Welcome to the Hecker Lab
Our mission is to engage in high quality, impactful science, with the goal of translating the basic science into the clinical arena. With the growing elderly population, there has been a rise in the incidence/prevalence of age-related lung diseases. Research in the Hecker laboratory is broadly focused on: (1) understanding how normal physiologic repair responses “go awry” in aging and their contribution to the pathogenesis of age-dependent lung diseases. (2) Developing novel treatments that target age-associated pathological mechanisms and ultimately promote repair. Our laboratory is composed of a talented team of experts and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will help us achieve these goals. We believe that unlocking the secrets of how the repair process becomes less efficient in aging will lead to treatment strategies that could delay the onset of and/or reverse age-associated disease. We believe these therapeutic approaches will ultimately find their way to patients in order to help the elderly population live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
About Us
Mission Statement
Our mission is to engage in high quality, impactful science, with the goal of translating basic science into the clinical arena – to ultimately improve the lives of patients. We strive to maximize success by recognizing the unique talents of each lab member within a dynamic team environment, where every member is equally valued, has a voice, and a leadership role. Long-term commitment and investment to research and our team members is our foundation toward achieving these goals.
Core Philosophies
Circular leadership: each person on the team has a unique and equally important role. From undergraduate to PI, we believe that no role is more or less important than another. The voice of each team member is highly important and valued. We recognize each person on the team for their unique talents and contributions to the group as a whole.
Science is a marathon, not a sprint. We value long-term commitment to research. Scientific goals are set weekly/bi-weekly to ensure that we are working together as a team in order to achieve our overall goals.
High quality, impactful science. We strive to translate basic science into the clinical arena through high integrity research. Our ultimate goal is to improve the lives of patients.
Win-win relationships. Just as each lab member is invested in the research, we also invest in the professional development of each team member. A written personalized career development plan is put into place for each lab member. We provide leadership development training, strengths testing, resume workshops, retreats for wellness and focused topics, and an annual awards ceremony. It is a high priority to promote the continued professional growth of each lab member.
Maximizing success. We strive to place each lab member at the intersection of “what they like” and “what they are good at”. This creates a dynamic work environment that maximizes job performance and satisfaction.