Chair:

Anke Tukker, Purdue University

Co-Chair:

Mohamed Ghorab, US EPA

Primary Endorser: Education and Career Development Committee


Endorser(s): Graduate Student Leadership Committee


Endorser(s): Postdoctoral Assembly

Leadership development is becoming an increasingly important topic in academia, industry, and governmental organizations. We recognize that science does not take place in a vacuum, that scientists cannot do the work alone, and that skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership are essential to bolstering innovation and discovery in their field. In modern science, it is impossible to keep up with the incredible speed of scientific knowledge alone. Teams, collaborations, or even consortia are required to make the scientific breakthroughs for which we all strive. These collaborations can consist of people who come from the same institution and share the same background or mixed groups forming interdisciplinary collaborations. Collaborations can be formed voluntarily or are forced by funding agencies. Teams are structured within organizations in order to enhance the workflow. However the teams are formed and whatever their consistency, their success relies on good scientific leadership. As we climb the professional ladder, we rely ever more on leadership skills. Yet, leadership development has never been a primary concern in scientific training. During (post-)graduate training, trainees learn how to be good researchers, but there is little focus on equipping them to be leaders. Development of leadership skills is considered an individual endeavor, and scientific leadership is seen as a role people acquire rather than an intentionally guided process. Nevertheless, leadership affects the whole team, not just the leader. Being a good scientific leader requires key skills. But what are these scientific leadership skills, and how do you acquire them? And do skills needed in academia also apply to government or industry work? How can scientific leaders create a positive and inspiring working environment? In sum, what key requirements and challenges enable effective leadership in science? The goal of this session is to answer these questions by through presentations by established scientific leaders across distinct organizations and diverse backgrounds. While all session speakers began in academia and now work in a toxicology-related field, they have been appointed to a wide field of leadership positions in academia, government, industry, and science. Each speaker will reflect on their journey through the scientific leadership field and how they became a scientific leader. They will present what their scientific leadership role entails and address what they see as key skills and key challenges in their current roles. Additionally, they will give tips and advice on how to acquire the necessary leadership skills. The individual talks will be followed by a panel discussion in which we can focus on the differences and similarities between the different fields of leadership. The extended discussion period will allow time for answering audience queries.