Here at the BNA, we undertake a wide range of activities to support and promote neuroscience and neuroscientists in many ways. This section of our website ‘Anti-racist neuroscience: Tools and resources’ is specifically aimed at tackling racial discrimination and helping to promote racial justice, on both systemic and individual levels, across the neuroscience sector.
Our use of the term ‘anti-racist’ refers to any steps that actively work against racism and confront it in its tracks. This can be done in many ways. It includes deliberate actions to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), work to decolonise and expand understanding of our history and legacy, and by working on policies and practices to eradicate inequalities and systemic racism within all aspects of neuroscience. Our use of this term does not imply that neuroscientists are racist, but that racism is currently present in the society and systems in which UK neuroscience takes place.
What are we at the BNA doing for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion?
Key underrepresented neuroscientists throughout history.
Tools and Resources that can be used for teaching aids and further research.
This informal networking group is for anyone who is interested in improving EDI in neuroscience.
Different pathways available to choose from to help improve equality, diversity and inclusion in neuroscience.
A list of the supporters who have made this page and the scholars programme possible.
We also want to increase awareness of the impact of Intersectionality. Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how a combination of aspects of a person's social, political, racial, and religious identities create different modes of discrimination and privilege.(See here for the BNA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy).
Creating and curating the pages here came about from a direct ‘ask’ of the neuroscience community for resources to decolonise and improve EDI in neuroscience. We hope that the content you find here will do just that and help equip neuroscientists with the tools to make neuroscience anti-racist.
However, we would like to emphasise that the pages here are just a starting point. Please accept our apologies for any oversights or missing information. We would welcome your suggestions for additional resources, individuals or issues which should be highlighted: please do contact us at office@bna.org.uk.
We would also like to take the chance to thank those who have put these resources together: first and foremost, Emily Herrod (BNA Placement student 2021), as well as Drs Emily Sena, Rebecca Trueman, Anne Cooke and Hannah Thurgur.
