Diversity and Inclusion

The Jain lab strongly believes that diverse teams produce better results than teams that are not. We are committed to fostering a diverse and positive lab environment.  To this end, we aim to (1) embrace and celebrate diversity in all its forms through intentional recruitment and retention (2) actively listen to and understand the needs and interests of individuals (3) push against the status quo by identifying and correcting our own biases and challenging biased, racist, sexist, and xenophobic behaviors in the moment (4) contribute towards a better future by increasing diversity in citations, invited speakers, and collaborations and participating in DEI initiatives.

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STEM activities for children

Nitya is passionate about STEM learning and outreach, and actively participates in promoting access and education for budding scientists.  She has communicated scientific concepts to students spanning a wide age range- from elementary school kids in her local public schools, to high school students and undergraduates who intern in her research lab, to graduate students and fellows that she trains in her role as Principal Investigator of her research laboratory. In her words, ‘The importance of hands-on learning at any of these stages cannot be emphasized enough. The little ones with their shorter attention spans love the idea of doing an ‘experiment’ by themselves (taking something back home to show their family is a definite plus and keeps them engaged longer). The older kids get a taste of what biomedical research actually entails- the grind of working at the bench combined with the absolute joy of creating knowledge. That moment (however far between) when you discover something new is pretty heady and can hook them to a lifelong love of science.’

1) Cambridge Science Festival 2018: Meet Your Microbes

2) Cambridge Science Festival 2019: A Recipe for Poop

3) #STEM in the Time of COVID-19: Fun Scientist-Approved Experiments for Kids

4) #STEM in the Time of COVID-19: More Scientist-Approved Experiments for Kids

5) #STEM in the Time of COVID-19: Science Experiments for Kids