WEBINAR SERIES—Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): Picture a Scientist Panel and Film Discussion

Picture a Scientist is a 93-minute film that was an official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. The film focuses on challenges women face in science and how they have successfully overcome them. The film has been screened in theaters across the U.S. and has raised money for organizations advancing women of color in STEM. APS is pleased to offer a private, virtual screening of Picture a Scientist for our members in cooperation with Roco Films.

This event is for APS Members only and space is limited so register early.

Register to receive a link to view the film between January 25 and 27. Then, on January 28, join our panel discussion. Nancy Hopkins, PhD, a biologist featured in Picture of a Scientist, will share her story and experience making the film. Hopkins and other panelists will offer strategies for women in STEM to become empowered to overcome career obstacles and make science more welcoming and inclusive for all.

Moderator

Kedra Wallace, PhD, is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a joint appointment in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Millsaps College in Mississippi, a master’s degree in pharmacology & toxicology and PhD in neuroscience from UMMC. Wallace completed her postdoctoral fellowship in obstetrics and gynecology at UMMC. She serves as program director for the master’s of clinical investigation graduate program at UMMC, track director for the maternal-fetal-medicine graduate program and is division chief for the research division of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Wallace is committed to increasing health literacy among women and increasing STEM opportunities for undergraduate students, especially those who may be adversely affected by racial, gender, education and/or economic disparities. Wallace is the incoming chair for the American Physiological Society (APS) Women in Physiology Committee.

Panelists

Nancy H. Hopkins, PhD, is a molecular biologist and an Amgen professor of biology emerita at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is known for her research identifying genes required for early development of the zebrafish and genes that predispose adult fish to cancer. Hopkins is a pioneer in advancing the role of women in scientific research in academia. Recently she has addressed the under-representation of women as founders and board members of biotech start-ups. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Hopkins is an alumna of Radcliffe College and earned a PhD from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Harvard University in 1971.

Lacy M. Alexander, PhD, FACSM, is a professor of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University. Her research examines in vivo and in vitro mechanisms of vascular dysfunction in people with cardiovascular disease. Alexander and her research team have developed and validated the human cutaneous circulation as a powerful model for examining mechanisms underlying microvascular dysfunction in health and disease. Alexander has received several awards including the Pattishall Outstanding Research Achievement Award, the APS Environmental and Exercise Physiology (EEP) New Investigator Award and the APS Cardiovascular Early Investigator Research Recognition Award. Alexander is steadfast in her commitment to equity and inclusion and serves as an advocate for students and early-career investigators. She is currently the chair of the EEP section and an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Keshari Thakali, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Nutrition at the University of Arkansas Medical School. Thakali’s laboratory investigates mechanisms by which maternal overnutrition during pregnancy programs offspring vascular function. Her research is centered around studying perivascular adipose tissue, an adipose depot surrounding blood vessels and an important paracrine regulator of underlying smooth muscle and endothelial cell function. Thakali has participated in the Girls in STEM program through the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock. This program is designed to give participants an opportunity to explore STEM careers with hands-on activities led by female STEM professionals, ultimately encouraging them to continue and pursue STEM studies and/or careers. She has been a longtime APS member and is a member of the Society’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. 



Clintoria Williams, PhD, is an assistant professor of neuroscience, cell biology and physiology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Receiving the prestigious National Institutes of Health-funded Minority Access to Research Careers for Undergraduate Students Training in Academic Research fellowship fueled her desire to pursue a doctoral degree in cellular and molecular physiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Williams completed her postdoctoral training in renal physiology at Emory University in Atlanta. She has made a personal pledge to increase minority representation in science by creating and serving on committees centered around promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the scientific community. She cofounded Black in Physiology, an organization that showcases the achievements of African American and Black researchers, while inspiring the younger generation to consider a career in physiology. Williams has been a longtime APS member and is a member of the Society’s DEI Committee.