Speakers List
A recurring issue at conferences and seminars is the underwhelming number of URM speakers giving talks. A commonly cited reason for this is not knowing who to invite. To that end, we’ve begun compiling a list of prominent URM researchers across every field of STEM and Medicine. We hope that conference organizers can use this list as a resource when inviting speakers. However we hope that organizers use this list conscientiously. There is a well-known, and well-documented, issue of “tokenism”, i.e. the idea that women and minorities are included to give an appearance of diversity. We would like to stress that a diverse conference is not just about representation of minority speakers but also about creating an environment that is conducive to sharing ideas and collaborating. See our “Best practices” page for tips on how to create an inclusive environment.
We are not the only resource out there! Check out this database for more lists of underrepresented researchers.
NOTES ON USING OUR LIST
1) Please see here for the Speakers List in spreadsheet format (useful for more complicated searches), an explanation of all of the fields (and how to search them), and a list of sorted subfields.
2) Our website saves your previous search for future reference! If you would like to clear your search, press the “Clear” button (next to the “Submit” button).
| Field (see Notes for sorted subfields) | Preferred Name | Institution | Position | Description | Website | Tags | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuroscience | Dr. Gerald Griffin | Hope College | Associate Provost | The Griffin lab investigates the reciprocal interactions between viruses and the nervous system, specifically looking at how latent infection of herpes simplex virus-1 modulates behavior. | herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), virus-host interactions, dementia, behavior | September 20, 2020 | |
| Biomedical Engineering, Genetics, Microbiology | Dr. Kishana Taylor | Carnegie Mellon University | Adjunct Professor, Post-doc | Dr. Taylor investigates the rate of reassortment between influenza viruses during co-infection. | Research Website | Virology, reassortment, Eco-epidemioogy, Arbovirology | September 21, 2020 |
| Equity/Advocacy, Public Health | Dr. Michelle Kahn-John | The University of Arizona | Associate Professor | Dr. Kahn-John investigates resilience and protective factors in American Indian culture. Specifically, she researches how these practices elevate the holistic health of American Indians. | Faculty Page | Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, culture, social determinants of health, spiritualism | September 21, 2020 |
| Materials Chemistry, Optics/Photonics | Dr. Oscar Vazquez Mena | University of California - San Diego | Assistant Professor | The Vazquez Mena group investigates the application of 2D materials like graphene, metamaterials, and nanoscale structures in processes such as optoelectronics, biosensing and biomedical imaging. | Lab Website | 2D materials, graphene, optoelectronics, biosensing, 3D architecture, nanofabrication, photovoltaics, hybrid metamaterials, metamaterials | September 22, 2020 |
| Environmental Science & Resource Conservation, Equity/Advocacy | Dr. Karletta Chief | The University of Arizona | Associate Professor, Extension Specialist | The Chief lab investigates how watershed hydrology, unsaturated flow in arid environments and human disturbances affect soil hydrology. She also looks at how Indigenous communities will be affected by climate change. | Faculty Page | watershed, hydrology, arid environments, soil, Indigenous, climate change | September 22, 2020 |
| Neuroscience | Dr. Marta Sabariego | Mount Holyoke College | Assistant Professor | The Sabariego lab investigates the neural circuits of reward and memory at the systems level. In particular, Sabariego investigates the mechanisms that support recovery and adaptation from situations involving surprising reward loss and how these life events affect cognitive processes. | Faculty Page | memory, emotion, behavior, neural circuits, adaptation, reward, in-vivo electrophysiology | September 22, 2020 |
| Neuroscience | Dr. Miguel Perez-Pouchoulen | University of Maryland | Post-doc | Dr. Perez-Pouchoulen investigates the role of microglia in behavioral and cerebellar development. | Google Scholar | microglia, estradiol, cerebellum, development, sex, behavior | September 23, 2020 |
| Neuroscience | Dr. Nicholas Silva | University of California - San Francisco | Post-doc | Dr. Silva investigates the role of microglia and synaptic dynamics during CNS development. | microglia, synapse, development, inflammation, photoreceptors, stem cell, injury, regeneration | September 23, 2020 | |
| Epidemiology | Dr. Marilyn D Thomas | University of California - San Francisco | Post-doc | Dr. Thomas investigates the effects of structural racism on morbidity, mortality, and life expectancy. | structural racism, institutionalized racism, racial disparities, education, hypertension, coping, mental health | September 24, 2020 | |
| Epidemiology, Health Equity, Public Health, Research Ethics | Dr. Francine C. Gachupin | The University of Arizona | Associate Professor | The Gachupin group investigates chronic disease and related behavioral risk factors within Native American/American Indian communities. (https://www.facebook.com/francine.gachupin) | Faculty Page | health equity, epidemiology, cancer, diet, hepatitis, diabetes, cognitive impairment, Indigenous, chronic disease, health promotion, human subjects protection | May 13, 2020 |