Compassionate leadership

Professors Emery Brown and Hamsa Balakrishnan work in vastly different fields, but are united by their deep commitment to mentoring students. While each has contributed to major advancements in their respective areas — statistical neuroscience for Brown, and large-scale transportation systems for Balakrishnan — their students might argue that their greatest impact comes from the guidance, empathy, and personal support they provide. 

Emery Brown: Holistic mentorship

Brown is the Edward Hood Professor of Medical Engineering and Computational Neuroscience at MIT and a practicing anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Brown’s experimental research has made important contributions toward understanding the neuroscience of how anesthetics act in the brain to create the states of general anesthesia. 

One of the biggest challenges in academic environments is knowing how to chart a course. Brown takes the time to connect with students individually, helping them identify meaningful pathways that they may not have considered for themselves. In addition to mentoring his graduate students and postdocs, Brown also hosts clinicians and faculty from around the world. Their presence in the lab exposes students to a number of career opportunities and connections outside of MIT’s academic environment.

Brown also continues to support former students beyond their time in his lab, offering guidance on personal and professional development even after they have moved on to other roles. “Knowing that I have Emery at my back as someone I can always turn to … is such a source of confidence and strength as I go forward into my own career,” one nominator wrote. 

When Brown faced a major career decision recently, he turned to his students to ask how his choice might affect them. He met with students individually to understand the personal impact that each might experience. Brown was adamant in ensuring that his professional advancement would not jeopardize his students, and invested a great deal of thought and effort in ensuring a positive outcome for them. 

Brown is deeply committed to the health and well-being of his students, with many nominators sharing examples of his constant support through challenging personal circumstances. When one student reached out to Brown, overwhelmed by research, recent personal loss, and career uncertainty, Brown created a safe space for vulnerable conversations. 

“He listened, supported me, and encouraged me to reflect on my aspirations for the next five years, assuring me that I should pursue them regardless of any obstacles,” the nominator shared. “Following our conversation, I felt more grounded and regained momentum in my research project.”

In summation, his student felt that Brown’s advice was “simple, yet enlightening, and exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.”

Hamsa Balakrishnan: Unequivocal advocacy

Balakrishnan is the William E. Leonhard Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. She leads the Dynamics, Infrastructure Networks, and Mobility (DINaMo) Research Group. Her current research interests are in the design, analysis, and implementation of control and optimization algorithms for large-scale cyber-physical infrastructures, with an emphasis on air transportation systems. 

Her nominators commended Balakrishnan for her efforts to support and advocate for all of her students. In particular, she connects her students to academic mentors within the community, which contributes to their sense of acceptance within the field. 

Balakrishnan’s mindfulness in respecting personal expression and her proactive approach to making everyone feel welcome have made a lasting impact on her students. “Hamsa’s efforts have encouraged me to bring my full self to the workplace,” one student wrote; “I will be forever grateful for her mentorship and kindness as an advisor.”

One student shared their experience of moving from a difficult advising situation to working with Balakrishnan, describing how her mentorship was crucial in the nominator’s successful return to research: “Hamsa’s mentorship has been vital to building up my confidence as a researcher, as she [often] provides helpful guidance and positive affirmation.”

Balakrishnan frequently gives her students freedom to independently explore and develop their research interests. When students wanted to delve into new areas like space research — far removed from her expertise in air traffic management and uncrewed aerial vehicles — Balakrishnan embraced the challenge and learned about these topics in order to provide better guidance. 

One student described how Balakrishnan consistently encouraged the lab to work on topics that interested them. This led the student to develop a novel research topic and publish a first author paper within months of joining the lab. 

Balakrishnan is deeply committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance for her students. She ensures that mentees do not feel compelled to overwork by encouraging them to take time off. Even if students do not have significant updates, Balakrishnan encourages weekly meetings to foster an open line of communication. She helps them set attainable goals, especially when it comes to tasks like paper reading and writing, and never pressures them to work late hours in order to meet paper or conference deadlines.