Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Statement

 

As members of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and of the greater scientific community, we acknowledge the harm perpetuated through systemic racism and unjust biases. The BCMB community is committed to providing a supportive environment in which the dimensions added by diversity of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, culture, socioeconomic status, veteran status, disability, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and marital status are valued and celebrated. Our laboratory, as well as the BCMB program, condemns any form of past, present or future discrimination. It is our mission to consistently provide equitable access to the highest quality education possible. In addition, we acknowledge that creativity, innovation, and synergistic learning arise from a diversity of approaches, thoughts, skills, and experiences. Thus, to build an optimal learning environment, we must actively seek to build diverse research groups in communities based on respect, equity and inclusion.

 

Our research in the Regot lab focuses on understanding the complex and dynamic processes that arise from biological diversity. We understand and admire that nature continually creates innovative and novel solutions by leveraging unique differences between individuals. We believe the best science happens when we emulate this principle. Bringing together diverse individuals, with unique backgrounds and experiences, makes us a more creative, capable and effective research team. Here we provide a series of commitments, goals and action plans to build and maintain a safe, diverse and inclusive environment.

 

Our values

 

As a lab we are committed to:

• Fostering and maintaining an inclusive environment that welcomes, respects and celebrates diversity. To us, this means ensuring that all lab members, along every axis of diversity, feel a genuine sense of belonging in our research team.
• Treating each other with compassion, understanding and acceptance. We believe this creates a safe training environment where all lab members can feel comfortable making, acknowledging and learning from their mistakes and addressing conflict.
• Continuing to educate ourselves on DEI and intersectionality so that we can better support, empower and advocate for community members from diverse backgrounds.
• Highlighting and amplifying the work of diverse researchers and the impact their work has on our community.
• Leveraging our privilege as scientists to serve the greater community through targeted outreach towards community members from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM.
• Advocating for the hiring of diverse faculty. Broader representation within academia contributes to the creation of a climate of acceptance. Moreover, it inspires and empowers young academics through examples of success and achievement by researchers of diverse backgrounds.

 

Our Actions

 

• We are active and intentional in our recruitment of trainees from underrepresented backgrounds.
• We advocate for diversity in the selection of speakers for departmental seminars.
• We actively seek out publications by researchers from underrepresented backgrounds for group discussion/journal club.
• We offer, respect and value constructive feedback provided by all lab members.
• We commit to participating actively in departmental DEI training and learning opportunities.
• We treat each other as equals, without preferential treatment of any kind.
• We take responsibility for our own actions and hold others accountable for their actions.
• We commit time to mentoring, teaching and volunteering in our larger community. We do this in a targeted manner in order to make science more accessible to individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM at any educational level
• We act against racist and oppressive language and actions within our institute and in the larger community.
• We believe that the ruling on affirmative action by the SCOTUS is wrong and will always continue to support students and scientists from diverse backgrounds to have an inclusive diverse scientific community.

 

As a lab we acknowledge that we will all make mistakes. We strive to learn from these mistakes and take action to correct ourselves. 

This statement was crafted and approved by all lab members. It is a living document that will be revisited regularly as we continue to educate ourselves and strive to create more diverse, inclusive and equitable spaces in science.