Lab manual · NPLab

Welcome

If you're reading this, you're either in the lab or considering joining it. Either way — welcome.

This manual is part reference, part social contract, part statement of what we care about and how we work. It exists because clarity protects everyone — you, me, and the science. Nothing here should surprise anyone who's already been in the lab for a while. But having it written down means we can point to it when things go sideways, instead of making it up in the moment.

If you disagree with something here, say so. That's the first test of whether any of this actually works.

Gio

Who We Are and What We Do

We study the structure and dynamics of complex systems — from the topology of brain networks to the communication of sperm whales to the mathematics of higher-order interactions. Our work sits at the intersection of network science, topological data analysis, information theory, and mathematical modelling. We apply these tools wherever the questions are deep enough to demand them: in neuroscience (whole-brain and neuronal), in neuroAI and representation theory, in animal communication, in social dynamics.

Our mission is to do rigorous, creative, and honest science. To build mathematical tools that outlast our own papers. To be generous with ideas and credit. To challenge each other without diminishing each other. To be curious before being correct. To follow our analyses wherever they lead, especially when they lead somewhere inconvenient.

We are a small lab. That means everyone matters, everyone contributes, and everyone is visible. It also means that when something isn't working, it affects all of us. So we deal with problems early, directly, and without letting them fester.

The Ethos

The lab motto is simple: head down and push through.

I don't expect you to work nights and weekends. I do expect you to test your limits. Science is done at the fringes — of what's known, of what's technically possible, and often of what you think you're capable of. You will not find those fringes by coasting. This means sustained, focused effort. It means learning things you didn't think you'd need. It means sitting with problems that feel impossible until they're not. It means rewriting an analysis when something doesn't add up rather than hoping no one notices.

What it does not mean is presenteeism, self-sacrifice theater, or performing busyness. Urgency comes from the work — from a result that's almost there, from a deadline that matters — not from a manufactured atmosphere of permanent crisis. And sustained intensity requires sustained support: ask for it, from me, from your labmates, from your collaborators. Asking for help is not a sign that you're failing. It's how hard problems actually get solved.

If the balance tips the wrong way, tell me and we recalibrate. But the default is: we push.

Expectations and Responsibilities

Everyone: The Big Picture

Work on what excites you. Work hard at it. Be proud of it. If you're not excited, tell me — we'll figure out why and whether to change course.
Be careful with your work. Think before you implement. Sanity-check your results. Ask others to look at your code. Help others when they ask. Mistakes happen; mistakes from carelessness shouldn't.
If you do make a mistake, tell your collaborators immediately. Especially if results have been shared, a paper is being written, or a manuscript has been submitted. We admit mistakes, correct them, and move on.
No academic misconduct. No plagiarism, no data fabrication, no fudging results, no omitting inconvenient findings. This is non-negotiable and not worth saying more about.
Support your labmates. Help them when they need it, even when you're not on their project. Science in this lab is collaborative, not competitive.
Respect your labmates. Respect their strengths, their weaknesses, their need for quiet, their need for support, their culture, their identity, their boundaries. If there is tension or hostility in the lab, it gets addressed immediately. If you're not comfortable addressing it yourself, come to me.
Stay current. Attend seminars. Follow researchers in your area. Read broadly. Be part of the scientific conversation, not just your own project.
Have a life outside the lab. Take care of your health — physical and mental. If you're struggling, tell someone. It's ok to go through hard patches. What's not ok is suffering in silence while your work and wellbeing deteriorate. We look out for each other.

Everyone: The Small Picture

You are not expected to work weekends or late nights. You are expected to get your work done — and done well.
Keep regular hours that work for you. Working from home or a café is fine, but being physically present in the lab matters for collaboration and for the kind of spontaneous exchange that makes a lab more than a collection of individuals. Find a rhythm.
Be on time for meetings.
Communicate your availability. If you're travelling, on holiday, or unavailable, let people know in advance.
If you're sick, stay home. Let people know if you'll miss a meeting or deadline.

Expectations of PhD Students

Develop your dissertation research. This is your primary job. Coursework and teaching matter, but research gets you your PhD and prepares you for what comes next.
Work in the lab regularly and maintain a visible presence.
Present your work — at lab meetings, at departmental events, at conferences. Get comfortable being uncomfortable in front of an audience. The only way through it is through it.
Apply for fellowships, travel grants, and awards. I will help you with applications, but the initiative should come from you.
Meet with me regularly (typically every week or two) to discuss research progress. These are your meetings — come prepared with questions, results, problems, or just the thing that's been bugging you.
Once per year, we will have a dedicated conversation focused on career development, goals, and strategy — separate from research meetings.
If you want to apply for a summer school, conference, or external opportunity, talk to me first. Not for permission — for coordination. I want to support you effectively, and I can't do that if I find out after the fact.
If you're further along in your PhD, look out for the newer students. You don't need to formally mentor them, but you've been through things they haven't — first submissions, first rejections, the long middle stretch where nothing seems to work. Share what you've learned. Help them navigate. This is good for them and good for you.
Challenge me when I'm wrong. Push back on ideas you disagree with. Bring your perspective — that's why you're here.

Expectations of Postdocs

Develop and drive your own independent line of research, in addition to contributing to collaborative projects.
Mentor students in the lab. This is not nominal — I expect you to put real work into the projects you supervise. Reviewing a draft once is not mentorship. Sitting with someone's code, helping them think through a problem, structuring their analysis — that is. If you're listed as a mentor on a project, I expect you to be genuinely involved in the intellectual and practical work.
Present your work widely — at conferences, in seminars, through invited talks.
Meet with me every week or two for a structured conversation about your research. Once per semester, we will have a separate conversation about professional development and career trajectory.
Apply for grants and fellowships. Even if I'm supporting you financially, grant-writing experience is essential for your career, and successful applications benefit everyone.
When you're ready to move on, tell me. Whether you're aiming for a faculty position, industry, or something else entirely, I'll support your transition. Leaving academia is a legitimate choice and will be treated as such.
Challenge me. You bring expertise I don't have. Use it.

What You Can Expect of Me

I will:

Support you scientifically, professionally, and — to the extent that's appropriate — personally through the ups and downs of research life.
Give you timely feedback on project ideas, drafts, figures, talks, posters, and proposals.
Be available regularly — in person, by email, on Slack — and maintain consistent one-on-one meetings.
Help you navigate the field: introductions, collaborations, recommendation letters, conference support.
Help you prepare for the next stage of your career, whatever that looks like.
Set clear expectations and hold you to them — and hold myself to the same standard.
Create an environment where honest feedback flows in both directions. If I'm not doing my job — not giving timely feedback, not managing conflicts, not protecting your work, not listening — tell me. I'd rather hear it directly than have it become a problem.
Prioritise your wellbeing. If you need time, space, or support, ask. Health comes first. Always.

Authorship, Credit, and Intellectual Honesty

The principle

We do not take credit for others' work. We do not allow others to take credit for ours.

This applies to everyone — including within the lab. If you see a credit or authorship issue forming, raise it immediately. It doesn't matter if the person involved is a collaborator, a labmate, or me. These things are much easier to resolve when they're small. Left unaddressed, they corrode trust — and trust is the only thing that makes collaborative science work.

Raise concerns respectfully, but raise them. I will always take them seriously.

Who earns authorship

Authorship on any paper from this lab requires a substantive intellectual or technical contribution. This is broadly aligned with CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) but adapted to how we actually work.

A substantive contribution means at least one of:

Conceiving or designing the study or a significant component of it
Developing the mathematical or theoretical framework
Writing original code, running experiments, or performing analyses that appear in the paper
Writing or substantially revising sections of the manuscript
Providing data, methods, or tools that were essential and non-trivial

The following do not constitute authorship on their own:

Attending meetings
Providing general feedback or encouragement
Being funded by the same grant
Performing routine tasks without intellectual engagement
Being nominally "on" the project without producing deliverables

Authorship is earned, not assumed

Being assigned to a project does not guarantee authorship. If someone's contributions don't meet the threshold by submission, they will be acknowledged — clearly and generously — but in the acknowledgments, not the author list. This isn't punitive; it's accurate.

Authorship discussions happen early

At the start of every project, we will have an explicit conversation about expected contributions and provisional authorship. This will be revisited at key milestones. If contributions change, authorship changes. These conversations will be documented in writing.

Disputes

Authorship disagreements come to me first. If they can't be resolved, we follow the relevant journal's guidelines and, if necessary, involve a neutral third party.

Project Accountability

Every project has a lead

Every active project has a designated lead who is responsible for:

Driving the project forward week to week
Maintaining the shared repository and documents
Flagging blockers or delays to me
Coordinating with collaborators

The lead is not solely responsible for all the work — but they are responsible for making sure the project moves.

Deliverables and timelines

At the start of a project or at natural checkpoints, we agree on concrete deliverables and rough timelines. "I'm working on it" is not a deliverable. "Draft of Section 3 by Friday" is. Timelines can slip; expectations should not be vague.

When someone isn't delivering

If someone is consistently not meeting their commitments, the following process applies:

Direct conversation. I raise it privately, with specific examples. The goal is to understand what's going on and agree on a concrete path forward.
Written follow-up. After the conversation, I send a short written summary of what was discussed and agreed. This protects everyone.
Reassignment or removal. If the situation doesn't improve within approximately four weeks, the person's role on the project is reduced or they are removed. This is communicated clearly and in writing.

There is no ambiguity in this process. If you're on a project, you contribute. If you can't — for any reason — it's better to say so early than to let it become a problem for everyone else.

Lab Meetings and Communication

Lab meetings

Lab meetings are a shared space for the whole group. They are open — current members, alumni, collaborators, and visitors are all welcome. They happen weekly. Attendance does not imply involvement in any project or authorship on any paper.

We rotate presenters; the format is flexible: research updates, practice talks, paper discussions, troubleshooting sessions.

When you present:

Come prepared. Slides or a clear written summary — not verbal improvisation.
Be specific. Not "I've been working on the model" but "I ran X, got Y, next step is Z."
If progress is minimal, say so honestly. Showing where you're stuck is more valuable than a vague update.

When others present:

Engage. Ask questions. Give feedback. This is how the lab gets better collectively.

Communication channels

Slack is for day-to-day communication, quick questions, links, and lab banter.
WhatsApp group is for urgent or logistical things — travel coordination, last-minute changes, quick pings when someone's offline.
Email is for anything official, anything with external collaborators, or anything that must not fall through the cracks.
GitHub is for code, technical decisions, and project-level to-dos.
If something is time-sensitive, say so explicitly. I am happy to be nudged if a couple of working days pass without a response.

One-on-ones

I schedule regular one-on-ones with each lab member, typically every week or two. These are your time — research progress, blockers, career questions, lab dynamics, personal issues affecting work. What's discussed stays between us unless we explicitly agree otherwise.

Come to these meetings prepared. Even a short bullet list of what you've done, what's stuck, and what you need from me makes the time more useful for both of us.

The core communication norm

Raise problems early. If something isn't working — a project, a collaboration, a dynamic in the lab — tell me sooner rather than later. I can't address what I don't know about. I value directness. If you think something is wrong, say it plainly. I will do the same.

External Opportunities and Collaborations

Conferences, schools, and workshops

If you want to apply for a conference, summer school, or external opportunity, talk to me first. Not for permission — for coordination. I want to make sure it aligns with your development, that the timing works, and that I can write the strongest possible support.

New collaborations

Encouraged. If a collaboration involves significant time or overlaps with existing lab projects, discuss it with me beforehand so we can coordinate. Not for permission, but so I can understand how your time is distributed.

Professional Development

Science is not just about papers. Your time in the lab should prepare you for whatever comes next — whether that's a faculty position, a research role in industry, a policy career, or something else.

To that end, I commit to:

At least one dedicated career development conversation per year (separate from research meetings)
Helping you build skills beyond research: writing, presenting, reviewing, grant-writing, mentoring
Being honest about the academic job market, its challenges, and its alternatives
Supporting non-academic career paths without judgement

You should commit to:

Thinking actively about where you want to be in 3–5 years
Seeking out opportunities that build toward that goal
Asking for help when you need it — whether that's a practice talk, a CV review, or an introduction

Conduct and Culture

Respect and fairness

Everyone in this lab is treated with respect, regardless of seniority. Junior members are expected to push back, ask questions, and challenge ideas. Senior members are expected to welcome it.

Credit

Credit extends beyond authorship. Ideas, code, analyses, preliminary work — if someone contributed, say so. If you're unsure whether something needs attribution, err on the side of generosity. The authorship policy above covers papers specifically; this is about the everyday culture of acknowledging each other's work.

Feedback

Giving and receiving honest feedback about work is a core part of what we do. Feedback is about the work, not the person. Disagreements are welcome — the only requirement is that they are substantive, not personal.

Accountability starts with me

These guidelines apply to me first. If I'm not setting clear expectations, not giving timely feedback, not managing conflicts, or not holding people (including myself) accountable — tell me. Directly. Or, if you're not comfortable telling me, talk to Iacopo Iacopini — he's someone I trust and who will tell me what I need to hear.

Boundaries

The lab is a community, and like any community it has a social dimension. We have dinners, we go to conferences together, we share jokes on Slack, and in some cases we become genuine friends. This is a good thing and I value it.

But it can blur boundaries, particularly between the roles of supervisor, colleague, and friend. To be clear: my responsibilities as PI and your supervisor will always take priority. I will never let a social dynamic interfere with fair treatment of anyone in the lab.

If you feel that boundaries are being blurred in ways that make you uncomfortable — whether involving me or anyone else — raise it. This is not optional. A lab where people feel uncomfortable in silence is a lab that's already failing.

When Problems Come Up

Research. Health. Personal. Interpersonal. Whatever it is — if you're in trouble or need to sort something out, talk to me.

If you have a problem with me, or you want an outside perspective, or if I'm simply not listening, talk to Iacopo Iacopini. He is a trusted colleague who knows the lab and will not just nod along — he'll push back where needed, on you or on me.

You can also contact the relevant departmental or university support services at Northeastern University London.

Onboarding Checklist

When you join the lab:

Join the lab Slack workspace
Join the lab WhatsApp group (ask any current member for the link)
Get access to the shared drive / Dropbox / Overleaf
Set up a GitHub account and join the lab organisation
Get access to the shared lab calendar and add your availability
Schedule a recurring weekly or biweekly meeting with me
Schedule an initial professional development conversation
Make a Google Scholar page (if you don't have one)
Exchange contact details with at least two labmates for emergencies
Read this manual and flag anything you disagree with

Gio Version 2.0 — March 2026