Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative

Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2022 - 2023 SCBE Diversity Committee Members

Committee Co-Chairs

Mildred Cho

Nicole Martinez

Committee Members

Daisy Arteaga

 

Carole Federico, PhD, MSc

Daphne Martschenko, PhD

Gabriella Rivera, MPH

Megan Cvitanovic

 

Jacqueline Genovese, MFA MA

Kevin Mintz, PhD

 

Holly Tabor, PhD

Yvette Dunmore

Christy Hartman

 

 

Jessica Randev

Alaa Youssef, PhD

SCBE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts

This comprehensive list provides the most up to date work that SCBE faculty, postdocs, affiliates, and staff are undertaking to advocate social justice, diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion. These projects are ever evolving. If interested in learning more about these DEI efforts, please reach out to the appropriate SCBE contact listed below.

Race in Science, Technology, & Medicine

SCBE is one of several co-sponsors of the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) course series STS 51. This 3-course sequence: STS 51A, Fall quarter 2020, focuses on science. STS 51B (Winter 2021) covers technology, and STS 51C (Spring 2021) looks at medicine. Each course can be taken independently.

STS 51A:  What is the science of race and racism? How does race affect scientific work? Weekly guest speakers will address such issues as the psychology and anthropology of race and racism; how race, language, and culture affect education; race in climate science and environmental justice; the history of racialized scientific experiments; and the role of race in genomic research. Weekly talks are open to the Stanford community, details and registration for each week's talk here.

STS 51B:  How do race and racism affect the design and social impact of technology, broadly defined? Can new or different technology help to reduce racial bias? Invited speakers will address the role of race in such issues as energy infrastructure, nuclear arms control, algorithmic accountability, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. Weekly talks are open to the Stanford community, details and registration for each week's talk here.

STS 51C: How do race and racism affect medical research and medical care? What accounts for health disparities among racial groups? What are the history, ethics, legal, and social issues surrounding racialized medical experiments and treatments? Invited speakers will address these and other issues. Weekly talks are open to the Stanford community, details and registration for each week's talk forthcoming.  

SCBE Contact: Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD

SCBE Seminars 2020-2021: Justice in Bioethics

The theme of the SCBE Seminar Series for AY2020-2021 is "Justice in Bioethics."  SCBE Postdocs have organized talks centered around racial justice, health equity and access. Details on upcoming invited speakers who will discuss on-theme topics can be found here.

SCBE Contacts:  Vaso Rahimzadeh, PhD & Carole Federico, PhD

Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis (CERA)

  • Monthly ELSI Friday Forums
  • Working Group
    • CERA has funded a working group developing educational materials regarding genetic testing and immigration, and is facilitating collaboration between academic members of the working group and the ACLU.
  • Bioethics Briefs, Ethical Guidance for Genetic Research with Indigenous Populations
    • CERA is soliciting and commissioning bioethics briefs to be completed in 2020, including on summary briefs of ethical guidance on genetic research with Indigenous populations, including American Indian, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander groups and individuals.
  • SCBE Contact: Emily Van Poetsch

American Journal of Bioethics / Bioethics.net

  • The Bioethics and Race Toolkit
    • The #BlackBioethics Toolkit serves as a resource on articles about bioethics and race, specifically about African-Americans and Black People in the U.S.
  • Black Bioethics Webinar
    • AJOB’s first-ever webinar on Black Bioethics, hosted by associate editor Kayhan Parsi, JD, Ph.D., featuring panelists Keisha Ray, Ph.D., Brian Williams, MD, Ruqaiijah Yearby, JD, MPH, and Patrick Smith, Ph.D., as they discuss racism, police brutality, and what it means for black health.
  • Monthly guest editorial about issues of race/racism
  • Defunding the Police is a Bioethical Issue
    • Dr. Nicole Martinez-Martin discusses the need to reset municipal budget priorities to reduce police violence and better support the health of Black and other martinalized communities and how bioethicists can contribute to the public discourse regarding defunding efforts.
    • SCBE Contact: Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD

Medicine and the Muse

  • Virtual Arts and Anesthesia Soiree 2020
    • Co-leader in creating the Virtual Arts and Anesthesia Soiree, for 2020 work featured  #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives. Presenting work that response to the Stanford Community speaking out against systemic racism & “The Rally for Racial Justice” on campus to add Stanford Anesthesia voices to a nationwide outcry against racism and violence against African Americans.
    • I can't breathe: an anesthesiologist's perspective
      • Writing from her perspective as an anesthesiologist, Dr. Audrey Shafer  provides a call to action against police violence towards Black people.
      • SCBE Contact: Audrey Shafer, MD
    • Literature and Medicine Discussion Series
    • Screenplay about racism in surgery
      • Under development: Fictional, but realistic, screenplay about racism in surgery
      • SCBE Contact: Jacqueline Genovese, MFA
    • INDE 297 (AY2020-2021) Contextual Medicine course series, Race, Bias, and Medicine
    • SOMGEN 288 (AY2020-2021) LitMed: Structural Violence and Systemic Racism in Medical Practice
      • Class led by Dr. Audrey Shafer, Jacqueline Genovese and Bonnie Wong
      • SCBE Contact: Audrey Shafer, MD
    • Race and medicine publications
      • Dr. Braitman is providing individual training/editing/asssistance for clinical faculty and medical students writing nonfiction pieces for publication on various aspects of race, racism, medical practice, and personal experience.
      • SCBE Contact: Laurel Braitman, PhD
    • Anesthesia Diversity Council 
      • Drs. Audrey Shafer and Alyssa Burgart participate as members of the Anesthesia Diversity Council and Dr. Shafer is the faculty lead for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System Anesthesiology Service. 
      • SCBE Contacts: Audrey Shafer, MD & Alyssa Burgart, MD
    • Upstander Not Bystander: Training Session 
      • Dr. Shafer co-prepared the Upstander Not Bystander training session for Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service at VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Goals of the Upstander sesion: identify microaggressions, respond more effectively to microaggressions, normalize conversations about microaggressions. Training was delivered via Zoom in July 2020 and included a brief slide presentation, case scenario from the AAMC MedEd Portal adapted to the care responsibilities of anesthesiologists, panel, and group discussion. 
      • SCBE Contact: Audrey Shafer, MD

Ongoing SCBE DEI Initiatives, Projects, & Research

  • Racial socialization in Asian American families (perspectives on #BlackLivesMatter movement)
    • Dr. Young collected data for this research in 2016 when first #BlackLivesMatter movement was in public’s attention. The goals of the study were to explore 1) how Asian American young adults viewed their place in the current racial dialogue and 2) how Asian American families talk about racially charged issues.
    • Young JL, Kim H, Golojuch L. (2020), “Race was something we didn't talk about”: Racial Socialization in Asian American Families. Fam Relat. doi:10.1111/fare.12495
    • Under review:  One full drafted manuscript “Asian Americans’ Emerging Racial Identities and Reactions to Racial Tension in the US”
    • SCBE Contact: Jennifer Young, PhD
  • Undiagnosed Diseases Network Diversity Pilot
    • Drs. Young, Tabor, and Halley are currently collecting data from underrepresented racial groups in genetics research to expand our knowledge of precision medicine approaches for rare and undiagnosed diseases.
    • Seeking help/collaboration for advice about how to conduct comparative qualitative analysis that centers around racial/cultural differences
    • SCBE Contacts: Jennifer Young, PhD, Holly Tabor, PhD, & Meghan Halley, PhD
  • Systematic Review on Genetic Services for Asian Americans
    • This systematic review aims to synthesize the literature on Asian American patients’ experiences with genetic counseling and genetic testing. This includes issues of access, awareness, and attitudes towards these services. Our initial findings identified unique needs of this population in genetic counseling settings, as well as the research challenges related to defining this unique and heterogeneous population.
    • Under development: Manuscript finalization for submission
    • SCBE Contact: Jennifer Young, PhD
  • International Neuroethics Society (INS)
    • Diversity & Inclusion Task Force
    • Dr. Martinez-Martin worked with INS colleagues to develop panels with social justice themes and initiatives within the conference to address racism and promote diversity initiatives within the neuroethics field.
  • Facing Bias and Ethical Challenges in Facial Recognition Technology
    • In this blog piece, Dr. Martinez-Martin examines a pressing area of ethical concern in facial recognition technology: the potential for bias and discrimination.
    • SCBE Contact: Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD
  • Use of digital mental health tools to mitigate bias and address racism
    • In development: Manuscripts examining the use of digital mental health tools to mitigate bias and address racism
    • SCBE Contact: Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD
  • Taking an Anti-Racist Posture in Scientific Publications in Human Genetics and Genomics
    • Forthcoming publication in Genetics and Medicine co-authored by SCBE Associate Director, Mildred Cho, PhD,  Kyle B. Brothers, MD, PhD, and Robin L. Bennett, MS, CGC 
    • SCBE Contact: Mildred Cho, PhD

DEI Events

Upcoming Events

AJOB Events

Past CERA Events

DEI Training & Resources

Training Resources

If you have any feedback or suggestions on how to improve this page, please email biomedicalethics@stanford.edu.