Einstein Mentor Educator Program

Program Goals

Create an environment for facilitating ongoing research mentor training to mentors at all career stages
Build a network of mentors engaged in enhancing research mentoring relationships
Maintain a team of mentor educators who can advise, and support mentors
Encourage a mentoring culture at Einstein that values respect for everyone and sets an expectation for supporting all trainees and their mentors

Why Mentor Training?

Foster an inclusive, culturally aware environment
Complement Einstein’s new mentee training program
Promote professional development for mentors and mentees
Provide the best possible research training experience for both mentors and mentee
Fulfill mentor training required for federal grants

What Curriculum Is Used?

The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) is an NIH-funded, evidenced-based, interactive training originally developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for mentors across science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines working with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.

CIMER mentor-training curriculum engages mentors in collective problem solving and connects them with resources to optimize their mentoring practices. Mentors engage in learning communities through activities, assignments, case studies, and facilitated discussions to solve mentoring dilemmas and share successful mentorship strategies.

Topics include:

Maintaining effective communication
Aligning expectations
Fostering independence
Promoting professional development
Addressing equity and inclusion

Learn more about CIMER here. Learn more about CIMER at Einstein here.

Einstein Mentor Educators

Einstein’s mentor educators have been selected because of their passion, expertise, and excellent skills in mentoring. They receive facilitator training through CIMER and work as a group to assist with mentor training at Einstein. Learn about our Einstein mentor educators below.

Alberto Pereda, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience
Faculty Page
alberto.pereda@einsteinmed.edu
“Science is a continuous process that requires passing the current knowledge to new generations of scientists.”

Bihui Hilda Ye, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Cell Biology
Faculty Page
hilda.ye@einsteinmed.edu
“Mentoring relationships, either formal or informal, play a key role in personal and career development of a researcher in biomedical sciences. This is true not only for young students or postdocs in training, but also applies to junior faculty members or established investigators exploring a new field. I believe a good mentor-mentee relationship will benefit both parties and, if many trainers work to improve their mentoring skills, it will significantly contribute to a supportive and inspiring work environment.”

Derek Huffman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Molecular Pharmacology
Faculty Page
derek.huffman@einsteinmed.edu
“Strong and effective mentoring is critical to establishing the next generation of scientists and will leave lasting impressions on the mentees. The challenges that inevitably are encountered during the training stage can be overcome with qualified mentoring to guide, encourage, and advise trainees to persevere and achieve their goals.”

Dianne Cox, Ph.D.
Professor
Developmental and Molecular Biology
Faculty Page
dianne.cox@einsteinmed.edu
“Strong mentoring is essential for the success of the next generation of scientists. This means supporting our trainees in multiple aspects of their career development, even if and after they are no longer under our direct supervision.”

Duncan W. Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor
Developmental and Molecular Biology |Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience
Faculty Page
duncan.wilson@einsteinmed.edu
“Biomedical research is an extraordinarily competitive enterprise. Strong mentoring and guidance are essential to ensuring that, despite the pressures they are under, young scientists learn to always perform their research in the most rigorous, thorough, and ethical manner possible. Moreover, excellent mentoring offers an example to our trainees of how to communicate ideas and results effectively, and clearly, to others.”

Elyse S. Sussman, Ph.D.
Professor
Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience
Faculty Page
elyse.sussman@einsteinmed.edu
“The mentor relationship is important for shaping the professional development of junior scientists — to advise on a range of skills beyond the science, such as networking, funding, mentoring students, running a lab, collaborations, career paths, scientific advocacy, and so on, which all help build career advancement and community service.”

John M. Greally, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor (Einstein), Attending Physician (Montefiore)
Genetics | Pediatrics
Faculty profile
john.greally@einsteinmed.edu
“The field of biomedical science is dominated by senior white men. Active mentorship and sponsorship will be needed to diversify and strengthen the field.”

Julie Secombe, Ph.D.
Professor
Genetics | Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience
Faculty Page
julie.secombe@einsteinmed.edu
“Mentoring builds honest and more transparent relationships, which then allows for better discussions of minutia and big-picture implications of data.”

Michal Melamed, M.D., M.H.S.
Professor
Medicine |Pediatrics | Epidemiology & Population Health
Program Director

Nephrology Fellowship
Faculty Page
michal.melamed@einsteinmed.edu
"My successes in my career have come through hard work and excellent mentorship (as both mentee and mentor). Mentorship is key to a successful career in science as there is no real playbook to follow and every path to success is slightly different. In a good mentoring relationship, both the mentor and the mentee are rewarded for their hard work."

Robert Coleman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Cell Biology
Faculty Page
robert.coleman2@einsteinmed.edu
“I am passionate about mentoring relationships so that I can pass along knowledge and wisdom that was passed along to me by my mentors thereby increasing the chance of trainees success.”

Sofia De Oliveira, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Developmental & Molecular Biology | Department of Medicine
Faculty Page
sofia.deoliveira@einsteinmed.edu
“The establishment of a strong mentorship relationship creates opportunities for mentors and mentees to feed into one another, motivating and inspiring at multiple levels while helping to achieve personal and common goals. Therefore, strong mentoring relationships are the foundation of not just scientific discoveries and innovation but are also a key component in the retention and development of passionate and outstanding scientists.”

Sylvia Ottilie Suadicani, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Urology
Faculty Page
sylvia.suadicani@einsteinmed.edu
“Strong mentorship relationships are necessary to establish a learning environment based not only on transmission of knowledge but continuous listening and working as a team. Individual issues, life circumstances, and concerns can then be promptly identified and addressed in a timely manner to ensure a successful training experience and advancement of the mentee’s research career.”

Victor Schuster, M.D.
Professor
Medicine | Biochemistry
Faculty Page
victor.schuster@einsteinmed.edu
“No matter how smart, no one is born with the skills for investigating, writing, presenting, and navigating science, let alone careers, negotiations, and difficult conversations. Mentors — good mentors — are required at every step.”

Zoe Tsagaris, M.S. OTR/L
Director
Clinical Research Resources
Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
Google Scholar Page
Zoe.tsagaris@einsteinmed.edu
“Effective mentoring relationships have the power to transform an individual's confidence and willingness to take risks. By guiding someone out of their comfort zone, you can help that individual realize their true potential. This is especially true in the field of biomedical sciences since there is such a wide range of opportunities for growth and exploration.”

Quick Links

Diversity & Inclusion

Einstein Mentor Educator Program

Program Goals

Why Mentor Training?

What Curriculum Is Used?

Einstein Mentor Educators