Houston research: Why you should ditch one-size-fits-all protocols

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Lab safety isn't always standard. Graphic by Miguel Tovar/University of Houston

Safety protocols are only as good as the Principal Investigators who enforce them and the students who adopt them. Operating a lab is no easy feat. It takes patience, consistency and teamwork. In an attempt to learn more about how PIs create a culture of safety, I reached to a few across our university campus to get some tips and tricks for creating effective safety procedures.

A PI’s guide to safety protocols

“My protocol is very clear, and students know the proper attire, but I had one student who arrived at the lab with shorts on. Apparently, he came from the gym … I guess he thought it was OK, but it’s definitely not,” said Mehmet Orman, assistant professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering.

Orman’s research work aims to explore and analyze why some bacterial cells are stubborn to certain therapies. Currently, he uses E. Coli as a model organism to conduct his experiments. His research has the potential to uncover the best methods for combating drug resistant bacteria (aka “super bugs”) which is a seen by many researchers and health organizations as a global crisis.

With such important work, Orman must run a tight ship in his lab. When I spoke to him, he provided his best practices for lab safety.

1. Signage is key

Hazard communication is critical in the lab. “Signage is VERY important. we’ve had students leave Bunsen burners on, which is extremely hazardous. I have signs up everywhere reminding students to turn off the flame.”

2. Remind and repeat

The rule of thumb: you need to hear something 5-7 times for it to sink in. “My lab is new, and my students are young and still learning how to conduct themselves safely. I have to remind them of the protocol religiously, but I’d rather repeat something a million times than have an unfortunate incident occur.”

3. Tailor safety protocols to suit your lab

One size does not fit all when it comes to lab safety. “UH has wonderful, baseline safety protocol and resources for me to use, but every lab is different. I take the foundational information provided by the university and tailor it to fit the needs of my work.”

4. Take baby steps

Throwing students into the experimental deep end can be a big risk when it comes to safety. “Because I am a new researcher at UH and my students are new, I decided to take baby steps with my experiments. My work is about studying drug resistant bacteria, so I decided to begin my scientific exploration with E. coli, a less dangerous organism.” – No pseudomonas aeruginosa just yet.

5. Note to all students: Don’t be shy

“Over time, many of the students become friends. This becomes awkward if they witness their friend violating a safety rule. I encourage the students to speak up (even if it’s their friend), if they see something that threatens everyone’s safety. Everyone wins in the end.”

Safety is a part of the scientific process

Rachel Redfern, O.D., Ph.D., FAAO, is a UH faculty member and an active researcher. Her work focuses on ocular surface inflammation and the impact of contact lenses on normal and diseased eyes. With such sensitive work, safety in the lab is incredibly important to Redfern. She believes keeping her students safe begins at the top but depends on everyone in the lab.

“When students enter my lab, it’s my responsibility to create a safe space where they can perform experiments to answer their growing scientific questions,” said Redfern. “We work as a team to put safety first, but we’re all aware that everyone has different levels of lab safety experience – Every question (regarding safety) is a good one and the questions never asked are the dangerous ones.”

When asked how her students internalize a culture of safety, Redfern praised the education resources of the university.

“At UH, we have access to excellent training to promote a safe culture (shout out to Joe and the UH Environmental Health and Life Safety team!) and training is non-negotiable,” said Redfern. “Also, I often pair new students with seasoned students because setting a good example (among peers) is the best way to encourage students to follow safety practices during routine lab work.”

Eye on safety

When Redfern was a youngster in the lab, she learned that safety was critical to research.

“I was trained by scientists (and worked with peers) who view safety as an element of the scientific process,” said Redfern. “Fortunately, I haven’t been exposed to a ton of outrageous safety violations in my career; however, I have witnessed researchers smoking with latex gloves on and even eating in their dirty lab coats.”

At the end of the day, Redfern just wants to learn more about the complexities of the human eye and Orman wants to study super bugs and how to address a significant health issue. In order to do that, they must conduct experiments with the help of students in a safe environment. This takes team work, group and individual accountability, and everyone’s eye on safety.

When asked about his overall message to PIs and lab safety, Orman simply said, “We’re here for a purpose. We all must have each other’s back to stay safe and conduct meaningful research. It’s just how it is.”

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This article originally appeared on the University of Houston's The Big Idea. Ciandra Jackson, the author of this piece, is the communications manager for the UH Division of Research.

Lab collaboration can help maintain lab safety, these researchers found. Graphic by Miguel Tovar/University of Houston

University of Houston: Teamwork makes the dream work when it comes to lab safety

Houston voices

Getting along with colleagues and forming connections actually helps create a culture of lab safety.

For the most part, we all know how important it is to adhere to universal lab safety rules such as wearing closed-toe shoes or properly labeling all chemicals. Oftentimes, we forget about the human relations side of the safety equation. Cultivating positive working relationships with colleagues is as important (maybe even more so) as learning the “technical” safety rules of a lab. In this edition of the Big Bang, I will discuss the role of interpersonal relationship within the culture of safety.

During my exploration of this topic, I did not specifically find literature that directly links positive interpersonal relationships and lab safety. However, I spoke with a few UH scientists about this topic and I read articles about how to create a positive work environment in the lab in which a common theme arose – communication.

Moreover, the safest labs are operated by people who communicate well and have strong interpersonal relationships. Dr. Colin N. Haile, director of operations at the University of Houston Animal Behavior Core Facility agrees. He runs a complex lab where proper lab safety is vital to the care of the researchers and animals.

“Teamwork and healthy working relationships are extremely important to ensure our work is performed safely and of the best quality,” Dr. Haile said. “When colleagues respect and establish open communication, they are more compelled to help one another adhere to safety protocols.”

Getting along with others is easy, right?

Getting along with others is not easy. We all have diverse backgrounds, life experiences, points of view and expertise. Consequently, the occasional clash with a colleague is not always avoidable.

Frequent showdowns cause disruptions in team morale, productivity and could be a catalyst for an unsafe science lab. In addition to cultivating open communication, there are a few other ways to maintain positive relationships in the lab that contribute to a culture of safety.

Tips for developing and maintaining positive working relationships in your science lab

  • Communication is king & clarity and concision is queen – Communicate exactly what you want and need in a clear, concise manner, especially if there’s a safety issue to address. Also, try to give your email a break – talk to you colleagues face-to-face. This may avoid miscommunication and builds a personal rapport and camaraderie with your teammate.
  • Be nice and respect others – This one is obvious, but important to mention. Stronger bonds and trust is created when you are friendly to colleagues…Hey, you can even take things a step further and show an interest in a co-worker’s family or hobbies outside of the lab. Again, building personal rapport instills trust amongst the group which contributes to safer work environments
  • Keep an open mind and consider diverse points of view – As mentioned earlier, our world is colorful and diverse. That’s what makes humans unique and interesting. Everyone comes from different walks of life and bring unique points of view to their place of business. Preserving superior interpersonal relationships requires colleagues to listen, understand and exhibit compassion towards each other’s points of view. When people are heard, they feel appreciated and possess the motivation to help keep their work space functional and safe.

Strong team = Safer labs and maybe a few cool, new science discoveries

Of course, I’m not suggesting 24-hour Kumbaya in the lab, but the concept of getting along is certainly one that encourages lab safety. Strong teams discover the greatest breakthroughs and are safer in the lab because trust, open communication and respect are established. Well, that’s it for this edition of the Big Bang. Until next time…Be well and stay safe!

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This article originally appeared on the University of Houston's The Big Idea. Ciandra Jackson, the author of this piece, is the communications manager for the UH Division of Research.

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7 can't miss Houston business and innovation events for July

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Editor's note: While many Houstonians are flocking to vacation destinations, there are still plenty of opportunities to network and learn at tech and business events for those sticking close to home this month. From an inaugural biotech summit to the 12th edition of a local pitch showcase, here are the Houston business and innovation events you can't miss in July and how to register. Please note: this article might be updated to add more events.

July 10 - Out in Tech Mixer 

Out in Tech Houston provides an inclusive networking space for LGBTQ+ people and allies working in tech. Check out this relaxed, social-mixer event, hosted on the second Thursday of every month.

This event is Thursday, July 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Second Draught. Register here.

July 14 – Latinas in Tech Coworking Day 

Connect with fellow Latinas in the industry at Sesh Coworking. Network or work alongside peers, board members and community leaders in a shared office environment.

This event is Monday, July 14, from 9-11:30 a.m. at Sesh Coworking. Find more information here.

July 17 – UTMB Innovation VentureX Summit

Attend the inaugural UTMB Innovation VentureX Summit, where innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors will dive into the future of biotech. Expect panel discussions, fireside chats, a technology showcase and networking opportunities.

This event is Thursday, July 17, from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Find more information here.

July 17 – Open Project Night 

Collaborate on solutions for some of Houston’s most pressing issues at this month’s Open Project Night at Impact Hub Houston. Hear from guest speakers and listen to open mic pitches. July’s theme is Decent Work & Economic Growth.

This event is Thursday, July 17, from 5:30-7:30 p.m at Impact Hub Houston. Register here.

July 24 – NASA Tech Talks

Every fourth Thursday of the month, NASA experts, including longtime engineer Montgomery Goforth, present on technology development challenges NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the larger aerospace community are facing and how they can be leveraged by Houston’s innovation community. Stick around after for drinks and networking at Second Draught.

This event is Thursday, July 24, from 6-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

July 30 – Ion Bike Club

Join Bike Houston at the Ion for a 45-minute guided cruise through the Ion District and Midtown. Afterward, enjoy a complimentary beer and network with like-minded riders at Second Draught.

This event is Wednesday, July 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

July 31 – Bayou Startup Showcase

Hear pitches from startups and small businesses from Rice University’s OwlSpark and the University of Houston’s RED Labs accelerators at the 12th annual Bayou Startup Showcase. Read more about this year’s teams here.

This event is Thursday, July 31, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Ion. Register here.

Houston researchers: Here's what it takes to spot a great new idea

houston voices

Having a “promotion focus” really does create a mental lens through which new ideas are more visible.

Key findings:

  • New ideas can be crucially important to businesses, driving innovation and preventing stagnation.
  • Recognizing those ideas, though, isn’t always easy.
  • Nurturing what is known as “promotion focus” can help managers spot fresh ideas.

Whenever the late surgeon Michael DeBakey opened a human chest, he drew on a lifetime of resources: the conviction that heart surgery could and should be vastly improved, the skill to venture beyond medicine’s known horizons and the vision to recognize new ideas in everyone around him, no matter how little formal training they had.

Appreciating new ideas is the heartbeat of business as well as medicine. But innovation is surprisingly hard to recognize. In a pioneering 2017 article, Rice Business Professor Jing Zhou and her colleagues published their findings on the first-ever study of the traits and environments that allow leaders to recognize new ideas.

Recent decades have produced a surge of research looking at how and when employees generate fresh ideas. But almost nothing has been written on another crucial part of workplace creativity: a leader’s ability to appreciate new thinking when she sees it.

Novelty, after all, is what drives company differentiation and competitiveness. Work that springs from new concepts sparks more investigation than work based on worn, already established thought. Companies invest millions to recruit and pay star creatives.

Yet not every leader can spot a fresh idea, and not every workplace brings out that kind of discernment. In four separate studies, Zhou and her coauthors examined exactly what it takes to see a glittering new idea wherever it appears. Their work sets the stage for an entirely new field of future research.

First, though, the team had to define their key terms. “Novelty recognition” is the ability to spot a new idea when someone else presents it. “Promotion focus,” previous research has shown, is a comfort level with new experiences that evokes feelings of adventure and excitement. “Prevention focus” is the opposite trait: the tendency to associate new ideas with danger, and respond to them with caution.

But does having “promotion focus” as opposed to “prevention focus” color the ability to see novelty? To find out, Zhou’s team came up with an ingenious test, artificially inducing these two perspectives through a series of exercises. First, they told 92 undergraduate participants that they would be asked to perform a set of unrelated tasks. Then the subjects guided a fictional mouse through two pencil and paper maze exercises.

While one exercise showed a piece of cheese awaiting the mouse at the end of the maze (the promise of a reward), the other maze depicted a menacing owl nearby (motivation to flee).

Once the participants had traced their way through the mazes with pencils, they were asked to rate the novelty of 33 pictures — nine drawings of space aliens and 24 unrelated images. The students who were prepped to feel an adventurous promotion focus by seeking a reward were much better at spotting the new or different details among these images than the students who’d been cued to have a prevention focus by fleeing a threat.

The conclusion: a promotion focus really does create a mental lens through which new ideas are more visible.

Zhou’s team followed this study with three additional studies, including one that surveyed 44 human resource managers from a variety of companies. For this study, independent coders rated the mission statements of each firm, assessing their cultures as “innovative” or “not innovative.” The HR managers then evaluated a set of written practices — three that had been in use for years, and three new ones that relied on recent technology. The managers from the innovative companies were much better at rating the new HR practices for novelty and creativity. To recognize novelty, in other words, both interior and external environments make a difference.

The implications of the research are groundbreaking. The first ever done on this subject, it opens up a completely new research field with profound questions. Can promotion focus be created? How much of this trait is genetic, and how much based on natural temperament, culture, environment and life experience? Should promotion focus be cultivated in education? If so, what would be the impact? After all, there are important uses for prevention focus, such as corporate security and compliance. Meanwhile, how can workplaces be organized to bring out the best in both kinds of focus?

Leaders eager to put Zhou’s findings to use right away, meanwhile, might look to the real-world model of Michael DeBakey. Practice viewing new ideas as adventures, seek workplaces that actively push innovation and, above all, cultivate the view that every coworker, high or low, is a potential source of glittering new ideas.

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This article originally appeared on Rice Business Wisdom.

Jing Zhou is the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Psychology in Organizational Behavior at the Jones Graduate School of Business of Rice University. Zhou, J., Wang, X., Song, J., & Wu, J. (2017). "Is it new? Personal and contextual influences on perceptions of novelty and creativity." Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(2): 180-202.

5 Houston innovators who made headlines in June 2025

Featured Innovators

Editor's note: Houston innovators were in the spotlight in June, thanks to earning major accolades for their work on national — and global — levels. Here are five Houston innovators to know right now.

Tianshu Zhai, Chen-Yang Lin, Jing Zhang, HEXAspec co-founders 

HEXAspec has been awarded an NSF Partnership for Innovation grant. Photo courtesy of Rice

HEXAspec, a spinout from Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was recently awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant.

Founded by Tianshu Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin, who both participated in the Rice Innovation Fellows program, as well as Jing Zhang, HEXAspec has developed breakthrough inorganic fillers that allow graphic processing units (GPUs) to use less water and electricity and generate less heat. The company will use the funding to continue enhancing semiconductor chips’ thermal conductivity to boost computing power. Learn more.

Cole Woody, University of Houston student

Cole Woody has earned the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for his research on personalized cancer-fighting vaccines. Photo courtesy UH.

Cole Woody, a biology major in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Houston, has been awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, becoming the first sophomore in UH history to earn the prestigious prize for research in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Woody was recognized for his research on developing potential cancer vaccines through chimeric RNAs. The work specifically investigates how a vaccine can more aggressively target cancers. Learn more.

Varshini Chouthri, developer of NOMAD

NOMAD aims to help hikers stay in the moment while still utilizing technology. Photo courtesy UH.

An AI-powered, screen-free hiking system developed by Varshini Chouthri, a recent industrial design graduate from the University of Houston, has received Red Dot’s “Best of the Best” award, which recognizes the top innovative designs around the world.

“NOMAD was truly a passion project, inspired by years of hiking growing up, where the outdoors became a place of peace, challenge, and reflection,” Chouthri said.Learn more.

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