Ways to Confront Racism in Neuroscience

         Dr. Caitlyn Hudac stresses the importance of community-based neuroscience, and works to explore some of the ways that neuroscientists can better work to support the communities they study. In a 2022 study on the effects of concussions on frustration, Dr. Hudac describes adapting techniques for “typical” EEG nets for Black participants. This was done as Black people have been excluded from EEG studies due to claims that their hair will interfere with the EEG net. In her work, Dr. Hudac confronts this claim, through using traditional EEG nets with Black participants (taking careful note of the net placement, in case settling the net causes the electrodes to shift), and being able to find usable results. Through this research, not only is Dr. Hudac able to help correct a gap in the literature, but also she shows how machines that have been exclusionary can be adapted to be more inclusive.

Another publication that discusses the variety of ways neuroscience excludes Black participants is the article “Neuroscience has to grapple with a long history of racism if it wants to move into the future” by Dr. De-Shaine Murray. This article highlights the variety of ways systematic racism has affected the field of neuroscience, and some of the ways in which we can work together as a field in order to move forward. Dr. Murray discusses the way in which Black participants have been excluded from EEG studies, as well as the fact that fNIRS machines were not made for people with melanated skin, leading to confounding effects in the data. Additionally, Dr. Murray discusses some of the different ways in which systemic racism affects treatment outcomes in Black patients: differing treatment between Black and white autistic patients, higher rates of ALS, glioblastoma, Alzheimer’s and dementia, and stroke among Black populations. 

However, Dr. Murray discusses some of the ways in which we can confront systemic racism in neuroscience and work towards a brighter future. Dr. Murray co-founded the nonprofit group Black in Neuro in 2020 in order to confront some of these assumptions and support other Black researchers. Furthermore, Dr. Murray highlights some of the current statistics for Black professionals in neuroscience fields, and stresses the importance of further representation within the field. Both Dr. Murray and Dr. Hudac are able to help confront systemic issues within the field through spreading awareness and working in order to undo structural barriers. 

References: 

Hudac, C. M., Wallace, J. S., Ward, V. R., Friedman, N. R., Delfin, D., & Newman, S. D. (2022). Dynamic cognitive inhibition in the context of frustration: Increasing racial representation of adolescent athletes using mobile community-engaged EEG methods. Frontiers in Neurology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.918075 

Murray, D.-S. (2023, November 28). Neuroscience has to grapple with a long legacy of racism if it wants to move into the future. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2023/11/29/racism-in-neuroscience-brain-computer-interfaces-neurotechnology-research/