The Institute honored the holiday with a special event that connected participants with the tradition’s customs and cuisine.

On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Chairmen’s Hall on the Sanford Burnham Prebys campus was transformed by the sights, smells and sounds of Día de los Muertos.

As attendees snacked on sweet breads and sipped Mexican hot chocolate and spiced coffee, they were encouraged to learn more about the holiday through a gallery exhibit featuring posters discussing the tradition’s origin and symbolism.

Día de los Muertos is held on November 1 and 2 each year. It provides an opportunity for families and communities to ceremonially welcome back the souls of deceased loved ones for a reunion. Central to the holiday are altars called ofrendas, or “offerings,” that include personal mementos and symbolic items meant to help guide back the souls of family members. Some symbols also highlight the celebration’s focus on enjoying the sweetness of life even while recognizing the inevitability of death.

The Día de los Muertos event at Sanford Burnham Prebys featured an ofrenda that was constructed through community participation. In the weeks prior, attendees were able to attend two arts and crafts sessions to make wooden sugar skulls and decorate picture frames for the ofrenda.

Images courtesy of Sara Sandoval

In addition to the gallery exhibit and ofrenda, the event included traditional decorations such as colorful papel picado, a traditional Mexican craft made from perforated tissue paper, which was hung like streamers, as well as monarch butterflies that migrate through Mexico during the holiday and represent the returning souls of ancestors. A playlist of traditional Mexican folk music accentuated the crafts and cuisine, which included family recipes shared in a potluck meal.

This event was a continuation of the Holidays Around the World series at Sanford Burnham Prebys. This series is planned by volunteers from labs and departments across campus, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council and DEIB program manager, Lauren Mitchell, MS, to bring the Sanford Burnham Prebys community together to learn more about the many cultures represented within the institute’s faculty, staff and trainees.

More information on the holiday can be found on the website for The Mexican Museum in San Francisco.

Images courtesy of Sara Sandoval.

Four panelists at different career stages shared insights and answered audience questions

Sanford Burnham Prebys held a Women in Science event on Monday, August 12, 2024. The session was in Fishman Auditorium on the Institute’s campus and focused on how female faculty members at different career stages have navigated their professional journeys in academia and the life sciences. 

Eric Wang,  PhD, an assistant professor in the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and co-chair of the Education and Training Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, opened the event and introduced the moderator, Shanshan Yin, PhD, a postdoctoral associate working in the lab of Peter D. Adams, PhD, and four panelists from Sanford Burnham Prebys: 

• Linda Bradley, PhD, a professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program 

• Caroline Kumsta, PhD, an assistant professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program and associate dean of Student Affairs of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 

• Alessandra Sacco, PhD, the director of the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 

• Xueqin (Sherine) Sun, PhD, an assistant professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program 

Work and life balance 

Yin asked the panelists to discuss how they balance their work and personal lives, and what strategies they use to restore their energy levels and maintain a positive mindset. 

“I had to learn to manage my schedule, rather than letting it manage me,” said Kumsta. “I’ve gained a greater appreciation for stepping away from problems, and I often find that I come up with new solutions during or after hiking or working out, instead of by just working more and more.” 

“Because I am setting up a new lab, it feels like I am working even more than I did as a postdoctoral fellow,” said Sun. “My persistence, curiosity and interest in the scientific process are the key drivers that are helping me as the lab gets up to speed.” 

Caregiving 

Yin followed this conversation by requesting that the panelists comment on the factors of childcare and family obligations throughout the careers of female faculty members. 

“The childcare system for working parents in the U.S. leaves a lot of room for improvement,” said Bradley. “This has not improved through the course of my career, and it is something we think about a lot within the Postdoctoral Training Advisory Group as we discuss ways to improve the experience of postdoctoral fellows at the institute.” 

“It can be hard to feel less productive as a scientist after having kids,” said Sun. “This is something we each have to navigate and there are no easy answers.” 

Audience questions 

Yin welcomed audience members to ask the panelists additional questions. 

Sacco fielded a question about the balancing act of working long hours for short-term gain versus the increased risk of burnout. She said, “For me, this has really happened in phases. Some parts of certain experiments or application cycles require extra effort, and you have to learn when you can pull back and have a more balanced schedule.” 

Kumsta answered a question about unrealistic expectations for postdoctoral fellows. She said, “I encourage every postdoc and principal investigator to have open and honest conversations about expectations for working hours, vacation time and weekend emails, among other topics. That won’t fix everything, but it will prevent a lot of uncertainty and build a foundation for addressing issues.” 

The panelists had noted the strong representation of male scientists and staff members in the audience. Sacco responded to a question about what male scientists could do better to improve the environment for women in the field. She said, “We should all recognize our own biases, minimize their impact when making decisions, and be good listeners to other scientists’ needs.”      

Gender and academic rank 

The event closed with a conversation about gender disparities in academic ranks at research and higher education institutions. The panelists focused on the attrition than can occur after the end of postdoctoral fellowships as a major challenge for retaining women in academic science.  

Kumsta explored some potential solutions that funders and institutions could consider. She said, “An extra year of funding for early-career female scientists and an extra year on the tenure clock may help us retain women and support their promotion from junior faculty positions. We also need to find ways to reward the extra administrative service that many female faculty members are asked to give on faculty committees.” 

“I think certain things are getting better, but we need to do even more to retain women in the field,” said Sun. “The National Institutes of Health allowing time and budget for childcare costs in training grants was an important step.” 

“Today’s event reminds us of the importance of speaking up,” said Sacco. “We can articulate and share our vision for a better tomorrow and work together to achieve it.” 

The Women in Science event was hosted by the Education and Training DEI Committee at Sanford Burnham Prebys and supported by the Institute’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council and DEIB program manager, Lauren Mitchell.  

The Institute marked Pride month by ceremonially raising the Pride flag and discussing progress toward inclusion in the scientific community 

Sanford Burnham Prebys recognized the beginning of Pride month with a Pride flag-raising event on Friday, June 7, 2024. The gathering included an opportunity for speakers in a variety of roles throughout the Institute to share comments on the meaning of the Pride flag in their lives and careers. 

David Brenner, MD, president, CEO and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford Burnham Prebys, opened the ceremony, saying, “I’m very proud of everyone for working together to make this a welcoming community.” 

Luca Caputo, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the lab of Lorenzo Puri, MD, discussed the mission of the Queer Science Society, which was founded to create a safe space for postdoctoral fellows and other scholars in San Diego. He added, “I’m happy to be here in this inclusive environment.” 

Patrick Kearney, PhD, director of medicinal chemistry in the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, added, “After I joined the Institute last year and saw the Pride flag flying for the first time, I was incredibly moved. It was the first time I’d seen this happen in 40 years as a scientist. While it may seem simple, it is far from trivial, and it tells me that things are different here.” 

Luca Caputo, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the lab of Lorenzo Puri, MD, discussed the mission of the Queer Science Society, which was founded to create a safe space for postdoctoral fellows and other scholars in San Diego. He added, “I’m happy to be here in this inclusive environment.” 

Patrick Kearney, PhD, director of medicinal chemistry in the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, added, “After I joined the Institute last year and saw the Pride flag flying for the first time, I was incredibly moved. It was the first time I’d seen this happen in 40 years as a scientist. While it may seem simple, it is far from trivial, and it tells me that things are different here.” 

The Pride flag-raising event was planned by the Institute’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council. Lauren Mitchell, MS, program manager for DEIB, expressed gratitude for the meaningful contributions of the volunteers and speakers, as well as the many participants that attended and showed support for DEIB at the Institute.

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Designated by the United Nations, the 9^th International Day of Women and Girls in Science is Sunday, February 11, preceded by two days of meetings, presentations and outreach among global leaders, with a focus on women scientific leadership in sustainable development.

The real work, of course, is what happens afterward. Women continue to be underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. In 2021, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 65% of STEM jobs in the United States were held by men, 35% by women. Less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women.

These numbers have long held sway, both in academia and industry. There has been progress, to be sure, but it has been slow and uneven, hindered by stereotypes and biases, a dearth of role models, educational differences and opportunities and sheer inertia. The hurdles to equity and equality are deep and ingrained.

Every female scientist has stories about their own efforts and struggles. We asked scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys to recount some of theirs, the lessons learned and the challenges yet to be overcome.
 

A fighting chance

My personal experience can testify to the importance of appreciation of diversity.

As an international scholar, it was not always easy to navigate an entirely new culture. I remember my first few months in America when going to a restaurant felt like a small adventure. Now I look back to those days with fondness and gratitude because my mentor and colleagues showed me what an inclusive community means to a newcomer.

They encouraged my expression, valued my input and always waited with great patience when I needed a second or two to fetch a perfect word for the moment. It was their kindness that helped me through the initial adjustment period.

And then one day, I found the sense of belonging in a roaring ballpark with my lab mates around me, rooting for Giants. I am grateful that I was shown how “diversity” is done because that is exactly how I aspire to build a team in my future lab, a team where uniqueness is not only accepted but even celebrated so everyone can be at ease as themselves and feels free to explore and express no matter where they are from and what they believe.

While it is important to level the playing field for everyone, sometimes it will not suffice for a disadvantaged group until we vigorously advocate for their rights. As a woman scientist, it pains me that I have witnessed over the years so many brilliant young women who had to stop chasing their dreams at one point or another. They let go of their passion and settled for less ambitious career paths for various reasons: lack of mentorship, family responsibilities and even the pressure of conforming to social norms.

I know how hard it is to achieve success in the highly competitive realm of scientific pursuit while managing a functional family because I am too a mother of two young children. Our society asks women to juggle too many balls. It is no wonder that far fewer
women reach the promised land of professorship when roughly equal numbers of students of
both genders started out on this journey.

I consider it rare fortune that I have been blessed with constant guidance from mentors and unwavering support from family. It will be my mission to pass on this blessing to all the women I have the honor to work with in the future. A fighting chance is all they ask, and I will strive to be the helping hand that delivers that chance.

Shengjie Feng, PhD
Assistant Professor
Degenerative Diseases Program
 

Mentors make a difference

Even though gender inequities in STEM are slowly improving, we still have a lot of work to do. Several studies have shown that among early career investigators, women experience a one-to-two delay in getting their first grants funded, publish fewer high-impact papers and get credited and cited less frequently for their work, as compared to men. I believe that creating awareness and building a supportive network of mentors and peers is extremely important to navigate and overcome the challenges we face in science.

I have always been fascinated by the complex mechanisms underlying disease, and specifically cancer. I was the first woman in my family to attend university and to pursue a PhD degree in the biomedical sciences.

With few women in leading academic positions that could serve as a role model, I found it difficult to believe that I could someday be successful as a scientist. Fortunately, over the past years I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible female scientists who helped me along the way.

During my master’s program at Utrecht University, I secured an internship in the laboratory of the late-Professor Zena Werb at University of California San Francisco. She had an incredible track record of mentoring early career researchers and was a big advocate for (young) women in science.

For my graduate training, I joined the lab of Professor Karin de Visser at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. Karin is an incredibly smart and determined principal investigator who taught me to be resilient and persistent, and the importance of always following the data. The mentorship and support of these remarkable women has been instrumental in the decisions I have made to date in my career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have trained under them.

We all need some support and encouragement to excel in our scientific journey. It’s never too early to start building your network of mentors, peers and sponsors to support you along the way.

Kelly Kersten, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program
 

We’re still a minority

During my PhD and postdoctoral training, I have been lucky to have two amazing female scientists as mentors, who made it seem easy to be successful in science. The reality however is that female scientists get less lab space, have a longer path to their first independent research grant and have a more extended review process for their publications than their male peers.

To achieve equitable treatment and full inclusion of women in science, we have to constantly examine and dismantle the barriers that create these disparities. At Sanford Burnham Prebys, we have started to work toward a more welcoming environment for everyone, including women.

The truth is, however, that we’re still a minority here, and we, as women in science, still have to push for fairer policies and to make sure our voices are heard and valued. Personally, I am involved in outreach programs to get young girls excited about science. Seeing their excitement when they learn something new in the lab reminds me why this is so important, and I get excited when I see the next generation of girls who can see themselves as scientists without a second thought.

Caroline Kumsta, PhD
Assistant Professor
Development, Aging and Regeneration Program
 

Note: On February 14, there will be a roundtable discussion on the topic of women and girls in science from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Fishman Auditorium. Coffee, pastries and fruit will be served. Click here to RSVP.

Conversations around diversity and inclusion are abundant in academic institutions, but one group in particular—the LGBTQ+ community—is frequently left out of those conversations. 

June is LGBT+ Pride month, but San Diego has made it a local tradition to continue the celebration into July, when the city hosts its annual Pride Festival. This year’s San Diego Pride Festival will be held July 15-16. Pride celebrations around the world give people and institutions alike the opportunity to reflect on the unique struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and consider how we can support these individuals to the benefit of all.

To learn more about the struggles of LGBTQ+ people in the scientific community, we spoke to Sanford Burnham Prebys postdoctoral associate Luca Caputo, PhD Caputo is the cofounder of Queer Science Society San Diego, whose mission is to raise awareness of the concerns of queer scholars in STEM. They are a frequent speaker on LGBTQ+ issues in STEM, most recently at the Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park, where they are included in their New Science exhibition. Caputo is also involved in DEI initiatives here at the Institute, where they helped spearhead our first-ever Pride flag raising last year. 

Why is LGBTQ+ considered the “invisible minority” in STEM? 

The reason why the LGBTQ+ community is an invisible minority is not because there are no queer scientists or STEM professionals. Rather, it’s because there’s a huge lack of data about queer representation in the scientific community. This community has historically not asked for this data, so queer people are not represented in reports and statistics about minority representation. This is not just a data problem—it can prevent LGBTQ+ people from feeling like they belong in STEM. 

Have you personally experienced this?

The lack of representation of queer scientists during my earlier studies had me questioning my belonging in STEM and academia, and the lack of data and discourse around these issues only made it worse. I was lucky and privileged to later encounter great mentors who made me feel welcome and appreciated for everything I am, not only for my pipetting skills. However, not everybody is so lucky.

What needs to happen to correct this problem?

Institutions that track demographic data for scientists and STEM students need to be more inclusive in their methods. This is slowly starting to change—one great example is that the National Science Foundation is finally including questions on sexuality, orientation and gender identity in its Survey of Earned Doctorates, but this is just one small step forward. 

There are still major societal problems affecting queer people in academia, such as unfair U.S. immigration laws that don’t acknowledge same-sex partnerships as marriages for visa purposes. These laws keep talent away from the U.S. or pose an unfair economic burden to same-sex couples, as they will need to travel abroad and navigate complex legislation to get married and be recognized. 

In the meantime, what can non-queer allies do to support the LGBTQ+ community in STEM?

One important thing is being responsive and listening to what members of the community have to say. An easy example is to normalize and respect the sharing of pronouns in email signatures and in Zoom meetings. This will help create a welcoming atmosphere and an environment that will allow LGBTQ+ individuals to safely come out and be confident and comfortable. 

On a more institutional level, many steps can be taken to make workplaces more welcoming, such as having all-gender-inclusive restrooms and honoring Pride months with concrete gestures, like holding Pride events. It’s also important not to wait for members of the LGBTQ+ community to ask for these gestures. These are all approaches that can be translated to being allies to any underrepresented group in STEM, not just the LGBTQ+ community.

How does being more inclusive benefit the scientific community as a whole?

It benefits the community in so many ways. For example, the amount of talent in the scientific community will increase exponentially. Having different point of views will increase our ability to find new cures for diseases and solutions to other real-world problems. Additionally, we have an ethical obligation to make the community inclusive and representative of the whole population, because most basic research is paid for by the entire public via taxes and charitable donations. Finally, increasing inclusivity will also improve the relationship between the scientific community and the general population, as marginalized communities will be able to see their needs and perspectives represented.