VDL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Declaration
The Vascular Dynamics Lab at McMaster University recognizes the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts within our lab group and in welcoming and promoting members of black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) and other underrepresented communities in our research endeavours and collaborations. We value the perspectives and experiences of diverse current, former, and future members and collaborators of the VDL. We continue to endeavour to create an environment of inclusion: where all members are respected, treated fairly, have access to opportunities and experiences, and feel supported in sharing feedback. Diversity drives innovation, and so our lab recognizes that EDI efforts require consistent and active engagement from all members of our lab. We are committed to this central value and invite members of the BIPOC and underrepresented groups to engage with us in this endeavour. In addition, we value Indigenous practices of knowledge and encourage a willingness to learn from and engage with Indigenous Knowledge alongside traditional Western ideology.
In line with the McMaster University Equity and Inclusion Office’s “Guiding Principles for Best Practice”, we aim to ensure our work is culturally relevant and community owned, recognizing the institutional barriers equity-seeking groups face. We also endeavour to be collectively responsible to critically analyzing our role in supporting BIPOC individuals and will pursue frequent collaborative evaluations of our work. Finally, as part of McMaster University’s Kinesiology department, we will coordinate collaborative efforts both within and outside of our department, McMaster University, and the broader community to advance this mission. Furthermore, we endeavour to build “an anti-racist lab” according to the guidelines set out by scholars in our field: Chaudhary & Berhe’s “Ten simple rules for building an anti-racist lab” (in review: PLOS Computational Biology).
VDL Ongoing Action Plan:
The following section of our website details our plan for growing in our EDI efforts, in accordance with these 10 rules. Click on the following rules to see more details about what our lab is doing.
