What we believe

The amazing capabilities of the brain depend on its diversity of cell types. Their heterogeneity enables the brain to work flexibly and creatively (Thivierge & Cisek, 2008). The same is true of people in the neuroscience community. Diversity fosters innovation in research (Hofstra et al., 2020) and makes our community stronger, healthier, and more fun.  

What we value

  • Diversity is more than skin deep. It can be race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identities, religious beliefs, ableness, educational and socioeconomic background. 

  • People differ in their needs, goals, and definitions of success.  

  • The impact of our words and actions (or lack thereof) matter more than our intentions. We will listen to and learn from concerns raised by others about our behavior. 

  • Practicing tolerance means actively rejecting intolerance. Prejudice has no place in our lab and will not be tolerated. Learning how our actions affect others is a necessary step towards establishing a welcoming environment. However, continuing behavior that has a severe negative impact on other people is grounds for removal from the lab. 

  • Countering systemic and entrenched prejudices and biases to ensure that everyone has equal access and opportunities requires sustained effort. We will do the work needed to make our community a more just and inclusive place.  

  • Diversity is a measure of success.  

  • We are human beings first, and then we are scientists. Taking care of our human needs is necessary for us to achieve our research and professional goals.  

What we do

  • Engage in science outreach to under-represented minority students 

  • Recruit potential graduate students to UVA from research conferences that focus on under-represented minorities (e.g., SACNAS, ABRCMS) 

  • Participate in journal clubs to increase representation  

  • Provide support for new graduate students that extends beyond the lab - e.g., helping them adjust to life in graduate school, in Charlottesville, and in the U.S.A., for new international students 

  • Meet regularly as a lab to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in the lab 

Everyone working in our lab agrees to live by our community values. As lab leader, John Campbell commits to guiding the group by these principles.  

For more on the Department of Biology’s vision, policies, and plan for improving diversity, equity and inclusion, please visit  https://www.uvabiology.org/dei

 References 

  • Hofstra B, Kulkarni VV, Munoz-Najar Galvez S, He B, Jurafsky D, McFarland DA. The Diversity-Innovation Paradox in Science. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Apr 28;117(17):9284-9291. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1915378117. Epub 2020 Apr 14. PMID: 32291335; PMCID: PMC7196824. 

  • Thivierge JP, Cisek P. Nonperiodic synchronization in heterogeneous networks of spiking neurons. J Neurosci. 2008 Aug 6;28(32):7968-78. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0870-08.2008. PMID: 18685022; PMCID: PMC6670769.