Testimonials

"My experience in the John Lab has been instrumental in preparing me for a career as a PI. Simon has played a crucial role in assisting me in building a network within the glaucoma field, which has proved invaluable for establishing collaborations. Under Simon's guidance, I have been able to contribute meaningfully to scientific advancement while also focusing on my research interests, which involve studying the development of the eye's anterior segment and identifying new therapeutic targets for glaucoma treatment. Simon's mentorship has been invaluable in honing my grant-writing skills and providing insights into the intricacies of establishing a research lab. I am grateful for all the doors he has opened for me and for the knowledge and skills acquired during my time in the John Lab. I am also thrilled to continue collaborating with the John Lab at Columbia."

-Revathi Balasubramanian, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center

"My experience with Simon was tremendous. As someone whose graduate work was in Drosophila, I had a lot to learn about mouse genetics when I started in Simon's lab. Not only did I get that training, but I also had the advantage of a great mentor who helped give me a robust skill set that propelled my career, and help me eventually establish my own lab. I enjoyed every aspect of my postdoc with Simon and would happily recommend his lab to others."

-Michael Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa

"My experience in the John Lab taught me how to think. Had I not been exposed to the high quality of science being done there, I would never have had the grounding or the confidence to try to understand the brain."

-Joe Barter, Graduate Student, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University

"One of the most powerful parts of working in the John Lab is the intensity of the immersion.  It is a close group of postdocs and everyone is using similar tools and techniques.  It is a small town and a tight community.  That is definitely one of the program's strengths.  It is a great opportunity to be in such a unique location for postdoc training.

Simon was a great mentor.  We spent a lot of time together in the lab as well as socially.  We became close friends, often spending the weekends at his house in the winter or rock climbing in the summer.

There is a bottleneck for postdocs finishing their training and competing for faculty positions.  The postdocs that Simon has trained have been successful in obtaining faculty positions.  He trained us well as scientists and also included career mentorship, making sure we went to meetings and understood managerial issues.  Simon shared with us the challenges he faced.  This exposure made it easier to deal with issues in my own lab because I already had exposure to many of the problems that arise and how they can be managed."

-Doug Gould, Professor & Director of Research, Departments of Ophthalmology & Anatomy, Institute of Human Genetics, University of San Francisco