Rafael E. Luna

Transitioning from Career Minimums to Maximums: A Multiple Mentor Model

July 24, 2017 By Andrew Simenson

Written by Rafael E. Luna, Ph.D.
Executive Director, National Research Mentoring Network
With Lakeisha Williams, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Mississippi State University

For since the fabric of the universe is most perfect, ….. , nothing whatsoever takes place in the universe in which some relation of maximum and minimum does not appear”

Leonhard Euler, 18th century physicist and mathematician.

Rafael E. Luna Portrait Euler’s statement represents Dr. Lakeisha Williams journey, since she passed through Minimums even before she excelled in the engineering field. As a child her family and community quickly realized that she had a gift for learning and especially mathematics. However, it was not only her gift in mathematics that led her to achieve the Maximum of tenure as an Associate Professor in the Biomedical/Biological Engineering Department at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Her desire to bring positive change was also a major motivating factor for her pressing through when research and coursework became extremely challenging.

As a young girl in her 9^th Ward community in New Orleans, which was thrust into the national conscious due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Dr. Williams enjoyed playing school and classroom with her family. The United States witnessed a human catastrophe with Hurricane Katrina, however, Lakiesha’s memories predates Katrina as she remembers the loving African-American/French creole community in the 9^th Ward, which was an oasis of community support, elders and mentors that insisted that she was the one to climb the socioeconomic ladder to approach an academic Maximum of tenure. Despite the circumstances that surrounded her, the numerous mentors in her community rallied behind her to ensure that any perceived Minimums are transitioned to Maximums. Hence it was the many mentor model that propelled her transitions through her career stages.

LWilliams As an inner city student with an excellent academic high school record, she could have easily attended the elite universities throughout the United States with large endowments; however, she opted for remaining local and attended Louisiana State University for her education in Biological Engineering, and eventually receiving her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Dr. Williams initially thought that she would become a physician; however, her love for helping others coupled with technical interests made Biomedical Engineering a logical career path. Currently, Dr. Williams serves as a mentor to numerous younger scientists in the South, wherein she distills a valuable lesson from the famed, inimitable New Orleans rapper Master P, “It is not where you from, but it is where you at”; hence Dr. Williams works tirelessly to transition younger underrepresented scientists from the South from their Minimums so that these bright young scientists reach their Maximums. She believes that success comes through hard work, focus and discipline. One of her life mottos that she actively preaches to her students and trainees “anyone can be great.”

Dr. Williams was the first African American Ph.D. graduate in Biomedical Engineering at Mississippi State University and the first African American faculty in her department at Mississippi State in 2006. The American Society for Engineering Education reports that as of 2015 only 2.5% of engineering tenure track faculty were African American and of that number 1.7% are in biomedical engineering.¹ Dr. Williams is a shining light in the field of biomedical engineering and a direct product of the Multiple Mentor Model of an urban community. She is teaming up with NRMN to support its mission and outreach to ensure that thousands of underrepresented minorities in the United States are trained in the biomedical field irrespective of their place on the socioeconomic ladder. She is absolutely committed to help the next generation of scientists transition from their current career stage to their academic Maximums.

Reference: https://www.asee.org/papers-and-publications/publications/college-profiles/15EngineeringbytheNumbersPart1.pdf

(photo of Lakeisha Williams by Russ Houston / © Mississippi State University)

The “Secret Recipe” for a Mentoring Community Supporting Biomedical Research

June 14, 2017 By Andrew Simenson

Written by Rafael E. Luna, Ph.D.
Executive Director, National Research Mentoring Network
with Jennifer A. Gubbels, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology Department, Augustana University

How do we make careers in biomedical research an attractive option for undergraduates and graduate students? This was the question posed to me and Dr. Kola Okuyemi after our seminar at the Special Populations Research Forum in May 26^th, 2017 at the National Institutes of Health. This question has persisted in my consciousness ever since.

As I spend a significant amount of time traveling throughout the United States sharing the good news about NRMN, there are times when I confronted with pleasant surprises. As I share with others about NRMN’s programs, I often find myself learning from the same individuals who I am reaching and would like to include in our national network.

Rafael E. Luna Portrait This June 8^th and 9^th, Dr. Barb Goodman at the University of South Dakota, Contact PI of the South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (SD BRIN), hosted the Central Region Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Meeting. The Central Region includes members from the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)/ Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) from Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota . I was fortunate to speak at this meeting to share the mission and national approach of NRMN. NRMN has begun partnerships with biomedical researchers across the IDeA network (23 States and Puerto Rico), which are funded by NIGMS. At this point, we are partnering with INBRE programs across 9 of these 24 (see the map below with the 9 States/ territory highlighted in red, and Central Region IDeA States within the red oval).

INBRE States

During our lunch period, I spoke with Dr. Sheila Caldwell, program director in the Center for Research Capacity Building, where she manages the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH), and learned about the impactful work of this NIGMS funded initiative. I was approached by Dr. Jenny Gubbels, an Associate Professor with tenure at Augustana University in South Dakota where she serves as an INBRE PI. As I tend to be the so-called purveyor of NRMN information, I communicated with her that according to NIH’s most recent classifications of groups underrepresented in biomedical research, senior faculty women are underrepresented. She was happy to know this information; however, it was our follow-up conversation that made a considerable impact on me. She told me the story of her mentee an undergraduate student by the name of Jessica ‘Jess’ Roetman. Jenny was a proud mentor of her student Jess, who has worked in her laboratory.

Jess Roetman is from a small town in northwest Iowa and graduated in May of 2017 with a degree in biology from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In a couple of months, Jess will begin an Interdisciplinary Studies doctoral research program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Jess’s interest lies firmly in performing cancer research. When Jess first joined the Gubbels lab in the summer of 2015, she seriously considered attending medical school, but she was undecided. After her first summer in Dr. Gubbels’s laboratory and under a caring, thoughtful mentor, Jess decided that biomedical research would be a better fit for her inquisitive mind. Upon embarking on a career in research, she applied and was accepted to an undergraduate research program at the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota. After graduating with her undergraduate degree, this summer before graduate school she is working fairly independently in the Gubbels lab and essentially functions as a graduate student, teaching other undergraduates, and needing very little supervision. Other undergraduate students who were healthcare field minded, yet after receiving mentoring from the Augustana faculty have decided to pursue their PhD after doing summer research at Augustana University include Tyson Lager, a student from Freeman, SD (population 1,300) who was considering the application process to medical school, then worked doing research at Augustana for three summers and went on to graduate school to pursue his Ph.D. at Notre Dame. AU class of 2011 undergraduate student Rachel Hurley, a resident of Canton, South Dakota originally wanted to go to physical therapy school, but then did research in the chemistry department at “Augie” (a diminutive term of endearment for Augustana University) and is currently pursuing her MD/Ph.D. at the Mayo Medical School.

Since 2010, at least 21 Augie students funded by the IDeA program have completed their undergraduate studies and matriculated into graduate school. Augie has sent 8 students on to MD/Ph.D. programs. In addition, many other Augie IDeA-funded students who have entered medical school have continued doing biomedical research as medical students, positioning them for clinical translational research and persistence in the biomedical research pathway. So perhaps the best answer to the question that I received at NIH’s Special Population Research Forum, should be the following recipe:

Quality, Culturally Aware Mentoring as a Mentor;
Hands-on Biomedical Research experiences as Mentees;
Institutional Commitment to the persistence and exciting path of biomedical research (Being at Augie helps);
A sense of community of mentors and mentees for biomedical research in the United States.

In the back row, from left to right: Dr. Mark Larson, Dr. Steven Matzner, Dr. Cecelia Miles, Dr. Jenny Gubbels, Jess Roetman, Dr. Paul Egland, and Dr. Rafael E. Luna. In the front row, from left to right: Dr. Seasson Vitiello, and Dr. Brittany Gorres-Martens

Because AU is a small school, we might see the same student during advising, in the classroom, as well as mentor them one-on-one in the research lab. We get to know our students, and more importantly, they get to know us, and are able to see us as people and as scientists, which may make envisioning becoming a scientist more of a reality for them. Some things, like chocolate, are better in small batches.

Each year we have between 30-40 undergraduate biology majors participating in summer research at Augustana, within research hospitals in Sioux Falls or at other institutions within the state and region. In the last year we have expanded our science center to a 125,000 square foot facility that house state-of-the-art research labs, equipment, classatories, active learning classrooms, and a large auditorium for presentations and poster sessions. The building has a substantial space for research which is co-located with teaching spaces allowing for a blending of teaching and research. This space is a physical manifestation of our philosophy of using research as a primary means to teach undergraduates science by having them be scientists.”

Jennifer A. Gubbels

Access to the Invisible College for Individuals with Disabilities

May 22, 2017 By Andrew Simenson

Written by Rafael E. Luna, Ph.D.
Executive Director, National Research Mentoring Network
with Samantha Bear, M.Ed.

In last month’s newsletter, I introduced the notion of the Invisible College and opening its door to underrepresented minority biomedical scientists. This month I describe the necessity of accessibility to the Invisible College for all citizens in our great Union, including individuals with disabilities.

The 14th Amendment provides everyone with equal protection under the law, stating,

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

In 1990, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which is congruent with the 14^th Amendment and specifically prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Rafael E. Luna Portrait Diversity of thought serves as an essential component for research (see Biomedical Research: Strength from Diversity, Elizabeth L. Wilder, Lawrence A. Tabak, Roderic I Pettigrew, Francis S. Collins, Science 15 Nov 2013) and drives finding new solutions to previously intractable biomedical problems for the greater good of society and for the benefit of future generations. Such diversity includes people with a disability, there are individuals with apparent and non-apparent disabilities, and we should be cognizant of the challenges that both groups face. In both scenarios, we are required to look beyond what is visible.

During my time as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, I met an incredibly smart biomedical engineer, Dr. Dennis Dean. I was impressed by his facility with computer science and algorithms, along with his passion for biomedical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. We became friends and I enjoyed the power of story with which he explained the rational aspects of code and the pleasure he displayed from describing his biomedical research.

While it is quite visible that Dr. Dean is a gifted scientist, I had no idea that he was diagnosed with a learning disability until he shared his story with me at a recent event for the Biomedical Science Career Program. We have been friends for many years, and I have always been impressed with his intellect, so I was surprised to learn of his disability and the challenges he had to overcome in order to be successful. He told me that he has never shared his story in an official capacity, and I thought that it would be important for him to share his story with the NRMN community in this month’s newsletter.

By sharing his story with me, he helped me to think of the vast number of individuals in the United States who have managed to be successful and have overcome their disability whether diagnosed or not. His brilliance was visible; however, his disability was invisible to me. I am thankful for Dr. Dean’s mentors who have encouraged him to persist in the face of obstacles that he managed, i.e. an undiagnosed learning disability. His story provides a great lesson for mentors and peers. Even when a disability is non-apparent, we should be understanding and supportive of the person managing the associated difficulties, particularly in the biomedical research workforce.

The semblance of struggles that underrepresented ethnic minorities face is similar to the plight of individuals with apparent disabilities. Just as race is quite visible for an underrepresented minority, a disability can be quite visible for a person with an apparent disability. However throughout my career, I have noticed racial minorities and individuals with disabilities who have excelled in biomedical research due to their persistence and passion for scientific investigation. These qualities may be invisible if we do not look beyond their visible traits.

Culturally aware mentors possess the insight to see the invisible strength of the inner biomedical scientist, wherein the outside aspects of a scientist are irrelevant. It should be the invisible strength of relentless determination and curiosity that sets the biomedical scientist on her or his path to success. While the visibility of race and apparent disabilities should have no bearing on how a scientist’s work is assessed, it is still important for mentors to acknowledge that people will face additional obstacles in their career.

Under the ADA, individuals with disabilities qualify for NIH Diversity Supplements to help ensure that scientific research is colorblind to race and welcomes individuals with disabilities, since the greater the diversity of thought in research the greater the biomedical discovery. NRMN welcomes collaborations with individuals, institutions, and professional societies throughout the United States as partners to expand the pipeline for individuals with disabilities pursuing careers in the field of biomedical research.

NRMN Kicks Off Southeast Training Hub (SETH) at Morehouse School of Medicine: May 10-12, 2017

May 22, 2017 By Andrew Simenson

Written by Meldra Hall
Edits by Ann Smith

The third SETH Kick-Off was a success as a result of collaborative relations brought together for this training event. Trainees benefitted from robust discussions surrounding Scientific Storytelling, Surviving Peer Review, Fair Play: Bias in Academia, and Improving Mentoring Experiences. The strategic sessions brought to SETH lay the foundation for on-going training and allows for the professional development of diverse scholars, equipping investigators with the necessary skills to address complex scientific challenges. We are pleased with the launch of our Shark Tank Program and the Health Disparities Learning Collaboratory. I am confident these programs will support training provided to the next generation of health equity scholars.”

– Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, FACC

NRMN SETH Group Photo May 2017

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Research Resources and Outreach Core (RROC) held its third Southeast/Deep South Training Hub (SETH) Grant Writing Training event May 10-12, 2017 at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). The event was hosted by NRMN RROC PI, Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH, FACC and her team through the NRMN Research Resources and Outreach Core (RROC) at MSM. It was collaboratively supported by the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC), and the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN). This multifaceted event included coordinated support across the NRMN Cores, as faculty and staff from all five cores made contributions.

Participants included senior faculty, junior faculty, and post-doctoral fellows, as well as institutional leaders, administrative staff and program directors from institutions across the United States. The event provided training for 30 junior faculty and post-docs Grant Writing trainees, 5 Shark Tank trainees, 7 coaches, and 13 institutional leaders. Seven senior faculty coaches led the grant writing coaching groups. Thirteen institutional leaders and administrators participated in the institutional planning forum.

The three-day event, which included grant writing coaching sessions, mentor training, a scientific storytelling session, a surviving peer review lecture, a bias in academia session, and a mentoring institutional planning forum, opened with a warm welcome from Dr. Elizabeth Ofili on Wednesday May 10, 2017. All sessions were delivered with a goal of helping new health equity investigators pursue research independence.

Day one of the training began with the Improved Mentored & Coached Experiences session led by Bruce Birren, PhD and Victoria McDonnell, DrPH with morning and afternoon sessions. The Coaches’ Training was held that evening. Day two opened with the Scientific Storytelling session led by Rafael Luna, PhD, NRMN PI. The next session, A Novel Coaching-Group Approach to Developing Grant Writing Skills, was led by Jeffrey Engler, PhD , RROC Director of Coaching Groups, who trained as an NRMN Coach at the first SETH event in Atlanta last May. This session employed the Northwestern University Grant Writers Coaching Group model developed by Rick McGee, PhD. The opening session of day three was a presentation Deconstructing NIH given by Dr. Engler. The training ended with a closing session, Fair Play: Bias in Academia which was led by Japera Johnson, PhD, NRMN Research Associate.

NRMN Training Hub Activity 1

On the first day of the Grant Writing training, trainees engage in an activity during the session Improving Mentored and Coached Experiences led by Drs. Bruce Birren and Victoria McDonnell.

The first day of the grant writing training, which opens with the session Improved Mentored & Coached Experiences, was a full day of group discussions, engaging activities, and a thought provoking presentation.

Day two was opened with a dynamic presentation from Dr. Luna on the Art of Scientific Storytelling. Dr. Luna explains techniques to help trainees craft their proposal in ways that are digestible to the reviewer.

Dr. Rafael Luna, NRMN Multi-PI, delivers a captivating presentation on the Art of Scientific Storytelling to SETH Grant Writing and Shark Tank trainees on the second day of the grant writing training at Morehouse School of Medicine.

During the next session, A Novel Coaching-Group Approach to Developing Grant Writing Skills, Dr. Engler provides an introduction to the coaching group model and the resources that trainees will be afforded to trainees over the next few months. After the overview of the Grant Writing Coaching groups, the trainees participated in breakout sessions with their assigned coaching groups. Coaching groups included a leader coach and 4-5 junior faculty divided by the type of research – basic, clinical or social/behavioral. In the coaching groups, each trainee presented the specific aims of their proposed research to the group for review and feedback. This face-to-face kick-off session launches a four to six-month period when the groups will reconvene via a virtual platform to continue reviewing and refining their grant proposals, with the goal of submitting competitive grant applications at the end of the coaching season.

NRMN SETH discussion table

Dr. Hon Yuen, a newly trained SETH coach, leads a coaching group discussion and provides insight on proposal writing and techniques. The trainees listen attentively as he gives advice on improving writing skills.

Day three opened with a morning session, Deconstructing NIH, which was led by Dr. Engler, who provided the grant writing faculty with more information for gaining research independence. And a clearer understanding for the expectations of grant proposal submissions. Following this session, Bob Taylor, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, provided a lecture on Surviving Peer Review discussing tips on writing for the reviewers.

SETH also launched two very innovative programs during this training event: Shark Tank and the Health Disparities Learning Collaboratory (HDLC). The Shark Tank initiative was launched by RROC Associate Director Jonathan Stiles, PhD to target trainees who have plans for re-submitting their proposals. It was designed to provide extra buttress for junior faculty who could benefit from a critical and intensive review of their summary statements. The Health Disparities Learning Collaboratory was launched to provide trainees with a virtual space in which social engagement could ensue after leaving the in-person training. Each coaching group has their own channel in which proposals can be viewed and discussed. The HDLC provides a space to engage in video chat where coach and trainees can interact face-to-face in a virtual space. This innovative technology supports coaching group efforts.

NRMN SETH Stiles Talk

Dr. Jonathon Stiles leads Shark Tank group discussion and provides and critical review of proposals while guiding junior faculty towards research independence. Shark Tank was launched during the 2017 SETH Grant Writing Training.

The final day concluded with a session, Fair Play: Bias in Academia led by Dr. Japera Johnson. This interactive session explored how good-intentioned individuals may be unintentionally bias, irrespective of race and ethnicity. This thought-provoking presentation left participants enthusiastic towards inclusivity in the scientific workforce.

NRMN SETH Japera

Dr. Japera Johnson delivered a dynamic concluding session, Fair Play: Bias in Academia which left participants thinking critically about inclusivity in academia.

The Institutional Planning Forum, an engaging workshop, was led by RROC Co-Investigator Winston Thompson, PhD with Institutional leaders across the United States discussing the Mentoring Academy Model at Morehouse School of Medicine.

A response from a trainee noted “[This NRMN grant writing training event] really helped me to start prioritizing and focusing. Great to connect with so many bright, engaged, and passionate folks doing good work at NMRN. I am confident that I will be prepared to submit a competitive grant application after this training.”

Overall, the NRMN SETH Training was very successful and there is much excitement about the launch of the Shark Tank Program and the Health Disparities Learning Collaboratory.

NRMN SETH Portrait

(left to right:) Ann Smith, MPH, UAB Director of Training Program; Meldra Hall, MPH, RROC Research Assistant; Kim Lawson, MPH, RROC Program Manager; Japera Johnson, PhD, RROC Research Associate lead the SETH efforts to ensure a successful grant writing training event.

Opening the Doors to the Invisible College

April 15, 2017 By Andrew Simenson

Written by Rafael E. Luna, Ph.D.
Executive Director, National Research Mentoring Network

NRMN provides access to the Invisible College

The invisible college, a network of successful scientists working to help each other and mentor the next generation of investigators, has been in operation for centuries serving to promulgate and advance the frontiers of science. Given the low numbers of underrepresented minorities in the biomedical research workforce, is it possible to usher in a new generation of scientists to the Invisible College in order to accurately reflect the population demographics of the United States?

Rafael E. Luna Portrait I first encountered the Invisible College early in my career as a student, having been fortunate to find a mentor that encouraged me to pursue my doctoral degree in the biomedical sciences. I was mentored in the art of scientific writing, methodology and experimentation.

He spent an inordinate amount of time guiding me, always allowing me to make mistakes and helping me to learn from them. As the first individual in my entire extended family to attend college, I was perplexed upon receiving his generosity.

One day when my mentor and I were working on a manuscript , I looked up from my laptop and stared into his eyes, “Why are you helping me?”

The question took him by surprise and he remained silent for a few moments. He leaned back in his chair and grumbled in his customary demeanor. Then a smile surfaced on his countenance as he stared back at me with an equal amount of intensity.

In an earnest tone he said, “When I was a student, I had similar circumstances. Someone mentored me, which laid the foundation for my success. Hence, I am part of a continuum of scientists helping the next generation. You are entering into this Invisible College, and you are charged to help others.”

I was floored by his response and never hesitated to help others. This was the precise moment in our mentor/mentee relationship wherein I felt that I was part of something bigger than myself. From that day forth, I stopped doubting whether or not I was capable or smart enough to earn a doctorate. I used every academic challenge as an opportunity to persevere and share the lessons I learned with younger mentees. I unearthed the key to succeeding in the biomedical sciences, which is to place one foot in front of the other and connect with as many members of the Invisible College as possible. Unknowingly, I continued along the trajectory, mentoring others and catalyzing their entry into this perennial stream. As I reflect, this has been the most rewarding experience in my research career and these mentees helped me to better understand myself. Together we grew, but they kept me young all the while.

NRMN has laid the infrastructure for thousands of mentees to access to the Invisible College by linking with its members, which will promote diversity and continue the scientific advancement of biomedical research in the United States. We achieve this through strategic synergies among the five NRMN cores: The Administrative Core (AC) at Boston College, which manages the organizational and committee structures of NRMN to ensure growth, sustainability and success in meeting project objectives; The Mentor Training Core (MTC) at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, which serves as a national hub to prepare mentors and mentees in biomedical research through evidence-based training, both in-person and online; The Mentorship and Networking Core (MNC) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, which actively develops the in-person and online network of mentors and mentees and oversees the development and management of NRMNet.net; The Professional Development Core (PDC) at the University of Minnesota, which disseminates transformative, high-impact professional development programs including a series of grant writing programs designed to help researchers currently planning or working on a grant proposal develop professional skills to master grant proposal basics and accelerate success in obtaining grant funding; and The Research Resources and Outreach Core (RROC) at the Morehouse School of Medicine, which leverages existing Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) research infrastructure to address needs in mentorship training and support the entry of new scholars across NIMHD funded RCMI institutions.

Thus NRMN opens the doors of the Invisible College not for the select few, but for all.

Transitioning from Career Minimums to Maximums: A Multiple Mentor Model

The “Secret Recipe” for a Mentoring Community Supporting Biomedical Research

Access to the Invisible College for Individuals with Disabilities

NRMN Kicks Off Southeast Training Hub (SETH) at Morehouse School of Medicine: May 10-12, 2017

Opening the Doors to the Invisible College

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