Black in STEM – Past Events
On February 18, 2025, the Black Association at Salk (BAS) affinity group invited the Salk community to celebrate Black History Month and attend the annual Black in STEM event that featured outstanding scientists from across diverse disciplines who shared their research and professional journeys. This event helped raise awareness and broaden opportunities for mentorship and support professional and academic growth. This year’s event was moderated by Joshua Pratt, research assistant at the Salk Institute, and Ashley Medina, co-chairs of the BAS.
Black in STEM 2025 speakers
- Karine A. Gibbs – Associate Professor, UC Berkeley
- Gentry N. Patrick – Professor, UC San Diego
- Quinton Smith – Assistant Professor, UC Irvine
On February 28, 2024, the Black Association at Salk (BAS) affinity group hosted the second annual Black in STEM event inviting outstanding scientists from across disciplines to discuss their research and work to raise awareness and broaden opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and academic support. This year’s event was moderated by Austin Coley, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute (2019-2023) and founding co-chair of the BAS.
Black in STEM 2024 speakers
- Kevin Cox – Assistant Professor, Washington University
- Eric Archer – Program Lead for Marine Mammal Genetics Program at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
- Charises Nicole Winston – Assistant Professor, Keck School of Medicine of USC
On February 15, 2023, the Black Association at Salk (BAS) affinity group hosted the first of its kind, Black in STEM panel discussion bringing together outstanding researchers from Black in Cancer, Black in Immuno, and Black in Neuro to discuss the issues faced by Black researchers and critical needs of this community.
Each speaker shared their organization’s dynamic work to raise awareness and broaden opportunities for mentorship, professional development and academic support. This year’s event was moderated by Austin Coley, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute (2019-2023) and founding co-chair of the BAS.
Black in STEM 2023 speakers
- Christina Towers – Assistant Professor, Salk Institute
- Joel Babdor – Postdoctoral Researcher, UCSF Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine
- De-Shaine Murray – Postdoctoral Researcher, Yale University Wu Tsai Institute