In recognition of Juneteenth, Cell (@CellCellPress) is honored to share the voices, stories and perspectives of over 70 Black scientists across several Leading Edge articles in our current issue.

Juneteenth in STEMM.

https://www.cell.com/cell/issue?pii=S0092-8674(22)X0013-5

Our content begins with the gorgeous cover from visual artist Anthony Adonis Lewis (@Ad0nis3).

It depicts two Black youths filled with the potential for bright futures in science yet clad in orange clothing associated with the American prison system.

When I look into these two children’s eyes, I hear them asking, "why?"

Why does society litter their paths with so many obstacles?

In this issue's Commentary, 52 Black scientists provide some answers and direction. They "discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive."

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00536-6

They "review racism’s history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists."

In a Q&A interview, Dr. Hannah Valantine discusses her research; what Juneteenth means to her; the persistent gender, race, and ethnicity leadership gaps that exist in academic medicine; and the importance of equitable, inclusive and diverse science.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00474-9

In a separate Q&A, Dr. E. Dale Abel (@IntMedAbel) discusses his research, what Juneteenth means to him, and the critical role mentorship plays in securing our scientific future.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00473-7

Dr. Elsie Calderón-Spencer (@Elsielacubana) shares her story, centered on her experiences as an Afro-Latina woman navigating STEMM higher education and how they reﬂect the challenges Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOCs) face.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00529-9

For the first of our two Voices pieces, we asked several Black scientists what Juneteenth means to them in the context of STEMM? Their answers run the emotional gamut.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

And in our second Voices piece, we asked several Black scientists what impact DEI initiatives have and why STEMM still needs them. They answer these questions and describe how DEI initiatives should evolve.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Finally, we also have an Editorial.

Biomedical journals play a critical role in highlighting and centering issues of equity, diversity and inclusion in science, medicine and public health. To do so is good science.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00537-8

I return to the cover. And I think how important representation is. Inside this issue of Cell are pages and pages of incredible Black scientists, teachers, role models and mentors for the children on this cover to see.

On a personal note, I am so grateful to these authors for trusting us with their stories, perspectives and voices. Their pieces are inspiring, emotional and challenging. Working with them has been a real highlight for me. Thank you.

Commentary author handles in next tweets...

Commentary: @amays_bwfund @ambwinst @phdgprotein86 @DrDreNeuroWay @annetkiraboc1 @averyxaugust @bjmarlin @Riggslab @blackprof77 @CWanjallaMDPhD @eejustsociety @channyskye @cobarnes27 @drstarbird @clintoria @taabaman @CameronLabUNC @DDM_GGAoUEwG @ApplewhiteDerek @DMortonPhD

Commentary: @dllee_phd @DWWilliamsLab @DONLYNCHMD @bradylabupenn @E_Lynch1214
@Frutag33 @thesilvalab @shulerlybrand @IshmailSaboor @jscdavis @KafuiDzirasa @MariyaSweetwyne @dr_ohsopretty @blacksciblog @NathanASmith1 @nikeapittman @telomerase2 @RenASRobinson1 @SamLewisPhD

Commentary: @sandram10068658 @SherilynnBlack @Neal_Lab @Prof_Andrisse @Townsend_Lab @stevendamolab1 @doctheagrif @marcus_phd @profbilc

Please keep an eye out for more tweets about this content here, @CellCellPress and @CellPressNews over the coming weeks.

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/isabelgoldm/B1JKa7V

Juneteenth in STEMM

Since our Juneteenth issue came out, I've been tweeting snippets from the two Voices pieces it contained. Here are all of them in one thread.  #Juneteenth2023

We asked several Black scientists, (1) "What does Juneteenth mean in STEMM?" and (2) "How do DEI initiatives impact STEMM, and why do we still need them?"

Here are their answers...

Voices: Image of success in academia

by @iaahmed123

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: Juneteenth truths and scientific freedom by @HKbeasley

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Freedom in hostile landscapes

by @alexleighclark

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Freedom to focus on our research

by Alissa Armstrong (@ArmstrongFlyLab)

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: Intentionality in DEI initiatives

By @NBClemonsLab

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: Proactive equity troops for STEMM

By @AleenaGarner

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: The need for DEI is urgent

by: Catherine Clune-Taylor

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: The legacy of Congressman Stokes

By @TheycllmeDrLove

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: The legacy of Juneteenth and the continued fight for equity in STEMM

By @FrankieDHeyward

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Science is a collective effort

By @MarkA_Phillips

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: Magic in the midst

By @DrErikaMoore

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: The caveat about DEI initiatives

By @RogersLabUCD

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: The illusion of progress

By @robingnelson

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Exposing the hypocrisy and inadequacy of past DEI efforts

By @MJWilliamsPhD

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00534-2

Voices: Juneteenth reminds Black professionals to rest and recharge

By @DrKeishaRay

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Our ancestors’ wildest dreams

By @sophdascientist

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: A battle we fight together

By @ScientistsLift

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

Voices: Open the ivory gates

By @DrWoappi

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00530-5

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/isabelgoldm/hYvZdFq

Voices on Juneteenth in STEMM


As part of @CellCellPress’s special issue on cancer, @releiter writes about the power of hope.

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)01572-0 @DanaFarber

His piece explores the concepts of hope, time and personal narrative. It centers on his young patient, a victim of "cancer’s stochastic cruelty."

We all author our own stories. Few of them turn out as expected, planned or envisioned. Something like terminal illness “wrests authorship away.”

Hope, though…

This young man placed his hope in science. "He never stopped believing that there would be a cure for him. He just needed to live long enough for science to ﬁnd it."

It’s been said that time is our most valuable resource, since we can’t make more of it.

Time has led to major progress in cancer therapeutics. Yet, it also manifests as a clock against which cancer and progress race.

More time was what this young man needed. Time for science to catch up to his cancer.

“The discovery just beyond our grasp is the one that can feel furthest away.”

Time is not something we can create. For this patient, hope returned something that cancer took from him: his pen.

This piece makes me wonder – when the tincture of time won't lead to a cure, is the power of hope the best remaining medicine we have?

Hope, Time and Personal Narrative

The current issue of @CellCellPress features two Stories from graduates of the Science Training Encouraging Peace (STEP) program.

https://www.cell.com/cell/issue?pii=S0092-8674(22)X0007-X #DEI in #STEM

The STEP program funds pairs of Israeli and Palestinian students to study together for the length of their graduate degrees.

Aya Awad, a Palestinian woman, and Noa Hourvitz, an Israeli woman, became best friends as they worked together on telomere research.

They write about how "science is a human experience that can act as a diplomatic bridge" and that "in science it shouldn’t matter where you come from, who you are, or how you dress. What matters is one’s contribution to science, and collaboration enhances this contribution."

Science flourishes when it reflects the diversity of the human experience and includes all in an equitable manner.

These women's stories show how overcoming apparent sociocultural and political barriers not only can lead to good science but also deep friendships.

Science as a Bridge

I find it remarkable that a BMJ Investigation would cite Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration's 2022 report to support an assertion that guidelines for the care of US trans youth are not evidence-based.

Why not just cite Ron DeSantis?

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p382

For those who are interested, here is a critical review of Florida's report. At a bare minimum, it raises questions about Florida's report and whether it represents an unbiased endeavor.

https://medicine.yale.edu/lgbtqi/research/gender-affirming-care/florida%20report%20final%20july%208%202022%20accessible_443048_284_55174_v3.pdf

Recently, NEJM published a primary report on two-year data from trans adolescents on gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAH) that concluded: "GAH improved appearance congruence and psychosocial functioning."

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206297 @DrDianeChen

This large, two-year longitudinal study provides evidence on the safety and efficacy of GAH in trans adolescents. The accompanying editorial summarizes the current state of the evidence-base well.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2216191

"Despite uncertainties that call for further study, current information shows that mental health improves with GAH, whereas withholding treatment may lead to increased gender dysphoria and adversely affect psychological functioning."

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2216191

Standards of care can have uncertainties and still be based on the best available evidence — i.e., still be evidence-based. Medicine has many examples of interventions and treatments carrying uncertainties.


The Florida report states, “There are no randomized control trials on the effectiveness of ‘gender affirming care’” — as if one could ethically randomize trans kids to a study arm withholding gender-affirming care.

https://ahca.myflorida.com/Executive/Communications/Press_Releases/pdf/6-2-22_AHCA_GAPMS_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf

In the end, I’m still left wondering why the Florida report is in an unbiased piece looking at the evidence for pediatric trans care. The report seems inseparable from the State's politics, no?

Are Guidelines for the Care of Trans Youth Evidence-Based?

On this last day of #BlackHistoryMonth, I wanted to take a moment to revisit the essays from the four winners of the Rising Black Scientists Awards.

https://www.cell.com/diversity/awards #BlackinSTEM @CellCellPress

I had the incredible privilege of working with these four remarkable young Black scientists @CellCellPress.

Their words and stories are so inspiring. Theirs are tales of insight, resolve, ambition and seemingly limitless hope. Stories like theirs show how the true catalysts for change have only just begun their work.

Camryn Carter tells the story of the "isolating feeling of being the only person of color in a classroom" and how she "survived behind a weary smile." https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00058-2

She recounts gaining the confidence through research to shed her weary smile and confidently say, "I am a proud Black scientist." She wants "to help others cast aside their weary smiles and confidently say they are too."

Admirabilis Kalolella talks about spending Christmas as a child in Mngeta, Tanzania. There, he helped his father provide healthcare and realized "how important giving back is."

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00060-0


He wondered how he could use his "knowledge to benefit my community," and the answer led him to his current studies and his desire "to be a physician-scientist."

He also talks about the "self-doubt" when he "walk[s] into lab and class to see that [he is] the only Black person." He helps students with "limited resources, to receive the best education they can... to see more people like me in STEM and higher education."

Representation in STEM is so important. One needs to see others like them in the room as colleagues, teachers and mentors. Many do not seek or persist in STEM careers because they do not see their reflection, and that is society's loss.

Elijah Malik Persad-Paisley tells a story that begins with transcending socioeconomic status only to find continued "outward rejection." He "suspected that racism lay at the root of this lack of acceptance." https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00057-0 @elijahpp_


He was drawn to medicine, where he found that, as is all too  unfortunately common, his "class of 144 students contained only three Black men." He has already accomplished a staggering amount of DEI-based research and community work.

He aspires to be a plastic surgeon and "aim[s] to continue my disparities research in the hopes of improving representation and equitable patient care in medicine." His accomplishments thus far should encourage us all.

Dr. Christine Wilkinson tells the story of kid who chased urban wildlife and grew into a "conservation scientist who considers ethics, justice, and elevating community voices to be critical for affecting...conservation change."
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00059-4 @ScrapNaturalist



She speaks of recognizing her positionality and how she can "deeply relate to the wildlife" she studies. And she writes of "bittersweet mirrored experiences [that] provide avenues for connection." Her "research species...reflected [her] own intersectionality."

She writes: "Coyotes...have a story that mirrors that of my Black slave ancestors and my own: they were historically ubiquitously persecuted, are in many places still considered shoot-on-sight “vermin,” yet have managed to persist, recover, and thrive nonetheless."


She plans to "develop strategies for more positive human-wildlife interactions while connecting people who are different from one another."

These four essays are worth a (re)read and reflection, not just because it is #BlackHistoryMonth but because they comprise a truly motivational and inspiring collection. Their themes are relevant 24/7/365. A huge thank you to all four for sharing their work.

Rising Black Scientists Awards

In this Perspective, authors argue that "it is time to rethink how sex as a biological variable is best incorporated into education, research, and clinical practice."

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.063156

@laurenbbeach @cjstreed @CircAHA

They challenge the narrative that sex is only biological and gender is only cultural – a "way of thinking [that] is rooted in culture and not the body."

And they ask, "what is the value of sex-based medicine, especially when sex is almost always defined in clinical practice through the medicolegal paradigm tied to genital appearance at birth?"

The authors discuss cardiovascular medicine, and there are myriad examples in medicine in general where relying on sex assigned at birth (SAB) or current sex designation can lead to spurious results and missed clinical care.

For example, when assessing risk for certain cancers, is the better question, "what is your sex?" or "do you have a uterus?"  When addressing atherosclerotic risk, is SAB or the current hormonal milieu more relevant?

Others have argued that "sex-related variables are not omnirelevant, but emerge as relevant or not within the context of a research program or other pragmatic aim."

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00056-8 @genderscilab @MarinaRDiMarco @marionb_8

Indeed, a lot of researchers don't specify how they operationalize "sex." As a result, they can attribute apparent "sex-based" differences to biologically-based mechanisms without ever having assessed any biological variables.

The Perspective authors here call for more training to "question what component of sex is clinically relevant" and "more research that specifies the dimensions of sex, gender, and anatomy that are being tested to inform cardiovascular preventive care and treatment protocols."

Relying on "sex" as a catch-all for an array of intersecting variables is, at best, imprecise. What we need are "more appropriate measures of sex and gender that accurately account for [people's] physiology."

Beyond Sex

Examining the need to integrate disability health education into medical school curricula. A 🧵

@deafmd1

https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(22)00208-8

@TrendsMolecMed @CellPressNews

The authors note that “medical educational curricula that deconstruct disabilities into a series of deficits or pathologies (medical model)” perpetuate the ableism that abounds throughout healthcare.

A better approach would be to use “a social or wellness model that moves away from pathologies and emphasizes what the PWD [people with disabilities] can do or need[].”

As a member of a pathologized community, I cannot emphasize enough how much pathologizing people sets communities back. Unfortunately, we live in a society where gatekept healthcare often requires “pathology” as an entry fee. 👎

Here, the authors provide examples of disability health curricula and training strategies.

Some striking statistics:

- 1/4 adults in the US self-report a disability
- Yet, only 3.1% of practicing physicians reporting a disability
- And, “The US Medical Licensing Examination Content Outline mentions ‘disability’ only **once**”

Therefore, in medicine, we are dealing with an underrepresentation issue. And where there is underrepresentation, there is a lost opportunity

Fact: ”everyone benefits from valuing disability culture”

As others have noted, when we exclude people who could contribute to science and medicine, everyone suffers harm.

https://twitter.com/isabelgoldm/status/1560620187677851648?s=21&t=NuGaiRsWNh1Vbaw4hGWyVw

And, at a more base level, one wants to feel like they belong. And when they don’t, it can signal a lack of #DEI


https://twitter.com/isabelgoldm/status/1519660682232348673?s=21&t=dhIDb7CwjZBiCOoNP9ua4A

People with disabilities, like a lot of marginalized people, “provide a lens into intersectionality factors, not just on their disability itself.”

These authors call for “Placing a clear priority with adequate support [to] help [] make disability health training a part of standardized curricula and ensure that disability is part of diversity, equity, and inclusion institutional efforts.” 👍

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/isabelgoldm/JUnRiu9

A Needed Match: Medical Education and Disability Health Curricula

I’ve been meaning to tweet about this article for awhile now...

@DrJaniceGassam asks who determines justice and where do justice and liberation fit into #DEI at the workplace.

 A 🧵…

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2022/08/07/where-do-justice-and-liberation-fit-into-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/



I imagine that for many, the workplace isn’t the first image that comes to mind when we speak of justice and liberation.


However, if one thinks of liberation as a process towards equity and inclusion, and justice as their restoration, one can easily see how they fit into the workplace. 

I think at their heart, #DEI initiatives are intended to prevent and repair the harms that uniformity, inequity and exclusion cause.


Achieving those goals involves examining the “why.” 

“As DEI practitioners, it is imperative to investigate and examine the ‘why’ behind the harms that occur in the workplace.”

One of the reasons why we struggle with the “why” is that we often examine things like equity, inclusion, justice and liberation through the same lenses that cause the problems in the first place.


https://twitter.com/isabelgoldm/status/1565675586260897792?s=21&t=MlPCyF_19bdx79B9nrG3vQ

But “Equity and justice must be determined by those most impacted by systems of harm.” 

To do this, “we must frame our understanding based on the most marginalized within society.”

Otherwise, we risk propagating oppressive systems and thereby generating the same hierarchies within marginalized groups. This is true in both society at large and the workplace.

And so, @DrJaniceGassam writes, “DEI practitioners must center the most harmed communities to ascertain their needs.”  By focusing on “the most marginalized, we move closer to equity and justice.”

With respect to liberation (or at least the reduction of oppression): 

“By liberating the most marginalized community, all other oppressed communities will benefit.”

Marginalization can refer to communities with a community. 

In my own community, for example, trans women of color deserve to determine what equity and justice for trans women look like. Theirs is a lens to look through. And all would benefit by their liberation.

Finally, there is the concept of healing as part of liberation and how we can facilitate it in the workplace.  And this includes the necessary steps of healing ourselves:

This article helps to frame some of the questions we need to ask and answer to maximize the impact of our DEI work.

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/isabelgoldm/9IiNr47

Justice and Liberation in DEI

The latest episode from @translashmedia is a riveting discussion about how the public health approach to #monkeypox, once again, overlooks trans people, particularly Black trans people. Thank you very much @imarajones, @AsaRadix & @ElleLettMDPhD 🧵 

https://translash.org/podcast/

I found myself hitting the jump-back-30-second button over and over again to make sure I fully absorbed certain parts.

On the inexplicable lack of ability to note that someone is trans on initial CDC forms:

“I wonder if by not counting, people pretend that the disparities don’t exist.” @AsaRadix  

“A lot of the same mistakes keep happening…Why do we have another outbreak, and we’re seeing the same thing again?“ @AsaRadix

“The degree we respond as a society is directly related to how much we care about the people disproportionately impacted.” @ElleLettMDPhD 

Related to this: 

“the [monkeypox] response must be centered on equity and giving everyone a seat at the table, especially African countries who have borne the brunt of the virus for much longer than newly affected countries.” @Boghuma

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00983-7


I like what @ElleLettMDPhD said at the end: ““I refuse to accept the status quo. I have faith in the infinite creativity of humanity. We have cars. We have airplanes. We *can* reimagine this world and this healthcare system in a way that’s equitable.”

It’s more a question of whether we want to…

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/isabelgoldm/HfLPVv2