The Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that accepts and respects all facets of diversity that our community offers. In order to maintain our commitment, it is imperative for us to insist upon the change we want to see within our community and organization, to examine the structural and systemic prejudices within our system and within ourselves, and to be proactive in our support and respect of diversity. To that end, we have formed a diversity and inclusion committee.

Neuroscience Institute Committee on Diversity and Inclusion

Our mission is fueled by the following value statements, developed jointly by all members of the Neuroscience Institute community:

• Everyone’s voice is important.
• We do not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or microaggressions. When possible, we call out or report incidents to the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, NYU Langone’s Employee Labor and Relations, and/or NYU Langone’s Human Resources—Workplace Culture and Inclusion.
• We create a positive work environment and ensure people are not talked over or dismissed.
• We do not assume anyone’s background or identity.
• We value individuals and see beyond groups.
• We foster an environment that allows everyone to have a voice.
• We strive to be self-aware and reflect on moments when we fail to live up to these ideals.

Committee Members

Our committee members represent the diversity of our community. Jayeeta Basu, PhD, Robert C. Froemke, PhD, Shane A. Liddelow, PhD, Margaret E. Rice, PhD, and Tanya C. Sippy, MD, PhD, represent the faculty. Postdoctoral, graduate student, and research associate representatives are elected by their peers. Administrative staff also serve as members and provide valuable insights and help to guide new initiatives to completion.

We meet approximately every two months to discuss actionable initiatives to tackle ongoing concerns and areas of improvement to help drive our diversity and inclusion efforts.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Our committee is setting priorities and working on critical initiatives to make our community more inclusive and supportive. This work is done in conjunction with partners at NYU and NYU Langone. Members of the community are encouraged to provide feedback and input in order to guide the committee. Our top priorities are the following:

• Seek feedback from our community regarding areas of diversity, inclusion, equity, mentorship, and the environment.
• Hold trainings and workshops geared towards educating our community and fostering a safe and inclusive environment.
• Implement new recruitment initiatives to diversify our undergraduate, research associate, and postdoctoral fellow populations. Initiatives for graduate students are administered by our Joint Neuroscience Graduate Programs.
• Form a small group of liaisons to help guide members of the community to the proper channels regarding any issues or concerns they may need to discuss or report.

Our Partners in Diversity and Inclusion

NYU’s Center for Neural Science promotes a diverse and inclusive culture at all levels of our community. We work closely with the Committee for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to meet our shared goals.

The NYU Neuroscience Predoctoral Interest League was founded in 2020 as a group of neuroscience graduate students seeking to foster community, lend a collective voice to graduate students, promote accountability from the program, and strive to ensure that graduate training in neuroscience offers an inclusive, accessible and equitable environment to all. Several members of the Neuroscience Institute Committee on Diversity and Inclusion also hold leadership positions in the NYU Neuroscience Predoctoral Interest League and ensure graduate student concerns are brought to the table.

We partner with leaders in NYU Langone’s Office of Diversity Affairs and the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences in order to provide guidance and training for members of our community.

Diversity and Inclusion Resources

For postdoctoral fellows: The Neuroscience Institute has a vibrant postdoc community, with several seminars, workshops, and initiatives created exclusively for the professional development of our postdocs.

For undergraduate students: All undergraduate student researchers at NYU are eligible to apply their lab work towards independent study credits. For further information, please email your assigned neuroscience advisor, either Margarita Kaplow at mkaplow@nyu.edu or Jess Holman at jess.holman@nyu.edu. For non-NYU undergraduate students interested in working at NYU, summer undergraduate research programs at NYU Langone and NYU’s Center for Neural Science offer excellent opportunities.

Ombuds: NYU Langone Health's Ombuds Program is a neutral, confidential, and informal resource to help faculty, house staff, postdoctoral fellows, and students address and resolve workplace conflicts.

Outreach: The Neuroscience Outreach Group at NYU partners with local schools and community organizations to host educational events that celebrate the brain and explain how neuroscience can unlock its many mysteries.

Contact Us

For general inquiries about our diversity and inclusion initiatives, please email us at neuroscience.institute@nyulangone.org.