The HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study is a 10-year long longitudinal study conducted by 25 institutions across the U.S. in which The University of Alabama and The University of Alabama at Birmingham are partnering to tackle this fascinating research. The study specifically explores pregnant woman, their children, and possible exposure to substances during pregnancy. Hopefully, the findings from this study will help assess the prenatal and perinatal exposures to substances and environments and their effect on developmental trajectories. The study will be collecting data anthropometrics, medical history, biospecimens, cognitive development, social development, emotional development, infant and childhood fMRIs, and fetal development. Using this knowledge, the researchers involved aiming to identify the future risks of substance use, mental disorders, developmental problems, and other behavioral issues. The UA team will be relying on rural health care clinics and the University Medical Centers for recruitment for the study. The team will also be using the new MRI facility that will be coming to UA in the near future. The principal investigators of this study will be Dr. Caitlin Hudac, Dr. Holly Horan, Dr. John McDonald, Dr. Catherine Lavendar, and Dr. Brian Gannon.  

Check out our press release for more info: https://news.ua.edu/2021/11/ua-uab-partner-with-nih-to-study-healthy-child-brain-development/

During our SIG meeting this week, the B-RAD lab discussed an article written by Michelle Jones titled: “NINDS Strategies for Enhancing the Diversity of Neuroscience Researchers”. Michelle Jones works in the Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity (OPEN-WD) for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The main goal of Jones’s work and this article is to enhance diversity in neuroscience. Basically, the article describes the methods used by the NIH to increase diversity, outlines an approach that other institutions should implement, and compiles useful resources. Additionally, the article provides suggestions that aspiring neuroscientists can use as a guide to attain success.  

Throughout the article, Jones emphasizes the evidence that diverse teams outperform homogenous teams due to the application of unique perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Because of this fact, increasing diversity in neuroscience will benefit the field with increased problem-solving and ideal representation. To achieve this diversity, Jones advocates for a focus on mentorship and networking for young scientists at critical career transition points. This involves supporting, training, and recruiting trainees with the goal of making these careers more accessible. Finally, at the end of the article, Jones provides a 4-step plan that institutions can implement to increase diversity in neuroscience without abundant funding. Based on the data, the methods provided in this article appear to be successful so far.  
 
“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance” -- Vernã Myers 
(A quote we loved) 

Jones-London, M. (2020). NINDS strategies for enhancing the diversity of neuroscience researchers. Neuron, 107(2), 212–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.033 

In “Learn How to Cut Black Hair or No Job for You, Louisiana Tells New Stylists" by Anya Zoledziowski, Anya discusses the new resolution passed by Louisiana’s Board of Cosmetology “that requires all licensing exams to include a section on cutting textured hair.” This resolution came after the Louisiana senate passed the crown act. This act prohibited businesses from discriminating against people for their hair texture and style. While it is a necessary starting point, Anya points out that this is only hair cutting and leaves out the different hair styling techniques that should also be required. One of the main backers of this resolution was Gadar. This hair artist has been working with hair since she was little and has even gone to business and cosmetology school to get her license in hair care. However, her experience, like so many other black and brown women in her field, was neglectful. She and many others did not get any education on black and brown hair, both in styling and cutting, which caused her to eventually open a two-day workshop where she would instruct women about textured hair. Anya also points out that Black and Brown women in the U.S. often spend almost nine times as much money on hair care products than that of white women.  
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After reading the article, I was shocked to learn about the negligible amount of experience that Black and brown cosmetologists were taught about cutting and styling their own hair. It really goes to show that so much of our society is centered around whiteness. This is a relevant article for our lab because as researchers who often work with different hair styles it is important for us to be cognizant of the different nuances behind the different hair textures. As of right now we are a majority white lab, so it becomes an even more significant role for us to understand and appreciate hair styles that our not our own. Many times, we as white researchers might be confused about where to start learning about our own biases and learning about the struggles and lived experiences of POC. This resolution is going to help immensely in allowing proper education to become known and allow for more textured hair to come into the forefront of our society and our research. Neuroscience research needs to be about inclusion, and it is quite hard to be inclusive when you have no idea how to work with textured hair or how it will work within technology. Hopefully, these problems will be addressed in the future, but for now this is an excellent first step towards equity (at least in Louisiana).  

Zoledziowski, A. (2021, November 5). Learn how to cut black hair or no job for you, Louisiana tells New Stylists. VICE. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dgwj/louisiana-board-requires-hairstylist-cut-textured-hair-license. 

In our SIG meeting today, we discussed a guide published by Lietsel Richardson (BRaIN Lab at the University of Central Florida) and a Webinar hosted by Black in Neruo. Our lab has decided to upload the guide to better understand the nuances of the document and to offer up Lietsel’s fantastic research to a wider audience. From the guide we understood that the protocols and recommendations that she developed were much more applicable in nature than other articles we have discussed in the past. The Black in Neuroscience online seminar specifically discusses the guide as well. They highlight letting the participant know about the mechanics beforehand (as to try and schedule their sessions on wash days), have more education in research spaces on textured hair, and better understanding of hair as something that is culturally significant and should be treated as such. The online seminar was specifically curated by two POC EEG researchers and two POC hair stylists. A specific problem presented by one of the researchers trying to get a grant to study textured hair was that because there was no specific research suggesting that that was a problem in neuroscience, many grants did not end up funding her. Right now, there is a certification that hairstylists can go through to work with textured hair, and EEG researchers are in the process of making instruments that are better applicable to those with textured and curly hair.  
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Our discussion centered the many ways in which we as white researchers could and have failed those with textured hair. We discuss how many times the biggest errors in EEG research are internal in nature (having to deal with the lab system) rather than environmental. Our assumptions about research and our participants can in fact impede our research. We agreed that research should be applicable to anyone, or at least by using it to help many diverse people. Also, there is no reason that those with textured hair should be receiving less quality medical care. Our lab discussed adding additional information in our outreach to participants and communicating with participants more. We think it is best to not leave all the hair altering or fixing to the participants. Instead, ask the participants what they are comfortable with and do what you can to make them feel most comfortable. Another great suggestion is potentially incorporating training on textured hair by a local hair stylist. Overall, we are very committed to uplifting inclusion in our lab and every other research space in our country.  

Black in Neuro. (2021). Hair, Community, & Eeg. [Video] YouTube.com. Black in Neuro. Retrieved 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuCwdp9uYFA. 

Richardson, L. (2021, October 27). Eeg hair project - hello brain lab: The UCF Brain Lab. hello brain lab: the UCF BRaIN Lab - Helen J. Huang's Lab. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://hellobrainlab.com/research/eeg-hair-project/. 

For this week’s SIG, the lab discussed “‘Health equity tourists’: How white scholars are colonizing research on health disparities” by Usha Lee McFarling, which details the problems surrounding research in the health equity field. McFarling presents many issues that researchers in the field have been dealing with since it has gained popularity after a recent influx of funding. These new resources, while seemingly great on the surface, have led to many researchers from other fields flocking to health equity without taking the time to understand the field and its nuances first. These newcomers are taking up resources and publications from those that have been in the field their entire careers working to be seen and have their work taken seriously. McFarling presents the commentary of a few minority researchers who feel that their work is being once again overshadowed by white researchers who cannot truly understand the barriers they face.

Some questions that arose through our discussion included: Is there any retribution when contributing authors aren’t credited in publications? Should demographic information be collected and/or factored in when large organizations choose researchers? Is equal opportunity enough, or should we be doing more to ensure equal representation in research? Should the ‘best’ professionals be identified by their previous accomplishments, which may have been influenced by privilege and bias, or by their potential?

Overall, the consensus among lab members was that our generation needs to focus on being the change we wish to see in the field. The status quo and current power dynamic in research is not acceptable and it is up to us to do something about it. We are committed to prioritizing diversity and inclusion in our research and any future endeavors.
 
McFarling, Usha Lee, et al. “How White Scholars Are Colonizing Research on Health Disparities.” STAT, 23 Sept. 2021, https://www.statnews.com/2021/09/23/health-equity-tourists-white-scholars-colonizing-health-disparities-research/.

This week, the lab discussed an article by Olivia P. Matshabane titled, “Promoting diversity and inclusion in neuroscience and neuroethics.”  In this article she stresses the need for more inclusion in neuroscience and neroethics specifically throughout different countries and continents like Africa. She stressed that Africa was ready to be more involved in research. The lab agreed that there should be more inclusion throughout different continents and countries and that in an ideal world, each research participant pool would be made up of the proportion of each country as it relays to the world population.

The lab discussed how inclusion is not only about who we include in research but the questions we ask. One example was brain stimulation treatment. Most people in the world are not going to have access to such advanced technology so although it is fascinating, should more research be aimed at techniques that are more widely applicable?

The main critique the lab had was that the paper was too conceptual. The author did a beautiful job at laying out the problems in the research society but gave little emphasis on how society should go about fixing these problems. The lab came to the conclusion that it would be a long process that would most likely have to start with more communication between researchers and countries as well as more open dialogue between multiple people and dynamics. We also discussed how these conversations and the start of research integration would look different for each continent, country, and city in the world since all have different languages, cultures, and normalcies.


Matshabane, O. P. (2021). Promoting diversity and inclusion in neuroscience and Neuroethics. EBioMedicine, 67, 103359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103359 

This past week in the B-RAD lab, we focused on planning and project development in our special interest group (SIG). Four teams were formed and given the task to create a product for our SIG faculty/student event in November and a community event in February. The projects can include but are not limited to creating infographics, preparing presentations for community groups, building websites, creating educational videos, and creating posters. In November, the B-RAD lab will be hosting a salon, which is an interactive experience to present products and presentations on the topic of racial inclusion in Neuroscience. The projects currently being developed by our teams focus on technological constraints, racism in the dissemination of neuroscience, expanding inclusion in neuroscience, and building trust in the neuroscience space. Our teams will be developing their projects over the next 6 weeks. 
Next week, our teams will meet to discuss goals for their projects as well as their formal project ideas. 

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​Neuro research is important because it investigates how we experience everyday life from a neurological perspective. Knowledge about how we process information, make decisions, or react in certain ways can help us better understand the human experience. We know very little about the brain’s full capabilities, which is why it is so important to continue to research the complex interactions between the body, genes, neurons, and the brain. Through EEG research specifically, we can see how our brain waves work and understand dynamic processes to get a better picture of ourselves from a neurological view.

This past week in the B-RAD Lab, we talked about difficulties that EEG participants with coarse and curly hair may face in a research setting. Researchers must keep in mind that it can cause a great inconvenience to ask a participant to change their hairstyle. Instead, researchers should come up with solutions for working around different hairstyles that individuals may have. The B-Rad lab often uses EEG to conduct our experiments. The EEG caps consist of electrodes that need to reach the scalp of the participant in order to record their brain activity. The problem that EEG researchers sometimes face is that depending on the hair type of the participant, the electrodes on the cap may struggle to stay in contact with the scalp which can lead to noisy data. 
A possible solution to combat discomfort the participants may have or any concerns relating to the data is to be patient and ensure that the comfort of the participant is top priority. Trial and error are expected. Letting participants know ahead of time that the researchers may play around with their hair to get more accurate results can help mentally prepare the participant prior to their research session. Informing participants that their hair will get wet or that they will have a soft stretchy cap placed on their head helps facilitate communication, trust, and comfort between the participant and researcher. The end goal is to help everyone involved in the study feel as comfortable as possible while gathering accurate data. Here at the B-Rad lab, we strive to do exactly that by prioritizing inclusivity in our research space at all times.