MSBL Receives NIH Grant to Expand DEIA Mentorship

Clockwise from top right: Ron Kwon, PhD, Arianna Gómez, PhD, Jyoti Rai, MS, Howard Chansky, MD, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Tam’ra-Kay Francis, PhD, and Joyce Tang, MS.

The Musculoskeletal Systems Biology Lab (MSBL), directed by ISCRM faculty member Ron Kwon, has received a $431,765 award from the NIH in recognition of excellence in DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) mentorship.

This mechanism recognizes the crucial role great mentors play in the development of future leaders in the scientific research enterprise.

The grant will allow the MSBL to expand on its current NIH-funded research to better understand genetic risk for osteoporosis, while fostering the career development of a new cohort of postbac and undergraduate trainees. The grant will also formalize a mentor network to support the trainees and develop peer mentoring strategies.

Co-mentors on the award include Tam’ra-Kay Francis, PhD from the Department of Chemistry, Arianna Gómez, PhD, Jyoti Rai, MS, Joyce Tang, MS, from the The Musculoskeletal Systems Biology Lab (MSBL), and Howard Chansky, MD, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. The long-term vision is to create a model that will inform future development of culturally responsive training environments.