LEAD Reverse Mentoring Pair

Lara do Amaral Silva and Laura Miller

Lara do Amaral Silva, PhD, Reverse Mentor
Lara do Amaral Silva is an assistant professor of neurobiology at Wake Forest University. Her journey began as a curious child in a small town in the Brazilian countryside. This curiosity and her desire to create a promising future motivated her to overcome many obstacles. Amaral Silva became the first in her family to attend university, navigated financial challenges and cultural discouragement to pursue a career, learned English to engage with scientific literature, and broke through social barriers as a Latina woman in academia.

She is very happy for the opportunity to answer exciting scientific questions while mentoring and teaching the next generation of scientists and professionals. Amaral Silva's lab research focuses on understanding physiological mechanisms that allow animals in nature to overcome stressors that otherwise cause major human health issues, specifically concerning metabolic challenges to the brain. They are investigating neuroprotective mechanisms that birds evolved against hypoxia and insulin resistance using electrophysiology, microscopy, and behavioral experiments.

What new skills do you seek to gain as a reverse mentor?
This is a great opportunity to gain mentorship skills. First, I seek to exercise strategic planning and problem-solving, and I believe this reverse mentorship program is a great environment for that. FASEB LEAD creates a partnership where the mentor provides essential perspectives on the obstacles encountered by individuals from underrepresented groups at the start of their careers, and the mentee has a comprehensive understanding of the academic system, its power, and pitfalls. Together, we can develop strategies for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in ways that genuinely benefit underrepresented individuals. 

Second, I seek to develop a leadership style where I am heard without losing sight of how other people's experiences in different positions can give insights into resolving collective issues. Again, this is a core value of the program; thus, I feel fortunate to be part of it. Although leading, I can also learn from my mentee's experience as a professor and leader since any established professional willing to be mentored by early career professionals must lead by learning, experimentation, and example. 

How is mentoring important to your career development?
Mentoring is essential to my job as an assistant professor, where I engage in many types of mentorship daily. In the classroom, I teach them the important content and mentor them to achieve the knowledge essential for their success and the skills necessary for the next steps of their career, e.g. project development, teamwork, public speech, etc. As an academic advisor, I help them navigate their scholarly choices to align with their career goals. In my research lab, I mentor undergraduate and doctorate students by teaching them key techniques, such as asking relevant questions, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Besides that, I provide career mentorship, helping students align their choices and skills to chart their paths post-training. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) panelist and grant reviewer, I mentor scientific decisions of agencies and journals. Finally, I contribute to departmental decisions; for example, I serve on the search committee, and I can use my experience as the last person hired and as a neurophysiologist to mentor our choices in the search. 

My training during my master's, doctorate, and postdoctoral did not fully prepare me for the diverse mentoring responsibilities I encounter as an early-career professional. I am dedicated to mastering my current leadership duties and preparing for future growth. As my career progresses, my mentorship responsibilities will expand, allowing me to support more individuals and take on greater roles within the academic community such as leading committees, representing my department in university initiatives, and engaging as a leader in national committees and professional societies. Those are all essential for my career professional development and for cultivating a supportive academic environment. 

How does diversity and inclusivity impact your leadership style?
I am committed to actively supporting other historically underrepresented communities in academia, so it reflects the world we live in; thus, diversity and inclusivity are central points for my leadership decisions. I am an early career professor, and the spaces I lead now are the classroom and my research lab. In both settings, I cultivate a culture of mutual respect. At the beginning of each course and at the first lab meeting, we establish the importance of respect among peers and myself. I am happy to accommodate my students' disabilities and respect their backgrounds in my classroom. Considering students' different backgrounds, I believe in educating them about diversity and inclusivity, giving them grace at first but not tolerating any behavior that disrupts the class/lab environment. For example, last semester, inappropriate behavior during peer presentations was promptly addressed by a serious conversation about respectful engagement. I followed up with a reminder email and implemented a participation grade for students' contributions during their peers' presentations.

In the lab, I try to provide what my mentees need to focus on their training. For example, I have a confidential meeting with undergrads joining the lab where we consider their work schedule when planning for research time and explore all the types of fellowships they could apply to if they are interested. I am preparing a project to apply for extramural fellowships to support undergraduate students. Additionally, I established a "student worker" position in the lab, enabling a first-year student to assist with various tasks while earning an income. This role helps them acclimate to the research environment and prepares them for future academic opportunities. So far, my lab has a diverse mix of doctorate and undergraduate students from various backgrounds, likely resulting from both intention and a welcoming environment.

Lara do Amaral Silva is a member of American Physiological Society, a FASEB member society.