We believe every trainee should have an individualized mentoring program, designed to maximize the utility of their previous experiences, guarantee optimal training, and ensure that they achieve their career goals. We acknowledge that every individual has their own history, interests, strengths, weaknesses, challenges, personality, and goals, which must be respected and incorporated into their training and research planning. We are committed to provide an inclusive environment and to actively work to remove barriers that make it harder for each individual to achieve their full potential.

A foundational principle of the lab is that every team member should be respected and valued, regardless of career stage, origin, background, creed, or any other personal characteristic. All lab members are expected to be professional, cordial, collaborative, and to assist their colleagues to the best of their abilities. The success of any lab member is the success of all members, and the accomplishments of each colleague are to be treasured and celebrated. The ideal lab environment is one where everyone freely exchanges ideas, receives appropriate credit for their contributions, works together for the benefit of all, and lifts up each other's spirits when facing challenges. Most importantly, it's a place where all can partake in the fun and joy of research and intellectual endeavor! 

In the K.M. Costa lab every trainee has the opportunity and freedom to shape the projects they work on. We recognize that team members are not passive followers, but intellectually active agents that can contribute unique perspectives and have their own goals. Trainees are considered junior collaborators and future peers and leaders in their own right. Planning of experiments and individual development activities is executed in collaborative and free discussion, and team members are expected to develop their intellectual independence over the course of their training in accordance to their career stage.

We aim to create an environment that rewards openness, integrity, and boldness in research. This involves protecting lab members as much as possible from misguided incentives that may otherwise pressure investigators to cut corners, misinterpret findings, or limit the potential of their work. Measures to ensure this include, but are not limited to, practicing supportive mentorship (and not a "sink or swim" approach), prioritizing quality and true contribution of each publication  instead of perceived "impact", and training on ethical research conduct.