Profile courtesy of the Harvard Brain Science Initiative and Humans of HBI.
Image: Celia Muto
I work to make STEM education more inclusive and equitable to support the success of all trainees. In my role, I lead educational programs to promote diversity in STEM; I teach and mentor students ranging from high school through graduate and medical school; and I work with colleagues to establish policies and implement practices that promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the Harvard neuroscience and graduate education communities.
What has been one of the most exciting or surprising moments in your career so far?
I love experiencing the “aha” moments of my students in the classroom and celebrating successes with my mentees (such as when they get into their dream graduate program). When one of my students or mentees succeeds or experiences fresh inspiration to pursue a career in STEM, I feel particularly lucky to have a job that allows me to play a small part in these trainees’ amazing journeys.
What are some of your interests outside the lab or office?
I absolutely love being out in nature, especially doing anything in the forest. I enjoy hiking, camping, and orienteering, the competitive sport of navigating the woods with a map and compass. My favorite forest pastime, though, is trail running, and I love challenging myself with ultramarathons, which are races that are typically 50 km or longer. Ultrarunning has a lot of parallels to experimental science: you must troubleshoot many variables and do “experiments” during your training to determine the optimal strategies and gear for race day. It might not come as a surprise that scientists, engineers, physicians, and other problem-solvers are overrepresented in the trail running community.