Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Every day, researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology push the boundaries of genomics through multi-disciplinary, team science-driven research. Back for its third year, the Team Science Leadership Program helps prepare IGB’s mid-career faculty to become the next generation of effective team science leaders.

The certificate program, developed and run by Associate Head of Plant Biology James O’Dwyer (CAIM), provides practical leadership training to mid-career faculty, while also encouraging and enabling research collaboration. O’Dwyer spearheaded TSLP in 2023 after recognizing a need for more professional development and community building opportunities for mid-career faculty through his own experiences.

“This career stage so often seems to be associated with reflection on your trajectory so far, and making plans for the next steps,” O’Dwyer said. “And those next steps for IGB members often lead to deeper engagement with larger scale projects and team science, making this a natural focus of our program.”

Throughout the program, the TSLP faculty cohort attends workshops focused on leadership training, networking, communication skills, and community building. Established workshop topics range from discussing the nuts and bolts of running a healthy and productive team to understanding the funding structures for large-scale projects.

After a successful first year, the 2024 TSLP continued to be an engaging and valuable experience for the faculty participants. 

“James O'Dwyer did a phenomenal job curating an impressive lineup of speakers, and the support from IGB Director Gene Robinson helped me envision the possibilities of leading major initiatives in the future,” said Sepideh Sadaghiani (M-CELS), an associate professor of psychology and a member of the 2024 faculty cohort. “This program stands out for the breadth of relevant and actionable content it offers. A highlight for me was hearing directly from principal investigators leading large-scale projects funded by private foundations. I also deeply appreciated the personal insights shared by campus leaders during small-group conversations at the closing celebration.”

Going into the third iteration of TSLP, O’Dwyer continues to adapt the program to best meet the current needs of mid-career faculty. He said, “We are looking to build on our programming from last year, and one new element is building connections between team science and industry.”

The first workshop of the 2025 program was held on Friday, September 5. Leading up to the event, O’Dwyer said, “I’m excited to learn more about our new cohort, and for them to meet and learn from each other. We’ll also start off with a honey tasting guided by Gene, which is always a highlight.”

2025 TSLP Faculty Cohort

Jacob Allen (MME)
Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Community Health

Matthew Dean (EIRH)
Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences

Christopher Gaulke (MME)
Assistant Professor of Veterinary Clinical Medicine 

Maria R. Cattai de Godoy (MME)
Associate Professor of Animal Sciences

Asma Hatoum-Aslan (MME)
Associate Professor of Microbiology

Shelby Hutchens (RBTE)
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Hong Jin (CGD)
Associate Professor of Biochemistry

Alexander E. Lipka (CAIM/IGOH/PFS)
Associate Professor of Crop Sciences

Megan Mahoney (EIRH)
Associate Professor of Comparative Biosciences

Matthew Stasiewicz (IGOH)
Associate Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Gregory Underhill (RBTE)
Associate Professor of Bioengineering

Xing Wang (CGD)
Associate Professor of Bioengineering