Titles and Honorifics

All lab members should feel free to address Andrew and Chunlei by their first names. 

However, it is worth emphasizing appropriate etiquette with respect to when interacting with other members of the scientific community. Generally speaking, if someone has earned a Ph.D., M.D., or D.O. degree, you should address that person as “Dr. [Last Name]” in all written and oral communication.  If that person invites you to use their first name, or if they send a written reply and sign with their first name only, then you can transition to using their first name.  Absent one of those signals, you should continue to use “Dr. [Last Name]”, even if you observe others addressing that person by their first name.  Note that this is also the policy that Andrew and Chunlei follow when addressing other scientists.

Abiding by the norms described above is particularly important when addressing women and underrepresented minorities.  Historically (and even currently), individuals in those groups are most likely to have their credentials overlooked or questioned, or honorifics are dropped only for them when being introduced (for example, an email addressed to “Dr. Su and Laura”). Bottom line, people with doctorates should determine what system works for them, and everyone else should use the protocol above for figuring that out.