About the conference
This year’s 2nd annual “Changing the Story for Black Biomedical Scientists” symposium was held at the Chemistry department in the University of Cambridge on Thursday 20th March 2024. The yearly conference aims to support and encourage aspiring Black Biomedical scientists across the country. The symposium strives to foster a dynamic and inclusive community that drives scientific progress and fosters a culture of excellence. It aims to not only celebrate the achievements of black biomedical scientists but also empowers them to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Ife: Dr Bernadine Idowu, the founder of the conference, set the tone of the session by encouraging us to “step out of our comfort zone and be fearless.”
Bringing Race into Academia:
Love: It was disappointing to be faced with the statistics representing the percentages of current black people in STEM positions/ academia. Research papers revealed when applying for STEM jobs, 270/1275 white people who applied, got the job compared to 0/30 black people. It is evident that change needs to happen, and differences need to be made for those in minority. This should include programs designed to make the workforce more representative of the population it seeks to serve.
Ife: It was inspiring to hear that UKRI are taking Equality and Diversity very seriously. We heard from Dr Nick Bampos, who spoke about the post-doc opportunities available for black students.
Eniola: The main consensus of the event was focused on bringing race into academia, it is evident that there is a push to support POC but the numbers we were presented with shows that it is just the beginning of change, and more must be done. This conference highlighted the racial disparities present that were previously dismissed. As Black students we need to take it upon ourselves to step out of our comfort zones. We should not be complacent with barely scraping through and the more we fight for these opportunities the better chances we have of defying the status quo.
Understanding your value
Ife: It is important to not underestimate what you bring to the table; your experience is valuable. You must believe in the value that you add!
Eniola: Never feel as though you are lucky to be in an environment where you are the minority, you are there because you earned it!
Love: Your background does not limit your potential or define the contributions you can make or bring to the field! Seek out networking opportunities, know your worth & advocate for yourself – especially in places where we are a minority!
Career Discovery
As Black Biomedical Science students, we often face a dual challenge: not only are we unaware of the job opportunities and career pathways available to us. We tend to rule ourselves out of these positions because we rarely see people who look like us in these roles.
It is so refreshing to see that the aim for groups like “10,000 black interns” is to keep working towards closing the gap we see in the below data; getting black individuals into those job positions and career posts.
In addition to this, there are also some workplaces, such as Health Data Research UK, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, that are now providing further education or fully funded research programs. This enables those who have a passion to research into diseases that mostly affect people of colour (POC).
Panel Discusssion
Some questions they were asked, and a summary of the answers include:
How do you navigate the challenges of being a minority?
- Go out of your comfort zone & meet new people.
- Know what your value is and go to where you are valued.
- Seek out opportunities & assert yourself.
What keeps you going when you feel like giving up?
- Have a strong support system.
- Self – discipline whilst having your end goal at the forefront of your mind.
- Make a plan & cultivate the habit of consistency.
- Take advantage of all the great resources available to you
Next Steps for our university:
- Create more lecture content on issues concerning black individuals such as prostate cancer and sickle cell anaemia
- Hold an open forum event discussing Black student experience and collaboratively come up with ways to improve biomedical science curriculum.
- In terms of career, 10,000 black interns to increase make opportunities for black students
- Recruit more members of teaching staff who are a minority or have black heritage.
- More consistent opportunities for POC to be able to network with people in the industry, the university could investigate hosting such networking events themselves.
Personal Profiles:
Ife Adejuyigbe is a final year biomedical science student specialising in global health
Through work experience and my degree, I have learnt about health issues that people face at different income levels and ethnicities. Outside of my degree, I helped other St George’s Students set up ACSGiveBlood, which seeks to encourage other students around the country to donate blood, especially of those of Afro-Caribbean backgrounds.
Love Onwuzuruike is a final year MSci Biomedical Science student with Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Doing an MSci in Biomedical Science has inspired me to continue to pursue a career in academia, combining my passion for research and teaching. As I commence my PhD in Neuropharmacology this September, I am eager to contribute to brain research & advancements. I hope to serve as a source of inspiration for fellow Black women in academia or those aspiring to enter, working towards raising the current representation of less than 2%.
Eniola Ogundolie is a first-year biomedical science student
Being a first-year student, I am still very unsure of what my future in biomedical science leads to. I want to speak to people who may be in the same position as me and let you know that that is also very okay. The beauty of biomedical science is that the possibilities are endless, the course sets you up with so many transferable skills which can be used in so many different areas of work. There is a preconception of what biomedical science is and what it can lead to but there is so much more out there, and I implore everyone especially my fellow POC to really be open minded and explore all you can do with this amazing degree.
Reference:
Researchers – in nine stark charts. Available at https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-022-04386-w/index.html