Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2026

Career Development

Creating a Team of Mentors as a Trainee Building a team of mentors is critical to achieving your career goals. This holds true regardless of your unique career ambitions—whether you are carving out your own niche in academia, leading scientific inquiries in industry, or teaching at a liberal arts institution. While many colleagues are willing to give their time to help the next genera tion of scientists, no single mentor can provide everything. To succeed, I recommend creating a team of mentors.

diately. For graduate students, “formal” mentors, such as your PI and thesis committee, are already built into your experi ence, ensuring that you have multiple colleagues to lean on for different types of support. Postdoctoral fellows and scien tists often don’t have a formal committee, but you can build an “informal” team of mentors. The simplest piece of advice is to talk to people. I acknowledge that this requires embracing a bit of awkwardness and stepping outside of your comfort zone. When I start a new job, I like to introduce myself to peo ple I see on my floor: trainees, staff, and faculty alike. Before those introductions, folks tend to look at the floor to dodge my eyes when we pass in the hallway; afterward, those same people become my colleagues who greet each other, help with experiments, share grant examples, and more. Beyond your immediate hallway, there are two other simple ways to grow your team: ask questions at departmental sem inars and introduce yourself at conferences. People remem ber when you ask a thoughtful question, demonstrating that you were listening and are interested in what they (or others) have to say. In addition, at your next conference, introduce yourself to that one (or more) colleague whose work you really respect. Try something like “Hi, I’m Molly Cule . I work on [biophysics topic] and really enjoyed your recent manuscript. I had a quick question about how you approached [biophysics method].” These small, yet impactful ways of getting to know the people in your field can make a big difference in growing your network, ultimately building relationships that may lead to informal mentorship. Relying on one person for all your career and scientific advice isn’t just difficult—it’s unrealistic. Invest the time it takes to build a team of mentors, whether those are formal or infor mal working relationships. You will probably find that work is more fulfilling, and your path clearer, when you aren’t navi gating it alone. — Molly Cule

Relying on one person is often unrealistic because no one can answer all your questions. Early in my career, I struggled to choose the appropriate statistical test for my data. When I brought this to my principal investigator (PI), they candidly told me that they lacked the specific expertise and time to help. However, as a great mentor, they recommended someone else I could reach out to for help. I didn’t leave that meeting feeling lost; I left with a clear next step that empowered me to expand my circle. Furthermore, creating a team of mentors based on various life experiences, fields, and personalities will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your mental health. For instance, if you always imagined you would work at a research institution but the reality of the funding insecurity in the United States is making you reconsider a career in teaching, you need a teach ing-focused mentor. Ideally, you would have several different individuals with whom to discuss alternate paths, such as having a mentor at a primarily undergraduate institution who can provide you with constructive feedback on your teaching statement. If you lean on your PI only, your ability to navigate the current and future uncertainties of the job market will be limited. The empowering news is that you can start expanding your team of mentors, and at the same time your network, imme

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April 2026

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