Mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is a privilege, is an important part of our role as PIs, and takes ongoing training to learn the best ways to mentor trainees who have many different styles of work. The School of Medicine Basic Sciences offers opportunities for faculty to participate in workshops on various topics throughout the year.
CIMER Workshops
The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experience in Research (CIMER) provides materials for facilitated discussions regarding best practices in mentoring. In these sessions, you will “learn how to improve these relationships at all career stages and promote cultural change that values excellence in research mentoring as a critical aspect of diversifying the research workforce”. More information about CIMER can be found here. Five of our faculty members have undergone training with CIMER to be “Entering Mentoring” facilitators. Past and future CIMER training session are listed below. Registration is required. Please contact Tracy O’Brien (tracy.obrien.1@vanderbilt.edu) if you have any questions or trouble registering.
CIMER Workshop Instructors

Lourdes Estrada, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Maureen Gannon, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Kathleen Gould, Ph.D.
Louise B. McGavock Professor
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research Education and Training
Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Associate Dean for Faculty Development for Basic Sciences
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Digna Velez-Edwards, Ph.D.
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Mentoring Statement Workshops
As a part of the new expectations for NIGMS training grants, faculty are required to include a mentoring/diversity statement. We have developed a number of individual sessions to discuss these issues and write individual statements as a part of the overall activity. Included in the 90-minute session is a discussion on 5 different areas of mentoring and an opportunity to write your Mentor Statement for the Personal Statement part of your Biosketch to be used for training grant applications.
Mentoring WorkshoP Instructors

Maureen Gannon, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Kathleen Gould, Ph.D.
Louise B. McGavock Professor
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research Education and Training
Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Associate Dean for Faculty Development for Basic Sciences
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Mentoring Statement Workshop events
Writing Mentoring/Inclusion Statement for T32s
When: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m., Monday, September 26, 2022
Where: LH 415A-D
Topic: “Mentoring Statement Workshop: Biosketches for T32 Grants”
Writing Mentoring/Inclusion Statement for T32s
When: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Monday September 12, 2022
Where: LH 415A-D
Topic: “Mentoring Statement Workshop: Biosketches for T32 Grants”
Writing Mentoring/Inclusion Statement for T32s
Tuesday October 15, 2:00-3:30, LH 431
Wednesday November 20, 10:30-12:00, LH 431
Writing Mentoring/Inclusion Statement for T32s
Friday October 4, 1:30-3:00, LH 415 A-B
Monday November 11, 9:00-10:30, LH 431
Writing Mentoring/Inclusion Statement for T32s
Monday 6/17/19, 9:00-10:30, LH 431
Tuesday 6/18/19, 1:00-2:30, LH 415 A & B
Monday 7/22/19, 9:00-10:30, LH 431
Thursday 7/25/19, 1:00-2:30, LH 431
Culturally Aware Mentoring Training
This workshop addresses the fundamentals of best mentoring practice interlaced with opportunities for self-reflective dialogue on how race and ethnicity influence the training experience.
Culturally Aware Workshop events
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2021
December 6-7
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2020
Dec 1- 4
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2019
December 5-6
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2018
December 4-5
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2018
April 9-10
Culturally Aware Mentoring Workshop – 2017
November 28- 29