A new grant will help reduce disparities in healthcare through a unique new training program led by Ruby Mendenhall (GNDP), Associate Professor in Sociology, African American Studies, Urban and Regional Planning, and Social Work and Associate Dean for Diversity and Democratization of Health Innovation at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) values equality and respect for every member of its community. Investigators, students and staff from diverse backgrounds bring their lived experiences and unique perspectives together. This diversity improves the IGB’s ability to solve problems and be responsive to societal needs. Since its inception in 2018, the IGB Committee on Diversity (COD) has been dedicated to creating a more inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment within the IGB community.

Recent events, especially the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all too many others, have left us outraged. Black Lives Matter protests against racism and police brutality continue and are gaining strength. Yet institutional racism not only exists in law enforcement but also in science.

The study of human genomics is inextricably linked to larger societal practices: how well diversity is represented in those who direct and conduct scientific research, how we balance data access with individual privacy, and the ways we group and describe both healthy and ill people. This September, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) had the privilege of collaborating with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to host a workshop examining these issues.