Lessons Learned - February 2026

I am grateful to the NAVBO Education Committee for the opportunity to share my experiences as a junior faculty member. My name is Berfin Azizoglu and I am an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine. I completed my PhD training in the laboratory of Ondine 

Cleaver at UT Southwestern Medical Center. My graduate training introduced me to vascular biology and got me interested in organ development and regeneration. I went on to do my postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Roel Nusse at Stanford University where I studied the mechanisms of vascularization in the rapidly growing postnatal liver. I then started my own laboratory at UNC Chapel Hill in the fall of 2023. My lab investigates the mechanisms of vascular plasticity and endothelial cell dynamics during organ regeneration, with a special focus on the mammalian liver. 

I made the transition to my independent position earlier than I expected. This came with its challenges. I did not feel ready in many ways and had my postdoctoral work to complete before I could fully focus on my lab’s independent research. I have been very lucky to have supportive mentors, both as a postdoctoral fellow and as a junior faculty member, who helped me prioritize. This time also taught me lessons I am grateful for. Most importantly, I learned that starting an independent faculty position with a mentality of “Now I have to do it all alone” is common but not productive. Building a supportive lab group, connecting with other junior faculty, and seeking mentors have been crucial for me professionally and personally. 

Hire people whom you will be able to learn with and, importantly, learn from. Before starting my lab, I did not consider how important it is to feel comfortable with learning from trainees and mentees, and how effectively one can learn this way. I was incredibly lucky to have my very talented research assistant join early on after I started my lab. Her excitement to start research as soon as possible was very important in getting the lab up and running efficiently. Her strengths greatly differed from mine and this ended up being crucial for fast progress in the lab. I am now fortunate to have a group of trainees whom I heavily rely on for input, feedback, and maintaining a positive, welcoming culture. Hire people whom you will not only be willing to learn with but also from. 

Recognize that not feeling ready is more or less the norm. I did not feel ready when I submitted the first grant application from the lab, nor when I gave the first talk on our independent research. I realized later that even if I waited many years, I would not feel ready. This is how many other junior faculty felt in my network. While being self critical is a major strength as a scientist, being a cheerleader of oneself is necessary to make progress. Be supportive of yourself and believe in your work and ideas. 

Prioritize enjoying the science and mentoring. After starting my lab, I was surprised as to how much time a faculty member could spend not doing science or mentoring. That included time spent on planning around tenure timelines and requirements. While having a compelling tenure package is an important part of this job, most of us enjoy doing science and mentoring the most and they are the reason we choose this career path. I learned that, to enjoy running the lab, it was important to me to have plenty of time to think about the science and mentoring. I began to let go of perfectionism when it came to doing other tasks. Remind yourself what made you choose your path. Remember to be flexible with other tasks and planning so you can prioritize enjoying the science and mentoring.