Behold! A coat of arms as noble as our IRB protocols, and as resilient as our study participants…
At the center lies a four-quadrant shield representing the pillars of our quest:
- The Mushroom: Nature’s strange gift and our constant regulatory headache.
- The Brain: What we ultimately seek to understand, and what we sacrifice weekly to the gods of compliance.
- The Magnifying Glass: For peering closely at our data and protocols…and also hunting for that one file someone definitely swore they uploaded.
- The Lightbulb: A symbol of ideas, insights, and the occasional unhinged Teams message at 11pm.
Flanking the shield are two rearing horses, captured forever in a dramatic pose that says, “We could joust to resolve our differences… but instead, let’s collaborate professionally and support the collective burden of scientific advancement.” (Or, “…instead, let’s stand together on this weird patch of fur and hold up this shield.”)
And below the shield, rooted in quiet reverence, three symbols speak to the inner work of research and the potential for transformation:
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A Plant, for the slow, deliberate growth this process requires.
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A Heart, representing the care, presence, and humanity we bring to the work.
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A Butterfly, honoring the possibility of profound change.
Above it all shines the All-Seeing Eye, watching over us like a benevolent PI, reminding us that Nothing Can Be Easy — or, as the scroll solemnly declares in slightly abbreviated Latin: “Nihil Est Facile.” (Pronunciation: “nee-heel ehst fah-kee-leh”)