Black biomedical scientists still lag in research funding – here’s why that matters to all Americans
In The Conversation, Omolola Eniola-Adefeso says “If science is to benefit all Americans, science first must be done by all Americans.”`
The statistics tell the story. People of color are more likely to be infected, hospitalized and killed by COVID-19 than white, non-Hispanic people. This grim reality is just one more illustration of an unacceptable truth: Science does not benefit all Americans equally.
While part of the solution lies in making access to health care more equitable, I believe the key to real change is more fundamental. If science is to benefit all Americans, science first must be done by all Americans.
As a Black woman in America and an academic biomedical engineering researcher, I have encountered racial, ethnic and gender discrimination and systemic racism at every stage of my life and career. Through these lived experiences, I have become deeply committed to addressing the “diversity problem” in the academic research enterprise.
This article was originally published in The Conversation. Read the full article.