Date: Friday Novermber 18 from 4:45pm to 5:45pm EST
Location: via zoom (register for free at the link below and zoom link to be emailed out a few hours before)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtqia-stem-day-2022-tickets-463813648107
Speaker: Daniel TrotterTitle: Diversity in Science: Stabilizing Systems
Abstract: Diversity exists at all scales in our world, often greatly benefitting the systems in which it exists. For many biological and physical systems, diversity is critical for robustness and stability. Within STEM, diversity fosters innovation and creativity. In this talk, I will speak to both of these frameworks. First, I will describe work in my research group showing a significant reduction in neural diversity in epileptogenic human brain tissue. Using model neural circuits, we find that increasing neuron population diversity increases resilience to seizure-like transitions. Then, I will switch to speaking about diversity within STEM, focusing on LGBTQ+ populations. I will overview the leaky pipeline model as it pertains to LGBTQ+ people, and discuss, both personally and from the literature, difficulties in retaining this population in STEM and how graduate students fit into the picture addressing these issues.