News & Comment

Scientists must actively advocate for infrastructure development and funding of emerging research directions through collective efforts. In India, this has been crucial to help reverse the brain drain and enable equitable contributions to research and development at the global level.

In this piece, I share a personal encounter that underscores the glaring gaps in conference accessibility and challenges faced by disabled academics. I reveal historical biases and resistance to change and propose ways to transform conferences into more inclusive spaces, ensuring that all scientists can fully participate in the scientific discourse.

Climate change affects us all, and tackling it requires a concerted effort, but it isn’t always evident how cell biologists’ work can impact climate change. Here, I share my experience addressing climate change as a molecular cell biologist and educator.

As cell biologists, we aim to better our communities, but basic research is costly: instruments require energy, experiments consume copious single-use materials. Though governments, international bodies and universities must work to reduce this carbon footprint, we find sustainable research can also be shaped by individual actions in the lab.

Pride holds a special place in the hearts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) individuals as a time to celebrate the progress we have made, and advocate for the advances yet to come. Here, I highlight ways in which the scientific community has had a crucial role in driving this progress, and provide a personal perspective on the importance of being open and proud of my identity as a gay cell biologist.