Graduate students are the backbone of academic research and innovation in our world. To capture graduate student experiences during COVID19 in Canada, The Toronto Science Policy Network(TSPN) , a student-run science policy group at the University of Toronto, decided to launch a national survey. What they found was really troubling and mirror survey's conducted in other countries. We spoke to Farah Qaiser (@this_is_farah), who helped lead this survey. She recently finished her Master’s degree in Genomics at the University of Toronto, is a co-founder and 2019-20 president of the TSPN, a science communicator and advocate.

Report: https://toscipolicynet.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/tspn_impact_of_covid-19_grad_students_in_canada.pdf

Toronto Science Policy Network: https://tspn.sa.utoronto.ca/

Broad Science Audio Doc(Breaking the Silence): https://soundcloud.com/broad-science/breaking-the-silence-graduate-student-mental-health

Unfortunately not all of the Black in Neuro organizers could join our roundtable discussion. So we are releasing bonus material to hear more about everyone on the fantastic team. Don't miss all the love and laughter!

Check them out here-> https://www.blackinneuro.com/organizers

Following the success of Black Birders Week(ep.7) many in the academic world are harnessing the power of virtual connections during the pandemic.

BlackinNeuro created a space to increase visibility of Black neuroscientists and those in neuro related fields and to celebrate these individuals and their often overlooked contributions.

We chat to 8 organizers to hear about the success of Black in Neuro Week, the scientists' behind it, their journey's in academia and the future of Black in Neuro.

Organizers Interviewed: Paige Greenwood, Ti’Air Riggins, Stephanie Renee, De-Shaine Murray, Angeline Dukes, Lietsel Richardson, Kaela S. Singleton, PhD, & Thiago Arzua

https://www.blackinneuro.com/home

Transcript available here: https://www.broadscience.org/new-audio-distancing

On this episode we're getting an update on the $6 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline, a project that the hereditary chiefs of all five clans of Wet’suwet’en have opposed. We talk to Marlene Hale, who is a member of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. She is a culinary chef but also a vocal activist, advocate and community mobilizer who is now based here in Montreal. Marlene talks about the toll this Pipeline has had on the Wet’suwet’en Nation and the ongoing struggle facing the community.

Since our recording, the pipeline has been given the green light to start pipeline work near Unist’ot’en healing centre https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/08/07/Coastal-GasLink-Green-Light/

Marlene’s weekly webinar: https://www.facebook.com/events/299287734417239/

Doreen Robinson (@dlrpretoria) is the chief for wildlife at the UN Environment programme, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She spoke to us about a landmark report, put together by many organizations including the United Nations Environment Programme (@UNEP), that highlighted zoonotic diseased were on the rise. The report lays out: “Pandemics such as the COVID-19 outbreak are a predictable and predicted outcome of how people source and grow food, trade and consume animals, and alter environments.”

Report: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/preventing-future-zoonotic-disease-outbreaks-protecting-environment-animals-and

On this episode we discuss the intersection between COVID-19, the environment and Black communities, with Jared DeWese (@JaredDeWese). DeWese is a Senior Communications Advisor for the climate and energy program at Washington-based think tank Third Way. Their work is tackling the gap of Black inclusion in the climate change movement and sharing Black community voices and perceptions about the environment.

We also discuss DeWese's recent op-ed for the Hill titled “Black people are dying from coronavirus, air pollution is one of the main culprits.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/499354-black-people-are-dying-from-coronavirus-air-pollution-is-one-of

Resources:

https://www.thirdway.org/

Black Americans Care About Climate Change. Why Is No One Talking to Them About It?: https://morningconsult.com/opinions/black-americans-care-about-climate-change-why-is-no-one-talking-to-them-about-it/

Why the Larger Climate Movement Is Finally Embracing the Fight Against Environmental Racism: https://time.com/5864704/environmental-racism-climate-change/

A Shock-Proof America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX_FCAaSzCY&feature=youtu.be

Responding to the Crisis: Ensuring Environmental Justice During the COVID-19 Recovery

Beth Gardiner is a London-based journalist who focuses on climate, health, and sustainability. She is also the author of the book Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution, one of Guardian’s best books of 2019. We chatted with Beth to understand what it has been like to cover the environment during COVID-19 and what this pandemic is teaching us about the future of the climate crisis.

https://bethgardiner.com

@Gardiner_Beth

To celebrate #BlackBotanistWeek, we are releasing a story told by botanist Itumeleng Moroenyane, told during our November 2019 storytelling event "Bodies" with partners Confabulation.

Itumeleng is a plant ecologist pursuing a PhD in biology focusing on how interactions between microbes and their plant host are acted upon by evolutionary processes. https://www.plantholobiont.com/ @Itumeleng_M

#BlackBotanistWeek is a movement started that was started on twitter to celebrate and highlight the contributions of Black Botanists.

Academic research is often distant to the public, but now it’s more crucial than ever for the public to trust in and be involved with research. We spoke to Dr. Bella Starling, a public engagement professional and Director of Public Programmes at Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust., in the UK., about her role in fostering community engagement with research, and building relationships between healthcare professionals and the people that their work will ultimately impact.

Notes:

@bellastarling (Twitter)

BAME studies UK:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/892376/COVID_stakeholder_engagement_synthesis_beyond_the_data.pdf

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/coronavirusrelateddeathsbyethnicgroupenglandandwales/2march2020to10april2020

https://www.ifs.org.uk/inequality/chapter/are-some-ethnic-groups-more-vulnerable-to-covid-19-than-others/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52219070

Correction: By June (not *in*) 90% of English doctors who died of COVID related illness were from BAME communities

The internationally successful #BlackBirdersWeek on social media celebrated the often hidden presence, contributions, and community of Black birders—challenging the stereotypes of who birds and enjoys nature. The week was started by @BlackAFinSTEM as a response to a racist incident in Central Park where a white women falsely reported to the police that Christian Cooper a Black birder was threatening her.

We chat to co-organizer Corina Newsome, a science communicator who is well known to thousands of her social media followers as @hood_naturalist. She is a graduate student in biology and avian conservationist at Georgia Southern University.

Notes:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/nyregion/amy-cooper-christian-central-park-video.html

Donate

@BlackAFinSTEM

https://ca.gofundme.com/f/free-binoculars-for-black-birders

https://www.gofundme.com/f/east-clark-elementary-bird-nerds?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Twitter posts mentioned

https://twitter.com/fitguyoutdoors/status/1267205568139350017?s=21

https://twitter.com/JameelaJafri/status/1267661214731005954