Diversity brings new perspectives, new approaches, and new insights. Our lab believes that diversity is paramount to successful science. We recognize that racism and inequities are present in science and academia, and we are striving to address those inequities in our own laboratory environment and in the broader UCSF and global neuroscience community. Our lab is committed to welcoming and supporting people from all cultures and identities. Our only requirement is that you be excited about electrically excitable cells!

 

 

Over the years, the lab has been home to scientists from all across the US and the world, including (to date) Canada, China, Israel, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea. Additionally, current and past lab members have been part of the LGBTQ+ community, and 50% of our lab have been women. However, we also recognize the continued need to expand representation of scientists of all identities into our lab. Recognizing that this is an ongoing process, please see below for the steps we are taking to start to (inwardly?) rectify this in our lab.
  1. Members of our laboratory sit on UCSF committees and initiatives dedicated to increasing and supporting diversity at UCSF and take part in outreach events for prospective incoming graduate students.
  2. We have a dedicated monthly meeting together with our colleagues in the Nelson Lab to discuss themes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This diversity statement is one part of those efforts. 
  3. We are mindful of authorship in the articles we present in journal clubs, striving to highlight first and last authors from underrepresented groups in science. Our goal is to keep the proportions consistent with the true diversity found in the US. Furthermore, we will extend this mindfulness towards citations within our manuscripts.
  4. We are actively recruiting scientists for our lab at all training levels, including undergraduates looking for research experience, who come from underrepresented backgrounds. This has been either through the Summer Research Training Program at UCSF, the UC Berkeley Research Apprenticeship Program, or through direct interactions with our lab. Please get in touch!

 

This header is courtesy of/modified from a poster by Sammy Katta. Follow the link to learn more about how you be an ally in academia.