Professional Development

Disabled in Neuroscience: Promoting Equitable and Accessible Research for All

March 19, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EDT

In this webinar, disabled neuroscientists share their personal stories, offering practical advice from diverse perspectives on navigating an academic career. Join us to understand why science is unable to retain disabled scientists and learn about the unique barriers they face in this field. This workshop provides firsthand insights into navigating all stages of an academic career, building a sense of community and creating inclusive and accessible environments for all. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this important conversation!

Learning Objectives:

Raise awareness on the representation gap and the challenges faced by disabled neuroscientists in academia, including accessibility, accommodations and unique intersectionality.

Highlight lived experiences and identify practical solutions and support mechanisms for disabled trainees to navigate academia.

Build a sense of community and allyship, equipping yourself to contribute to a more accessible and supportive neuroscience field.

Speakers

Uma R. Chatterjee, MS, MHPS

Uma R. Chatterjee, MS, MHPS, is an award-winning neuroscientist, science communicator, and mental health and disability justice advocate. She earned her MS in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and is currently a neuroscience PhD student and NIH/ICTR TL1 Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is in Michael Cahill’s lab, studying the neurobiology of OCD and novel pharmacological treatment targets including psychedelics. Chatterjee’s research and advocacy are all informed by her lived experience with severe mental illnesses (OCD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety), young-adult cancer, chronic illnesses, multiple disabilities, and her identities as a non-traditional student and second-generation South Asian immigrant. She is president of OCD Wisconsin, board member for SfN’s Upper Midwest Chapter, and an advocate for the International OCD Foundation, facilitating neurobiology education projects and raising awareness for OCD and mental health in historically excluded populations. She also hosts the podcast “A Chat with Uma.”

Kimberly Fiock, PhD, QBRScm

Kimberly Fiock, PhD, QBRSCM, is the founder and director of the Iowa Neuropathology Resource Laboratory (INRL), a human brain tissue biorepository and histology core at the University of Iowa and the technical director of the Histology Research Laboratory at the same institution. Fiock holds a BS in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a MS and PhD in pathology from the University of Iowa. Her research interests center on the tau protein in neurodegeneration, specifically the role of astrocytes in determining disease patterns. She is also passionate about promoting diverse role models in science and equitable science education, demonstrated through her partnership with Reinvented Magazine and her outreach initiative focused on schools in rural Iowa. Fiock educates more than 28,000 followers about research and careers in neuropathology on her social media platform, @ThePathPhD, and has been recognized by prominent organizations, such as SfN, the American Association of Neuropathologists, and NIH.

Billie Goolsby, BA

Billie Goolsby, BA, is a biology PhD candidate at Stanford University and an HHMI Gilliam Fellow, NSF-GRFP fellow, and NIH T32 trainee. Born hard-of-hearing, Billie seeks to bridge divides in science rooted in inaccessibility. She co-founded and taught "bioBUDS” (Building Up Developing Scientists), a mutualistic educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford University, where graduate instructors facilitate learning, professional development, and community building with undergraduate scientists from historically excluded backgrounds. Since 2020, she has worked with science teachers at California School for the Deaf to develop educational modules and field trips in ASL for students. Currently, she studies the evolution of parent-offspring communication and parental coordination in poison frogs in Lauren O’Connell’s Laboratory of Organismal Biology, with the goal of identifying conserved neural circuitry controlling parental care across vertebrates.

Britt Gratreak, PhD

Britt Gratreak (they/she), PhD, is an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson currently finishing their final two years in medical school. As a first-generation/low-income college student, they attended Portland Community College and graduated from Portland State University with a BS in biology. Britt very recently completed their PhD in neuroscience at the University of Arizona, in which their dissertation primarily focused on using chaperone protein inhibitors in the treatment of neurodegeneration, dementia, and unique pain conditions caused by Alzheimer's Disease. Britt is devoted to using their career and public presence to make both academia and medicine kinder, more accessible fields and is outspoken about navigating toxic laboratory environments and advocating for trainees. She is currently a fellow in the Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Scholars Program and adores all the new colleagues and mentors met thus far.

Dionna Williams, PhD

Dionna Williams, PhD, graduated cum laude from Hofstra University as a first-generation college student, attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine for their graduate studies, and pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. Currently an associate professor at Emory Hopkins, Williams’ research is at the intersection of substance abuse and HIV neuroscience, focusing on the impact of cocaine on HIV infection in the brain and evaluating whether cannabinoids can be used to modulate immune responses to HIV and restore neurologic health. As an autistic, nonbinary, Black woman who comes from a disadvantaged background, Williams is passionate about supporting trainees from marginalized groups in their scientific journeys.

Who can attend these webinars? All webinars in this series are complimentary to SfN members. Join or renew for access. This webinar is $15 for nonmembers  

Will the webinars be available on-demand? Yes, all webinars will be available to watch on demand after the live broadcast.   

How do I access the conference on the live day? After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the event link and the option to download calendar reminders.   

What are the technology requirements for attending? These webinars are hosted on Zoom Webinar. Instructions for joining and participating in a webinar can be found here.    

Can I ask the presenters questions? Yes! You can submit any questions before the webinar through the registration form. During the webinar, you can submit questions through the Q&A box.   

I have other questions not answered here. Email digitallearning@sfn.org with any other questions.   

Review SfN’s Code of Conduct, rules for virtual events in the Digital Learning Community Guidelines, and communications policies regarding dissemination of unpublished scientific data, listed below. SfN asks that conference attendees respect the sensitivity of information and data being presented that are not yet available to the public by following these guidelines:  

Do not capture or publicly share details of any unpublished data presented. 
If you are unsure whether data is unpublished, check with the presenter. 
Respect presenters' wishes if they indicate that the information presented is not to be shared.

 Webinar Refund Policy 

What is the cancellation/refund policy for webinars? 
If SfN changes fundamental details of the webinar (date, time, or speakers), non-member registrants may request a registration refund. To request a refund, please email digitallearning@sfn.org at least 48 hours before the event. Otherwise, refunds are not provided. All webinars are complimentary to SfN members.
SfN webinars can be watched on demand if someone is unable to attend the live broadcast.

Disabled in Neuroscience: Promoting Equitable and Accessible Research for All

Speakers

More in Professional Development

Follow SfN