Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and equity in the Hancock Lab are intrinsic to our success – listening to, learning from and respecting lab members and colleagues with unique backgrounds, experiences and perspectives is essential to our research and innovation.
Our current and past lab members come from a wide variety of ethnicities and our collaborators are located all over the world. At present the Hancock lab has researchers from more than a dozen countries and ethnicities while most lab members are first generation academics. Our lab has always included more than 50% female researchers contrasting with UNESCO Institute for Statistics data showing that less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women; UNESCO suggests identifying qualitative factors that contribute to the gender gap in STEM fields, which members of our lab are actively involved in (see below).
Our Lab Members
Grace Choi is a member of the Center for Blood Research Outreach Committee, which seeks to increase scientific literacy, specifically in the area of blood research, in high school students (particularly in marginalized communities) who may be entering blood-related post-secondary studies.
Corrie Belanger is a member of the Center for Blood Research Knowledge Translation Committee, which seeks to improve accessibility to highly technical research performed in laboratories affiliated with the center to promote awareness of studies to non-experts, including women and other minority individuals who face inequality in STEM fields.
Morgan Alford is the executive coordinator of the UBC chapter of the national outreach organization Let’s Talk Science, which seeks to promote scientific literacy and inclusivity amongst youth aged 8-18, particularly young girls and other marginalized groups in STEM fields. Morgan is also heavily involved in science communication through involvement with Science Slam and Soapbox Science, the latter of which is directly targeted at women and reducing gender inequality in science, but both of which she has used as a platform to speak out against the attrition of women in science. Currently, Morgan is partnering with Roco Films to host a free, virtual screening of the film Picture a Scientist, which is about the mistreatment of women in academia in general.
The Hancock Lab has a zero-tolerance policy for racism, sexism and discrimination. Together with UBC “We are working to build a community in which human rights are respected, and equity and inclusion are embedded in all areas of academic, work and campus life.”