Spectrum: Building Pathways to Biomedical Research Careers for Girls and Women of Color

Posted on November 30, 2015, updated on August 21, 2018

Project Website(s)

  • Project Description

    1.To educate local middle and high schools students especially girls of color and teachers about research on women-s health and biomedical research by local NIH-funded researchers who are primarily women of color. 2.To develop a community of biomedical research role models and mentors that include females of color at multiple stages along the biomedical research career pathway from middle school to university faculty. 3.To develop a series of biomedical science activities tailored to the interests of adolescent girls and linked to the research programs of NIH funded biomedical researchers who are primarily women of color. 4.To partner with the local and national Expanding Your Horizons organizations to pilot and disseminate the resulting curriculum on the science of women-s health issues and this mentoring model nationwide. 5.To investigate the rule of participation in this program on the interest of girls of color in biomedical science and retention of women of color in the biomedical research career pathway.

  • Abstract

    The Science Education Partnership and Assessment Laboratory (SEPAL) in the Department of Biology at San Francisco State University (SFSU) – in strong collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) the Exploratorium and the National Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network – proposes Spectrum: Building Pathways to Biomedical Research Careers for Girls and Women of Color. While progress has been made in encouraging girls in science women of color are still largely absent from the biomedical research community and no materials or models currently exist that are designed specifically to attract girls of color to these careers. Through the Spectrum initiative SEPAL seeks to pioneer a multi-pronged program that brings together K-12 teachers and students with individuals from multiple stages on the biomedical research career pathway to learn together about the biology behind women’s health issues and about research being conducted by women biomedical researchers of color. Together a community composed of biomedical scientists who are women of color – including SFSU undergraduate students SFSU Masters degree students SFSU alumni in local doctoral and biotechnology positions and SFSU Faculty – and middle and high school students and teachers will partner to address the following specific aims: 1) to educate local middle and high schools students especially girls of color and teachers about research on women’s health and research by local NIH-funded researchers who are primarily women of color 2) to develop a community of biomedical research role models and mentors that include females of color at multiple stages along the career pathway from middle school to faculty 3) to develop a series of biomedical science activities tailored to the interests of adolescent girls and linked to the research programs of NIH-funded biomedical researchers who are primarily women of color 4) to partner with the local and national Expanding Your Horizons organizaions to disseminate the resulting curriculum on the science of women’s health issues and this mentoring model nationwide and 5) to investigate the role of participation in Spectrum on the interest of girls of color in biomedical science and retention of women of color in the research career pathway. Spectrum is so named to reflect its dual emphasis on developing scientists of color and on involving individuals from the entire spectrum of positions along the biomedical research career track. Spectrum activities will be open to all students and are designed specifically to attract the involvement of girls of color and as such will address a pressing equity issue by encouraging underrepresented students especially girls and women of color to pursue biomedical science research careers and by producing curricular materials designed to engage this target audience.

  • Dissemination Strategies

    1. Spectrum Science Activity Collection: Spectrum will develop a collection of science activities specifically designed to be of interest to adolescent girls of color that will include both 1) case-based activities that address the -Biology of Women- the biomedical science that underlies the mechanisms processes and diseases specific to females and 2) inquiry-based science lessons based on the real-world research programs of biomedical researchers who are women of color. 2. Spectrum Video Biographies: Spectrum will develop a series of video biographies in collaboration with middle and high school girls that will profile women of color in biomedical research and give insight into their personal pathways to careers in science. 3. The Expanding Your Horizons Network: Spectrum will partner with the National Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network and local San Francisco EYH Conference to evaluate refine and disseminate developed materials.

  • Project Evaluation(s)

    Spectrum’s program structure includes the involvement of scientific trainees from points along the biomedical research career pathway ‘ from middle school students to faculty. As such SEPAL is in a unique position to analyze the impact of Spectrum on the primary target population ‘ middle and high school girls of color ‘ as well as the impact on the SFSU-affiliated scientific trainees who are women of color in undergraduate Masters or doctoral biology programs. For MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS how does participation in Spectrum affect their understanding of’ 1. their own confidence and interests in science? 2. educational pathways to careers in biomedical science? 3. the culture and process of science? 4. science learning as relevant interesting and attainable? 5. the biology concepts related to girls’ and women’s biology and health issues? 6. the biomedical research happening in NIH-funded laboratories at SFSU? For SFSU UNDERGRADUATE MASTERS and ALUMNA SCIENTIFIC TRAINEES how does participation in Spectrum affect their understanding of’ 1. their own confidence and self-identity as a biomedical scientist? 2. a career in biomedical research as relevant interesting and attainable? 3. the skills involved mentoring and being a role model? 4. effective approaches to communicating and teaching science to non-scientists? 5. the biology concepts related to girls’ and women’s biology and health issues? 6. the biomedical research happening in NIH-funded laboratories at SFSU? To address the research and evaluation questions listed above evidence will be collected from multiple sources at a variety of time points for each participant population and will use either 1) pre/post research design to allow tracking of change within individuals over time and/or 2) matched comparison group design to analyze differences between Spectrum participants and non-participants when possible. Depending on the research question being addressed data collection tools will include surveys focus groups written reflections and individual interviews. Evaluation activities will be collaboratively designed and conducted by project staff the external evaluator and Masters-level Spectrum Research Fellows under the direction of the PI.

  • Resources for Sharing

    As a newly funded project we have not yet developed resources for sharing

Project Audience

1. Middle and high school girls for color 2. Biomedical research trainees (undergraduate students Masters students and Doctoral students) who are women of color 3. Biomedical research faculty who are women of color 4.Local and National Gender Equity Organizations.

Subjects Addressed

Biomedical research areas of women of color biomedical researchers (including genetics developmental biology neuroendocrinology cell biology and health equity) as well as science topics related to women’s health