Reflecting Reality: How to Improve Participant Diversity in Neuroscience Research 

Ancestry-associated genes have an important impact on mental health, yet only 5% of neuroscience research subjects are from underrepresented populations. This limits the application of research into a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. On Friday, July 19 at 11:00 a.m. ET, the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Institute joined us to discuss their work in increasing the diversity of neuroscience research. The organization’s work on the role of genetic ancestry in several neurological diseases has recently been published in Nature Neuroscience. Speakers include:

Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr., Co-founder of African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative, Pastor Emeritus of Union Baptist Church; President/CEO of Beloved Community Services Corporation

Daniel Weinberger, MD, Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development; Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience, and Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurosurgery at Duke University; Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Gwenaëlle E. Thomas, PhD, Scientific Project Manager at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD); Adjunct Professor of Biology at Morgan State University