Learning today to become the mentors of tomorrow

A single interaction can change the direction of a career. Sometimes it happens in a lab late at night, during a quick exchange in a hospital hallway or over coffee after a difficult day caring for patients. In these moments, mentors offer more than advice; they provide perspective, encouragement and the reassurance that someone else once stood in a similar spot. These relationships can help shape not only a career path but also the confidence, curiosity and resilience needed to succeed. At St. Jude, these moments unfold every day among scientists, clinicians, trainees and staff. Just as importantly, the people who receive guidance today are learning how to become the mentors of tomorrow.

Developing the ‘whole scientist’

Traditionally, mentorship at biomedical research institutions has been viewed as primarily the responsibility of faculty or senior staff members. St. Jude applies a collaborative philosophy where mentorship is shared across career stages. In this approach, mentorship is intentionally woven into every stage of a scientist’s development. Undergraduate students begin by gaining early experience in leadership and teaching. Graduate students and postdocs build on these skills by guiding younger trainees and learning how to manage research projects while providing constructive feedback. Faculty continue the cycle by mentoring senior lab members, while also supporting trainees across multiple levels. This layered, team-based model helps develop strong mentorship practices while also supporting scientists as their roles and responsibilities evolve.

“Traditionally, the focus for younger trainees has been simply to get them into a lab and involved in a research project, but being a scientist also requires leadership, communication and a sense of scientific citizenship,” explained Kate Ayers, PhD, STEMM Education & Outreach Program director. “By introducing those skills earlier, we can better prepare scientists for the full range of responsibilities they will take on later in their careers.”

This approach reflects a commitment to developing the “whole scientist.” Creating developmental scaffolds that support not only research productivity, but also personal and professional growth is an intentional choice designed to help trainees feel successful, valued and supported.

This structure creates a community of practice. Rather than waiting until scientists become principal investigators to learn appropriate mentoring skills, the goal is to begin building those abilities at the start of a scientist’s training. “By cultivating these skills early, students become better prepared to be effective mentors, which strengthens the overall quality and impact of mentorship at St. Jude,” said Ayers.

Mentorship in practice

With this philosophy in place, St. Jude has a robust network of programs and everyday opportunities that support mentorship throughout scientific career pathways. It is embedded in formal programs and day-to-day lab activities, ranging from undergraduate students serving as near-peer mentors to high school students during summer research projects, to faculty guiding established lab members in their professional and scientific development.

Programs like the Emerging Leaders in Biomedical Research (ELBR) program, the Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) program and the Rhodes Summer Plus program offer students from outside institutions an opportunity to gain training and guidance from St. Jude experts. Similarly, the Memphis STEMM Ambassadors program connects St. Jude scientists, researchers and other professionals with local classrooms, where they lead hands-on science experiments and share insights about their careers to young learners.

“These roles not only reinforce the mentor’s own skills and knowledge but also help foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment where mentorship becomes a shared, ongoing practice,” explained Ayers. “By empowering students to mentor others, St. Jude is preparing future mentors at the very beginning of their scientific journey.”

Entering mentoring

In addition to early opportunities to practice mentorship, St. Jude offers training programs that teach scientists how to mentor effectively. “Too often, there’s an assumption that when someone steps into a leadership role, they will naturally know how to mentor others, but that is not the case,” explained Sally McIver, PhD, senior director of Academic Programs. “We have systems and programs in place to support scientists in learning how to be effective mentors.”

One such program is a specialized facilitator training through the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, a national leader in mentor-mentee development. The program equips participants to lead mentor training sessions, covering topics such as aligning expectations, effective communication and fostering productive mentor-mentee relationships. “We recently had our first session, and we’re going to offer these trainings every year moving forward,” said McIver.

Another opportunity is a postdoc-run course called Entering Mentoring. The course, organized by the St. Jude Postdoctoral Leadership Council, uses case study–based discussions to give postdocs the opportunity to share their own experiences as mentees and reflect on how those experiences shape the way they mentor students in their labs.

Using a SMaRT approach

Building on these experiences, St. Jude has developed structured tools to make mentoring even more intentional.

“Coming from a postdoc background, I saw firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate mentor-mentee relationships while managing a lab and research team,” explained McIver. “That experience showed me how essential strong mentorship is, and how much it shapes career growth.” From that experience, McIver developed the Strategic Milestones and Research Training (SMaRT) Plan for Career Advancement Program.

The SMaRT plan addresses career challenges that many postdocs face by providing them with focused and structured training plans, mentorship offerings and career development opportunities. It is a tool designed to help principal investigators and postdocs with the important tasks of mentoring, such as aligning expectations, setting goals, tracking progress and assessing skills, while also making the process easier and more effective.

“When people think of mentorship, they often focus solely on the trainee trying to find their way, and most tools have been designed to support only the mentee,” said McIver. “While that’s important, there haven’t been practical tools that also incorporate the faculty perspective, helping them balance running a lab with effective mentoring.”

By giving faculty a structured way to focus on mentorship, the tool not only makes their role more manageable but also better prepares postdocs for success.

“Utilizing the SMaRT plan ensured that my PI and I were on the same page about our expectations for my time as a postdoc,” said Michaela Meehl, PhD, Department of Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy postdoc. “Preparing for the alignment meeting forced me to think about the skills I have and the skills I want to acquire, which allowed my PI and me to have a productive conversation about how to tailor my postdoc to prepare me for my future career.”

Echoing this sentiment, her mentor Giedre Krenciute, PhD, Department of Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy, said, “It made mentoring feel intentional and much more productive for both of us.”

Growth and guidance

Beyond improving the mentoring experience day-to-day, these programs and tools shape career trajectories, helping scientists grow both professionally and personally. Faculty at St. Jude have often attested to the value of mentorship, emphasizing the impact that it has had on their careers and how it can open doors to new opportunities. Trainees who receive high-quality mentorship are more likely to publish manuscripts, secure competitive fellowships or grants and advance into leadership positions.

The collaborative mentorship approach at St. Jude amplifies these benefits. By integrating mentorship across all stages, trainees not only receive intentional mentorship but also learn to mentor others themselves.

“Having supportive mentors early in your career can make a huge difference,” explained McIver. “Mentorship shapes not only the work you do, but how you think about your career, your goals and the kind of scientist you aspire to become.”