Lab Member Roles ⚡

Each lab member has a unique role, and we all bring our skills to the table. Here’s who does what in iHuman Lab:

PI (Principal Investigator) 👨‍🔬

The PI is the brain behind the lab—the one who keeps everything running:

  • Fundraising Genius: Secures funding to keep the lab alive and thriving.
  • Research Coach: Meets with you regularly (usually once a week) to discuss your projects and guide your academic journey.
  • Career Booster: Helps you with professional development by connecting you with other researchers, writing recommendation letters, and promoting your work at conferences.
  • Human First: Cares about you as a person, not just a researcher.

Project Owner 🏆

The Project Owner is the visionary—the one who ensures the project is moving in the right direction and achieving results:

  • The Visionary: Keeps the project’s big picture in mind and sets the research goals.
  • The Prioritizer: Constantly adjusts the research priorities and long-term goals, including publication plans.
  • The Decision-Maker: Makes final calls on project requirements, whether to publish, and whether to keep pushing forward with development.
  • The Guardian of Interests: Considers funding bodies and the scientific community’s needs in every decision.
  • The Leader: Guides the team but might still roll up their sleeves and contribute as a team member.

Team Member 🤝

Team Members are the engine that powers the project. They do the hands-on work and collaborate closely:

  • Cross-functional All-Stars: Write code, collect data, test software, proofread papers—whatever the project needs!
  • Self-Managing: Organize and manage themselves, without needing a boss to tell them what to do.
  • Collaborative: Work intensely with others in the team (think: constant communication, shared problem-solving).
  • Commitment: Ideally, they focus on one project at a time and stay with the lab for the long haul.
  • Leadership: Even as contributors, Team Members have a leadership role in driving their area of the project.

Project Coordinator 📅

The Project Coordinator is the glue that keeps everything together, making sure the team is staying on track and that the research process is smooth:

  • Impediment-Buster: Helps remove any roadblocks that could slow down the team.
  • Environment Creator: Ensures the team has the space and freedom to self-organize and thrive.
  • Data Guru: Tracks progress and adjusts forecasts (you’ll see weekly updates in Microsoft Teams).
  • Team Shield: Protects the team from distractions, so they can stay focused.
  • Timeline Enforcer: Keeps an eye on deadlines and ensures the project stays on track.
  • No Authority: The Project Coordinator has no formal management power over the team—they’re more like a helpful guide. (For now, that’s usually the Lab Coordinator or Hemanth).

Collaborator 🌐

Collaborators are the specialists who offer occasional help but aren’t fully embedded in the project:

  • The Helper: May provide data, equipment, consulting, feedback, minor analyses, or administrative support (like scheduling).
  • The Backstage Player: They aren’t involved in day-to-day project decisions and generally don’t attend regular meetings.
  • Paper Recognition: If their contribution is significant enough, they may be mentioned in acknowledgments, but usually not as co-authors.

Collaborators are a big help when needed, but they stay in the background unless they’re ready to step up into a bigger role.