At MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Professor Fan Wang conducts daily innovative work that tackles a core neuroscience question: how the brain interacts with the body to shape sensations, emotions, and actions. Her lab investigates neural circuits underlying touch, pain, and the sensory‑motor systems that enable eating, drinking, moving, and vocalizing.
Such research is inherently exploratory. Understanding how the brain generates complex experiences often means following unexpected findings and pursuing questions without clear answers. Wang brings this openness into her mentorship, granting students freedom to explore while offering scientific guidance to navigate uncertainty. She notes, “Innovative research is high‑risk and requires continuous exploration and direction adjustment.”
To keep the process intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, she meets regularly with lab members to discuss progress and solve problems together. Weekly or bi‑weekly meetings provide detailed feedback and career‑development advice. When questions lack obvious solutions, she emphasizes rapid team collaboration to manage uncertainty rather than eliminate it.
Wang’s support extends beyond experiments. As a member of the graduate affairs committee, she advises first‑year PhD students on career paths and graduate‑school challenges. She believes that when personal difficulties arise, the most important response is to listen, show genuine care, and offer flexible accommodations such as slowing the pace or providing space for conversation.
Her “mother‑hen” philosophy centers on mutual trust: students can pursue uncertain ideas without fearing judgment, and a mentor’s value is measured by caring for the whole person, not just data output. This trust creates a warm lab environment where researchers feel supported both professionally and personally.
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