Diversity & Inclusion

​Throughout my career, I have participated in many diversity and outreach initiatives that have enriched my life and provided me with invaluable opportunities. As a first-generation college student coming from a low-income background (and a half-Peruvian woman striving to get into a male-dominated field), the university process was already difficult enough to navigate. But the PhD process would have been nearly impossible without the support of my mentors and these programs. I would not be where I am without them. They helped me combat imposter syndrome, gave me funding to continue my research, and grounded me in a community that is likeminded and ambitious.

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I am committed to paying it forward and giving others the opportunities that I’ve worked to achieve. Working with these communities reminds me of the inequities that still persist in this society, how much information feels “guarded” in science, and how difficult it is for so many to even get a chance.

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I want to be sure that others do not feel this way. There are so many ways neuroscience needs to change, not only in the diversity of its scientists, but also in how research is conducted (male- and Euro-centric), as well as being accommodating and inclusive to others’ backgrounds, among many other issues too numerous to list.​

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We need to do better. Already, we are trying. Engagement, awareness, and the help of these initiatives listed below are some one of the many ways we are changing the field for the better.

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PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

Our research should be for the benefit of everyone and should not be focused on findings that will benefit only a small subset of the population. I will not discriminate against those who wish to do science, no matter their background. I will champion women, non-gender binary folks, and minorities to succeed in science without fear of being judged, or feeling behind or out of place.

I am also aware that each individual holds implicit biases and am actively working to be aware of them, educate myself, and to overcome them. I am committed to hearing different perspectives and challenging my worldviews. As a leader, I will use my position of power to actively raise up and mentor others of different backgrounds to support their success and growth.