The Somneuro Lab is firmly committed to inclusive and equitable science. We seek to recruit, train, and support trainees (undergraduate, post-bach, graduate, and post-doctoral level) from diverse backgrounds and provide a welcoming environment for all. Diverse voices are critical to science, supporting creativity of thought and inclusivity in our conduct. We are dedicated to fostering an environment that celebrates a diversity of backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and ideas; and we strive to be part of the pipeline towards more diverse neuroscience and sleep science fields in the future. 

 

Some ways we have demonstrated this commitment:

• Training baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate students from diverse backgrounds through the PREP and SPUR programs. 

• Training underrepresented minority undergraduate students through the ADRAP program

• Supporting science outreach to minority girls in our area, introducing them to science and college life, through the EUREKA program

• Promoting the role of women in STEM through the STEM Family Travel Initiative (Dr. Spencer, past-director) and subsequent initiatives

• Regular discussions among our lab staff about how we can improve our recruiting, retention, and research methods to promote more equitable and inclusive science. Some topics of discussion include:

  • EEG application on different hair types

  • Best practices for reporting demographics in our publications

  • Better ways to disseminate our research to a broad public audience

  • How to make participation in our research more accessible for participants that do not speak English, that do not have access to reliable transportation, etc.

  • Examining ways that our research may be biased with respect to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and other factors. 

 

Taking the mystery (and classism) out of becoming a scientist:

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If you are an undergraduate, post-bach, graduate student, or post-doc from an underrepresented group and would like assistance with navigating how to get started in science, finding or applying to funding opportunities, navigating the job market, etc., please contact us! We are happy to assist and mentor you through these processes. 

 

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