In this final episode, Jonathan and Renaud bring together four scientists: Dr. Rachael Dangarembizi (South-Africa), Dr. Michaela Fenckova (Czech Republic), Dr. Harmit Malik (USA), and Dr. Srikanth Ramaswamy (UK), to challenge the traditional views of academic success.

Through their stories, they reveal the pressures of publish or perish, the invisible weight of systemic inequalities, and the cost of chasing recognition. But they also offer alternative compasses to guide you in this journey. From preserving your mental health to redefining how success is measured, this last episode invites you to rethink not just where you’re going, but how you choose to travel through the ocean of academia.

In this resonant episode, Renaud and Jonathan explore the complexities of academic hierarchies and institutional politics with three guests: Alicja Puścian (University of Warsaw, Poland), Dori Grijseels (Max Planck Institute, Germany), and Angeline Dukes (University of Minnesota, USA). Each guest brings valuable insight into how power is experienced, challenged, and negotiated at different stages of the academic journey.

This episode examines how broader power structures — toxic environments, institutional cultures, visa precarity, discrimination, lack of accountability — can shape the everyday experiences of researchers. It looks at the power of allyship, and how early-career scientists can navigate these realities while maintaining integrity and building healthy lab environments.

The ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast 'From Postdoc to PI' is organized with the support of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), a founding partner of the ALBA Network.

Renaud and Jonathan talk to three inspiring scientists, Daniela Di Bella (Harvard, USA), Vatsala Thirumalai (National Centre for Biological Sciences, India), Sahba Besharati (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) to share how starting with less taught them to think bigger, act smarter, and stay true to their vision. From Argentina to India and South Africa, discover how determination and creativity can turn a restricted environment into a space for scientific excellence.

The ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast 'From Postdoc to PI' is organized with the support of the International Brain Research Organization, a founding partner of the ALBA Network.

The Diversity Podcast interviews neuroscientists from underrepresented groups to better understand their hurdles and victories, and what keeps them going in today’s brain research community. In season 2, we focus on the transition from postdoc to PI, highlighting the unique challenges faced by postdocs and early-career PIs worldwide. By sharing their experiences and strategies for overcoming obstacles, the podcast aims to provide valuable insights for scientists navigating this critical career stage.

Listen to season 2’s trailer to learn more!

The ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast season 2 is organized with the support of the International Brain Research Organization, a founding partner of the ALBA Network.

For our third and final episode, we're coming to you from the 2023 Society for Neuroscience Meeting held in Washington, D.C., where ALBA and IBRO hosted an evening social about deconstructing colonial and historical biases in neuroscience. Dr Bashir is speaking with two researchers today about their insights on how historical biases have influenced our understanding of the brain and affect diversity and inclusion in research and academia today. The researchers are Dr Tiffany Younger from Columbia University, and Dr Melissa Perreault from the University of Guelph.

For the second episode, we are at the IBRO World Congress 2023 on 9-13 September in Granada, Spain. The ALBA Network and the IBRO Early Career Committee partnered to facilitate a wide-ranging discussion of what neuroscientists can do as a community to build research capacity in the Global South, and how this increase in local capacities for research and innovation can, in the broader picture, bring benefits to us all. 

Dr Asma Bashir is speaking with the chairs and panelists of this event: Dr Miguel Maravall (University of Sussex, UK), Dr Isabel del Pino (Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, Spain), Dr Mahmoud Bukar Maina (University of Sussex, UK / Yobe State University, Nigeria), Dr Pike-See Cheah (Universiti Putri Malaysia, Malaysia), Dr Jo Havemann (CEO of Access 2 Perspectives, Germany) and Dr Francisco Parada (Universidad Diego Portales, Chile). They share initiatives and success stories that allowed for capacity building in scientific research in diverse settings across the globe.

More information on this miniseries here: https://www.alba.network/alba-ibro-podcast-miniseries

This miniseries is organised with the support of the International Brain Research Organization, a founding partner of the ALBA Network.

For the first episode, we are at the 16th International Conference of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA) held in Johannesburg, South Africa (11-14 July 2023), where ALBA and IBRO organised a Mentoring circle workshop on Leadership at every career stage, in collaboration with World Women in Neuroscience and SANS (Southern African Neuroscience Society)

Dr Asma Bashir is speaking with three researchers located on the African continent about the role of mentoring in career advancement and capacity development in Africa: Dr Sara Elfarrash (EG), Dr Royhaan Folarin (NG) and Dr Lihle Qulu (SA).

For the closing remarks, Dr Bashir is discussing with the ALBA Network Office: Mathilde Maughan (Project and Network Manager) and Dr Keerthana Iyer (Partnerships and Development Manager), on their views and experience with mentoring in the field of equity, diversity and inclusion in neuroscience.

More information on this miniseries here: https://www.alba.network/alba-ibro-podcast-miniseries

This miniseries is organised with the support of the International Brain Research Organization, a founding partner of the ALBA Network.

She tells us about her journey in neuroscience as a practicing Muslim and about her unique experiences as an immigrant scientist in Australia.

More information:

• Personal website: www.maryamzi.com
• Lab website: https://www.ntnu.edu/kavli/ziaei-group
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryam-ziaei-ph-d-24ba294a/
• Twitter handle: @maryamziae

Interviewed and edited by Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: @polybiotique, BiasWatchIndia, IndSciComm.

A tragic accident in childhood led to his friend losing his vision at an early age. Suraj talks about how he used this incident as his motivation to study and work in vision neuroscience and neuroinformatics for his PhD. He also talks to us about some subtle and covert forms of discrimination that he has faced and emphasizes the importance of having a diverse and inclusive working environment.

Currently, he is studying the cellular and circuit mechanisms of binocular visual information processing in rodent visual cortex using optogenetics and electrophysiological techniques.

Links:

• Honnuraiah’s ANU page
• Honnuraiah’s Loop profile
• Honnuraiah’s work on ResearchGate

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: @polybiotique, BiasWatchIndia, IndSciComm.

She talks to us about her multiple identities as a woman neuroscientist - originally from China, trained in the US and working in Japan. She also gives us insights into the value of focus and resilience in science.

More information:

• Laboratory for Neuroepitranscriptomics
• The Government of Japan - Diversity
• Asian-Pacific Society for Neuroschemistry
• RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR)
• Rikejo: Japan's Pioneering Women in Science

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: @polybiotique, BiasWatchIndia, IndSciComm.

He speaks eloquently about the importance of intersectionality and the need to provide help and accessible mentorship for STEM researchers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. He is also part of STEM village, an undertaking to improve the visibility of LGBTQ+ STEM community around the world.

He has won many awards including Provost’s Early Career Award for Research Excellence in 2020 and the Fortune Magazine 40under40 in Turkey. His lab’s research has been highlighted in various media outlets such as Reuters, Newsweek, CBS News and Washington Post.

Links:

• Kurt’s lab webpage
• Kurt’s Twitter handle
• The STEM village

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

She gives us some candid insights about the ever-changing and temporary nature of academic life and what institutions can do to truly move the needle on being more diverse and inclusive.

Outside of the lab, she also volunteers as a peer supporter in the university and as a bereavement counsellor in Oxfordshire.

Links:

1. Merima’s ResearchGate profile
2. Merima’s work featured in the Nautilus magazine
3. Merima’s student profile at NYU Abu Dhabi 

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

He talks to us about the importance of good teaching and mentorship provided by exceptional teachers. He also tells us his experiences of growing up in Brazil as the son of an Egyptian father and a Brazilian mother and about the importance of representation and inclusivity in academia across career stages.

Born in Vitória Brazil, André got his undergraduate degree in Veterinary Medicine at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (2008), followed by a Master and PhD in Physiology at the University of São Paulo (2012) under the mentorship of Dr. José Antunes-Rodrigues. His postdoctoral training in Molecular Neuroendocrinology was at the University of Bristol (UK, 2014) under the supervision of Dr. David Murphy. 

Links:

1. Dr. Mecawi’s Google Scholar page
2. Dr. Mecawi’s ResearchGate profile
3. Affirmative action Law for Universities enacted by Brazil – NYT article

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

The main focus of her research is on the genetic basis of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Addiction, Autism, ADHD and aggressive behavior, using different methodological approaches that include genomics, transcriptomics, methylomics, association studies, animal and cellular models and functional studies. 

As a person with rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Fernandez gives us a glimpse of how constant pain and reduced mobility have changed her life and scientific career.

Links:

1. Dr. Fernández Castillo’s ORCiD page
2. Federacion de Jovenes Investigadores (FJI-Precarios)

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Along with being a recipient of many awards and fellowships, she was recently nominated as a L’Oreal USA Women in Science Fellow. She is also the co-founder and director for Stories of Women in Neuroscience (WiN) – a project that highlights the stories of female neuroscientists at different career stages and from diverse backgrounds and subfields.

Links:

1. https://twitter.com/DrNancyPadilla
2. https://www.storiesofwin.org/
3. L’Oreal Women in Science Fellows for 2020

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Her work has led to the discovery of the genetic cause of Rett syndrome and provided insight into the function of the gene in various neurons. Along with training over 90 scientists and physician-scientists who have gone on to successful careers, she is the recipient of many prizes including the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for 2017 and the Brain prize in 2020.

In this episode, she shares her wisdom about a life and career in science and how structures and institutions can come together to include members from underserved and underrepresented minorities. 

Links:

1. Brain prize profile
2. Breakthrough prize profile

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Basma Radwan received her B.S. degree in neural science from New York University, New York, the M.S. in biomedical engineering from Boston University, and Ph.D. in Neural science from New York University, New York, in 2015. Her current research revolves around investigating the interplay between sleep and depression and how sleep abnormalities could lead to stress-prone individuals. She was the recipient of the L’Oreal-UNESCO-For Women in Science (Middle East) in 2018 for her research in the field of neuroscience.

Audio-transcription of the episode

More information about Basma:

• Chaudhury Laboratory
• L’Oreal-UNESCO-For Women in Science (Middle East) fellowship 2018
• Mona Lisa smile – a fictional account of women breaking professional and cultural barriers in 1950s America

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Brought to you by The ALBA Network

During the day, he is interested in how neural circuits within the brain can rewire themselves within the context of experience, both during regular development and pathologically. Whenever he gets a break from the lab, José is intent on crafting prose and poetry centered around the contemporary Xicano experience. José currently resides in Nashville, TN where he is pursuing a PhD in neuropharmacology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

More information about José - www.jczepeda.com More information about racism in higher education:

• The proportion of Black faculty in higher educations (2018) - https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=61
• White Privilege in the workplace - The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards

Audio-transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Brought to you by The ALBA Network

Originally from Nigeria, She has a background in Anatomy from the University of Ilorin, following which she did a one-year training at the University of Bordeaux in France where she studied the role of stress systems in addiction focusing on corticotropin receptors, opiate reward and social behaviour in mice.

More information about Ibukun:

• Molecular biology initiative Ibukun helped organize under TReND in Africa

Audio transcription of the episode

Interviewed and edited by Dr. Shruti Muralidhar, Audio content editing by Abhishek Chari, Music from Lee Rosevere. Other projects by Shruti Muralidhar: BiasWatchIndia and IndSciComm.

Brought to you by The ALBA Network