The Dryland Ecology and Global Change Lab is a healthy, collaborative and people-centered workplace where the health, wellbeing and professional development of its members is a priority and harassment and discrimination (of any form) is not tolerated. Albeit the rigid, no-sense bureaucracy and the lack of resources of the Spanish university/research system does not facilitate this, we also strive to become an international, multidisciplinary and multicultural lab.
As a PI, I like to listen, and I am always open to incorporate suggestions to further improve the way I manage my lab. The basic principles I follow are summarized in the articles “Seven steps towards health and happiness in the lab” and “Ten simple rules towards healthier research labs”. I also actively work and advocate for a healthier academia within and beyond my own institution. A compilation of seminars, interviews and opinion pieces on this important topic is presented below:
- Interview to Fernando in the magazine Mètode about his work in drylands and the healthy labs in science (in spanish) (08/03/2021)
- Webinar “Creating healthy environments in a hypercompetitive world”, on 5ºEncontros Serrapilheira (in english) (11/12/2020)
- One scientist’s six-point recovery plan to tackle COVID-19 anxiety, column published in Nature (03/08/2020)
- Como conseguir laboratorios de investigación saludables en un mundo hipercompetitivo (webminar, in Spanish, 30/04/2020)
- How to create healthier research labs in a hypercompetitive world, seminar given at I2SysBio, University of Valencia (03/03/2020)
- Interview within the report by Javier Guillenea “Presos del laboratorio” (in Spanish). El Correo (06/02/2020)
- Interview within the report by Jesús Méndez “Crisis de salud mental y laboral en la ciencia: las soluciones” (in Spanish). Agencia SINC (18/01/2020)
- Interview within the report by Jesús Méndez “Mental and occupational health crisis in science: the causes”. Agencia SINC (18/01/2020)
- No destruyamos a nuestros doctorandos, son el futuro de la ciencia, opinion piece (in Spanish). El País (03/12/2019)
- How can we reduce the pressure on our early career researchers? Start by creating healthier lab environments, opinion piece. Behavioural and Social Sciences at Nature Research (10/12/2019)
- Instrucciones para ser feliz en el laboratorio Interview by Victoria Rodríguez (in Spanish). Muy Interesante (14/05/2019).