Training Next-Gen Underrepresented (UR) Biomedical Scientists: What Works, What’s Wrong, What’s Right on Target

In today’s climate of tense identity politics, race and gender issues remain hot topics that we, as a nation, grapple with every day. In the world of science, we like to think that only the scientific enterprise is important, but data evidence reveal glaring disparities between the number of underrepresented (UR) science faculty and senior scientists at research-intensive universities and centers. We’ve always known intuitively that role-modeling and effective mentoring matters, but now there is data evidence to support this conclusion. But what does this paucity of UR biomedical faculty mean for broadening participation and increasing the numbers of UR and women in leadership positions in the scientific workforce? 

Join us for a discussion with two members of the Keystone Symposia Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC) and two Keystone Symposia Fellows on issues of diversity in science, research, teaching, and mentoring. DAC member Dr. Michael Lipscomb is currently an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Howard University and Dr. Roland Thorpe is currently an associate professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. The Keystone Symposia Fellows represent the depth of that community; one Fellow, Dr. Nicole LaRonde is from the original class of 2009, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park; and Dr. Amol Kulkarni is an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy at Howard University.

This engaging conversation will highlight current research opportunities our Keystone Fellows and DAC members are currently investigating. We will also examine teaching methods and techniques they employ to keep their students interested and motivated to succeed. There will be a lively discussion on the benefits of mentoring and how effective mentoring, particularly of UR trainees, can make or break a young scientist’s career. Lastly, we will ask the hard question of how to increase the number of biomedical UR faculty? What will it take to facilitate more equitable distributions of women and UR faculty at research universities? More R01 grants to UR faculty? More outreach from industry for UR biomedical labor? More UR start-ups? 

Key Questions: 

• How important is mentoring to the development of UR biomedical trainees?
• What are best practices in the classroom (pedagogy) for keeping trainees interested in pursuing biomedical degrees?
• What can we be doing, as a society, to increase the number of UR biomedical faculty?  
• What has Keystone Symposia’s Diversity in Life Science Programs (DLSP) done to enhance the careers of biomedical trainees and faculty? How can we do even more?

Event Hashtag: #VKSmentoring

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This Keystone Symposia ePanel event was made possible by a grant from 

The views expressed in this ePanel are those of the participants and not necessarily of the participants’ organizations or of Keystone Symposia.