The Diversity in Science Speakers Bureau

Susanne B. Nicholas, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

Susanne B. Nicholas, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.

Dr. Susanne Nicholas was born in Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to the United States to pursue her medical degree. She is a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA and a board certified Nephrologist and Clinical Hypertension Specialist, with a joint appointment in the Division of Nephrology. Dr. Nicholas is passionate about her work in hypertension and chronic kidney disease and uses this as a platform to mentor minority students, fellows and junior faculty. She gives lectures nationally and internationally to students, physicians and other health care providers in basic science and clinical medicine.

John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D.

John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D.

Dr. John Fitzgerald Gates is Principal of Criticality Management Consulting and Executive Director of the Association of Underrepresented Minority Fellows and the Diversity in Science Speakers Bureau. He has served as Associate Dean for Administration and Finance at Harvard College; a member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University; Special Assistant to the President and the Provost and Lecturer of Higher Education at the University of Vermont; and Assistant Provost and Executive Director of Global Operations at New York University. Known as “the voice”, Dr. Gates is celebrated in science diversity as a superlative speaker and conference moderator.

Karen Marie Winkfield, M.D., Ph.D.

Karen Marie Winkfield, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Karen Winkfield, President of the New England Medical Association (NEMA) and a Radiation Oncologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, is an engaging public speaker who effectively delivers lectures and workshops on a variety of topics ranging from basic science to clinical medicine and general career advice. She draws upon her interesting and non-traditional personal story to offer a new perspective to address the complexities minorities face when developing a career in science. Moreover, her passion to eradicate healthcare disparities and workforce inequities is evident in her discourses. She educates the public in community outreach settings, and also provides lectures and presentations to hospital staff, physicians, scientists and administrators. She is an expert at developing materials appropriate to the audience being addressed.

Ricky Darnell Grisson, II, M.D., M.B.A.

Ricky Darnell Grisson, II, M.D., M.B.A.

Dr. Ricky Darnell Grisson, II is a Harvard-trained Pathologist. Dr. Grisson’s academic and speaking subjects include health services research and health policy. He is an astute presenter on methods to improve patient outcomes through the implementation and study of context-appropriate interventions deployed within healthcare organizations. Additionally, Dr. Grisson helps audiences identify diagnostic testing platforms, clinical algorithms and healthcare processes that are most beneficial or effective for their cost.

Alexandria Graves, Ph.D.

Alexandria Graves, Ph.D.

A native of Yanceyville, North Carolina, Dr. Alexandria Graves earned her B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry from Winston-Salem State University, her M.S. in 2000 and Ph.D. in 2003 both from Virginia Tech University in the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences. Dr. Graves speaks to academic and general audiences about how her research improves the quality of life for many communities. She also speaks to students about her personal experiences, her successes, and her failures in a manner to motivate and inspire students to achieve.

Erica Glasper, Ph.D.

Erica Glasper, Ph.D.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Dr. Erica Glasper received her BA in Psychology, with a minor in Biology from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA in 2002. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Psychology in 2004 and a Ph.D. in Psychobiology and Behavioral Neuroscience from The Ohio State University in 2006. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University, Dr. Glasper joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park in the fall of 2011 where she heads the Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology.

Mary Farrow, Ph.D.

Mary Farrow, Ph.D.

Dr. Mary Farrow is a Founding Associate of the Instituto Tecnológico de Química Verde (ITQV), a research institute in Brazil dedicated to developing biological technologies for sustainable chemistry. Dr. Farrow offers technical lectures on existing and emerging tools to engineer microbes and macromolecules for specific applications, in addition to workshops on the critical need for diversity in science, and ways to improve the representation of minorities in technical fields. Dr. Farrow deftly explores similarities and differences between basic science and commercial enterprises, highlighting the ways in which each sector can benefit from the other. She addresses both academic and industry audiences.

Eyitayo Fakunle, Ph.D.

Eyitayo Fakunle, Ph.D.

Dr. Eyitayo Fakunle’s work with Dr. Jeanne Loring led to the generation of the first African (Yoruba ethnicity) induced pluripotent stem cell produced from adult skin biopsy, which resulted in the development of a multi-ethnic cohort of individuals including Caucasians and African Americans. These stem cell models can be used for population based studies to determine the effect of genetic variation on disease susceptibility and adverse drug reactions towards the development of better drugs and vaccines for the developing world. Dr. Fakunle presents on stem cell research and its applications to health disparities, global health and pharmacogenomics.

Donnie Eddins, Ph.D.

Donnie Eddins, Ph.D.

Dr. Donnie Eddins is the first three-time recipient of the UNCF/Merck Science Initiative Fellowship. More recently Dr. Eddins was awarded the prestigious "Ones to Watch" Award from the UNCF, which pays tribute to recent graduates of UNCF member institutions whose careers are marked by both great accomplishment and potential for decades of further excellence. Currently, Dr. Eddins is a Senior Research Biologist in the Behavioral Pharmacology group at Merck & Co., Inc. in West Point, Pennsylvania, where his research focuses on cognition as a bio-marker for preclinical drug discovery.

Kafui Dzirasa, M.D., Ph.D.

Kafui Dzirasa, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Kafui Dzirasa is the first African American to complete a Ph.D. in Neurobiology at Duke University. In 2009, he obtained an M.D. from the Duke University School of Medicine, and was subsequently appointed as an assistant professor and house staff in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Dr. Dzirasa speaks to academic and general audiences about a broad range of topics, including his research, and his life as a practicing physician-scientist, first-generation African American, and neurobiology expert. He possesses a critical insight that is as enlightening as it is compelling.

Mark-Anthony Bray, Ph.D.

Mark-Anthony Bray, Ph.D.

Dr. Mark-Anthony Bray is passionate about what he calls “the inherent beauty in biological images”. He speaks to students and professional researchers about biological image analysis and the significance of cross-disciplinary approaches to mathematics, computer science and software engineering on pressing biomedical research questions. For the benefit of students who are considering science as a career path, Dr. Bray frames his research interests in the context of his larger career choice to be a scientist.

G. Brandon Atkins, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C.

G. Brandon Atkins, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C.

As a physician-scientist, Dr. G. Brandon Atkins understands the critical importance of serving as a role model and mentor to younger minorities with an interest in biomedical research. He shares with audiences the experiences and insights that he has gained from his journey in biomedicine. Dr. Atkins presents his work on the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease to scientific audiences as well as to high school students, undergraduate students, medical students, residents, fellows, and his more clinically-oriented colleagues. Dr. Atkins is committed to engaging minority communities around issues of Minority Cardiovascular Health and Disease.

Alexzander Asea, Ph.D.

Alexzander Asea, Ph.D.

Dr. Alexzander Asea has received numerous honors, awards and grant funding for his studies from the federal government, industry, and private foundations. He currently has 2 patents, over 80 scientific publications, books and reviews in the field of cancer research, and is the editor of the book series Heat Shock Proteins (Springer Publications). Dr. Asea is the Effie and Wofford Cain Centennial Endowed Chair in Clinical Pathology and Chief, Division of Investigative Pathology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine; Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center; and Director, Proteomics Core Facility at Scott & White Healthcare.

Angel S. Byrd

Angel S. Byrd

Ms. Byrd speaks about her life’s journey as an African American woman in science. She shares her successes and disappointments, providing an authentic example of the power to overcome obstacles. Ms. Byrd upends what she believes are misconceptions about students from the South, students who attend HBCUs, and students who have been disadvantaged. With such a dynamic perspective that enjoins science with humanity and faith, Ms. Byrd’s story will inspire minority students to persist in both the scientific endeavor and in life.

Tiffany P. Brown

Tiffany P. Brown

Tiffany P. Brown is the third oldest of 6 children and was raised in a low-income household on the south side of Chicago. She graduated magna cum laude from Chicago State University in 2009 with a B.S. in chemistry and was awarded the President’s Cup for most outstanding graduating senior.…

Featured Speakers

Susanne B. Nicholas, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D.
Karen Marie Winkfield, M.D., Ph.D.
Ricky Darnell Grisson, II, M.D., M.B.A.
Alexandria Graves, Ph.D.
Erica Glasper, Ph.D.
Mary Farrow, Ph.D.
Eyitayo Fakunle, Ph.D.
Donnie Eddins, Ph.D.
Kafui Dzirasa, M.D., Ph.D.
Mark-Anthony Bray, Ph.D.
G. Brandon Atkins, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C.
Alexzander Asea, Ph.D.
Angel S. Byrd
Tiffany P. Brown

The Nation's Pre-Eminent Biomedical Science and STEM Research Diversity Series

An Initiative of the Association of Underrepresented Minority Fellows.
Together, we can change the face of science.

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Read the 2012-2014 Catalogue

Our speakers' contributions to science and personal journeys to success are at once instructive and inspirational. Whether a technical or motivational talk, keynote address, general or subject matter panel, or professional development workshop, we have the right speaker to advance diversity in science.

We invite you to review the profiles of our speakers, and contact us to discuss your needs or to join the Bureau.

Alexzander Asea, Ph.D. Alexzander Asea, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
G. Brandon Atkins, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C. G. Brandon Atkins, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.C.
Physician-Scientist
Mark-Anthony Bray, Ph.D. Mark-Anthony Bray, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Tiffany P. Brown Tiffany P. Brown
Pharmacology Trainee
Angel S. Byrd Angel S. Byrd
M.D./Ph.D. Trainee
Kafui Dzirasa, M.D., Ph.D. Kafui Dzirasa, M.D., Ph.D.
Physician-Scientist
Donnie Eddins, Ph.D. Donnie Eddins, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Damien Fair, Ph.D. Damien Fair, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Eyitayo Fakunle, Ph.D. Eyitayo Fakunle, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Mary Farrow, Ph.D. Mary Farrow, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D. John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D.
Organizational Scientist
Erica Glasper, Ph.D. Erica Glasper, Ph.D.
Behavioral Neuroscientist
Alexandria Graves, Ph.D. Alexandria Graves, Ph.D.
Soil Microbiologist
Ricky Darnell Grisson, II, M.D., M.B.A. Ricky Darnell Grisson, II, M.D., M.B.A.
Physician-Scientist
Emmitt R. Jolly, Ph.D. Emmitt R. Jolly, Ph.D.
Biochemist, Geneticist, Parasitologist
Marcus Jones, Ph.D. Marcus Jones, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Marguerite Matthews Marguerite Matthews
Neuroscience Trainee
Qiana Matthews, Ph.D. Qiana Matthews, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Susanne B. Nicholas, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. Susanne B. Nicholas, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Physician-Scientist
Randi Michelle Smith, B.S., M.S. Randi Michelle Smith, B.S., M.S.
Biochemist
Matthew Walker, III, Ph.D. Matthew Walker, III, Ph.D.
Biotech/Bioengineering
Regina Wilson, Ph.D. Regina Wilson, Ph.D.
Biomedical Scientist
Karen Marie Winkfield, M.D., Ph.D. Karen Marie Winkfield, M.D., Ph.D.
Physician-Scientist
Whether a technical or motivational talk, keynote address, general or subject matter panel, or professional development workshop—the Diversity in Science Speakers Bureau has the right speaker for your event.

With a mission to foster minority attraction to and success in biomedical science and STEM research, the Bureau facilitates interaction between esteemed and inspiring African American scientists and leaders and the next generation of minority scientists.

The Bureau offers special outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions to inspire student persistence and achievement in the scientific endeavor.

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