Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Laboratory: Strategies to Enhance Inclusive Laboratory Culture

Andrea G Marshall; Zer Vue; Heather K Beasley; Kit Neikirk; Dominique Stephens; Celestine N Wanjalla; Steven M Damo; JoAnn Trejo; Piere Rodriguez-Aliaga; Colwyn Ansel Headley; Haysetta Shuler; Kaihua Liu; Nathan Smith; Edgar Garza-Lopez; Taylor Barongan; Estevão Scudese; Elsie Spencer; Jennifer Heemstra; Arnaldo Diaz Vazquez; Sandra A Murray; Antentor Hinton Jr

doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2023.09.011

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Laboratory: Strategies to Enhance Inclusive Laboratory Culture

Mol Cell. 2023 Nov 2;83(21):3766-3772. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.09.011.

Authors

Andrea G Marshall¹, Zer Vue¹, Heather K Beasley¹, Kit Neikirk¹, Dominique Stephens¹, Celestine N Wanjalla², Steven M Damo³, JoAnn Trejo⁴, Piere Rodriguez-Aliaga⁵, Colwyn Ansel Headley⁶, Haysetta Shuler⁷, Kaihua Liu⁸, Nathan Smith⁹, Edgar Garza-Lopez¹⁰, Taylor Barongan¹, Estevão Scudese¹¹, Elsie Spencer¹², Jennifer Heemstra¹³, Arnaldo Diaz Vazquez¹⁴, Sandra A Murray¹⁵, Antentor Hinton Jr¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Vanderbilt University, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA.
³ Center Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Fisk University, Department of Life and Physical Sciences, Nashville, TN 37208 USA.
⁴ Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁵ Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁶ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁷ Department of Biological Sciences, Winston-Salem State University; Winston-Salem, NC 27110 USA.
⁸ Department of Anatomy of Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
⁹ School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
¹¹ Laboratory of Biosciences of Human Motricity (LABIMH) of the Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Rio de Janeiro Brazil; Sport Sciences and Exercise Laboratory (LaCEE), Catholic University of Petrópolis (UCP), Brazil.
¹² Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA.
¹³ Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Chemistry, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
¹⁴ University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Dallas, TX 75390 USA.
¹⁵ University of Pittsburgh, Department of Cell Biology, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA. Electronic address: smurray@pitt.edu.
¹⁶ Vanderbilt University, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Nashville, TN 37232 USA. Electronic address: antentor.o.hinton.jr@vanderbilt.edu.

Abstract

Building a diverse laboratory that is equitable is critical for the retention of talent and the growth of trainees professionally and personally. Here, we outline several strategies including enhancing understanding of cultural competency and humility, establishing laboratory values, and developing equitable laboratory structures to create an inclusive laboratory environment to enable trainees to achieve their highest success.

Keywords: DEI; cultural competency; cultural humility; laboratory; leadership.

MeSH terms

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion*
Laboratories*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding