023 APA Stress in America survey . Other big sources of stress included violence and crime, the U.S. debt, mass shootings, social divisiveness and health care. “The hyperpartisanship in our politics has led to a divisiveness in the country tha...

  Hello MHIR,     It’s so important that we take care of ourselves and each other, if there’s a way we can support you in this, please reach out    When and how to engage constructively in family arguments during the holidays   Why Kindness at Work Pays Off   Watching war unfold is distressing — here's how to protect your mental health   Giving Tuesday: How to donate to a charity with purpose and intention   The science behind why doing good makes us feel good   5 Tactics to Combat a Culture of False Urgency at Work   Talkspace therapy is now available through the MaineHealth Resources for Living, Employee Assistance Program   *These suggestions might not be supportive to you, and that’s ok!! Drop us a line to tell us about what’s been     P.S., Many NYT and HBR articles are free through MH – The MH Library can assist with access at  library@mainehealth.org    Please NOTE: If titles are listed, the...