Passionate and resilient thinkers drive transformation: Establishing fairness in the field of Neuroscience
The University of Rochester's Del Monte Institute has taken significant strides in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of neuroscience. The institute's Neuroscience Diversity Commission (NDC) was established in 2020, following the death of George Floyd, with John Foxe, Ph.D., the director of the Del Monte Institute, penning a letter that sparked its formation.
The NDC is organised across three main action groups: Pathways, Cultural Transformation, and Community Connections. These groups aim to provide real-world lab access to historically marginalised, minoritised, or excluded students through programmes such as NEUROCITY and NEUROEAST. NEUROCITY partners with the City College of New York, while NEUROEAST collaborates with East High School in the Rochester City School District, as part of another Pathway programme created by the NDC.
Adrienne Morgan, Ph.D., the vice president for Equity and Inclusion of the medical center and senior associate dean for Equity and Inclusion, SMD, has been a driving force behind the NDC. She took the helm of the equity and anti-racism plan and became a member of the NDC. Morgan emphasises the importance of researchers looking at their research through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to ensure they are being more inclusive in the research they are doing.
Shraddha Shah, a neuroscience graduate student, has been with the NDC since its inception and plays an integral role in implementing the Lab Mentorship Certification Program. This program aims to train both mentors and mentees and give them tools to create a more equitable and inclusive lab environment. Shah is also a founding member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program Student Solidarity Organization (SSO), which provides an avenue for gathering student perspectives to bring to the NDC.
Nathan A. Smith, Ph.D., M.S. ('10), Ph.D. ('13), read the letter while he was in Washington, D.C. and became part of the NDC. He emphasises the need for constant engagement and conversation to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.
As the NDC's work continues, change has come to the commission as students graduate, leaving questions about how the work will be sustained for the long term. Adrienne Morgan reflects that there is a groundswell that has not been there before to do the work in the diversity, equity and inclusion space.
A new seminar series - NEURO YES - is being hosted by the NDC, the Center for Visual Science, and the Brain and Cognitive Sciences department. The series aims to bring early-career investigators to the University of Rochester to share their work and create a network of scientists interested in building an inclusive and equitable culture in academia.
The NDC's efforts are key to ensuring that the neuroscience community has valuable information for all demographics. By providing a space where people from different backgrounds can conduct research, the NDC is changing what study subjects look like and setting the foundation for the future of science and neuroscience research.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
