{"id":186503,"date":"2022-06-02T14:45:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T18:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=186503"},"modified":"2022-06-02T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T18:45:32","slug":"opening-doors-to-more-diversity-in-biomedical-sciences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2022\/06\/opening-doors-to-more-diversity-in-biomedical-sciences\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Doors to More Diversity in Biomedical Sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having navigated her way down an academic path that few of Native American descent have traveled, Leslie Caromile<\/a>, assistant professor in the UConn Health Center for Vascular Biology, wants others from historically underrepresented groups to follow her.<\/p>\n

In the context of the UConn Health Graduate School, those historically underrepresented in the biomedical sciences includes Black, Latinx, Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, and veteran populations.<\/p>\n

\"Helen
Helen Swede, associate professor of public health sciences, co-chairs the UConn Health Graduate School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. (File photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Herself of Native American descent, Caromile co-chairs the Graduate School\u2019s Diversity and Equity Committee, along with Helen Swede<\/a>, associate professor of public health sciences. The committee took form late last year to harness, organize, and raise awareness of the efforts the Graduate School is making toward achieving a mix of students and faculty more representative of the overall population.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on in the diversity, equity and inclusion realm at UConn Health,\u201d Caromile says. \u201cThe Graduate School has several diversity initiatives, diversity programs and diversity accomplishments and outreach programs, and the faculty, staff and students should be aware of all the things that we\u2019ve been doing. And it\u2019s important that prospective students, faculty and staff are aware too, so they know our university has a welcoming, supportive and inclusive culture and makes being fair, equitable, and inclusive a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to a commitment to hold seminars and panel discussions on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Caromile hopes to widen the pipeline to biomedical sciences Ph.D. programs. A notable, recent example of this is a five-year grant she and cell biology professor Kimberly Dodge-Kafka<\/a> secured from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to establish a summer research program<\/a> for undergraduates from historically underrepresented groups.<\/p>\n