Biophysical Society Bulletin | June 2021

Communities

Picture a Scientist During Biophysics Week 2021, the Biophysical Society hosted a screening of the documentary Picture a Scientist , a power- ful statement on gender-based harassment experienced by women in STEM fields, including at the intersection of gender and race. The Professional Opportunities for Women Committee (CPOW) organized a panel of biophysicists to explore what we all learned from the movie as well as positive steps we can all take to make science and biophysics more diverse, inclusive, and equitable. Panelists Enrique De La Cruz studies actin cytoskeleton, molecular motor proteins, and nucleotide signaling enzymes. He is Department Chair of the Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Department at Yale University. Miriam Goodman is a sensory physiologist seeking to understand how we feel. She is Department Chair of the Molecular and Cellular Physiology Department at Stanford University. Theanne Griffith is a sensory neuroscientist, tackling how the nervous system transmits thermal sensations. She is an Assistant Professor at University of California Davis. She is also a children’s book author. Giulia Palermo is a computational biophysicist with expertise in molecular simulations. She is an Assistant Professor at University of California, Riverside. I moderated the discussion and first asked the panelists and the audience to provide a one-word reaction to the movie. Those words make up the word cloud in Figure 1, showing a broad range of reactions. This range beautifully describes the movie. From the frustration and horror of seeing how women and minorities were treated, to validating one’s own feelings and experiences, to inspiring and hoping for the change each of us can bring about.

The panel then discussed what new concepts they’d learned, such as those presented in the iceberg infographic developed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medi- cine report on Sexual Harassment of Women in STEM (Figure 2). The iceberg helps us visualize how the majority of harass- ment is below the surface of public consciousness yet is still incredibly detrimental. Being able to identify the problem is a necessary step before solving it. We discussed what a few of these below-the-surface problems look like. Griffith said her experiences come at the intersection of being a woman and Black. In one instance, she described being identified as support staff instead of as a scientist during training sessions. This type of unconscious behavior, while subtle and likely not malicious, leads to feelings of not belonging to the group and can lead to self-doubt. Goodman mentioned still being asked whose lab she worked in, after having run her own lab for decades and being Department Chair. Male colleagues responded by saying she should be flattered because the questioner thought she looked young. However, as De La Cruz responded, that is possibly the worst answer you could give! That response shows a lack of understanding of how those types of slights, called microaggressions, impact your fellow scientists. I next asked our panelists for advice for bystanders. What can we do if we see a situation unfolding or hear about one after the fact? Palermo indicated that many such events should be reported to the Title IX office on campus. Faculty are required to go to trainings that delineate what is reportable. Power differentials are important to keep in mind as well. On a day-to-day level, Goodman suggested a distract and delay tactic rather than a direct approach to an unfolding situation. The distraction gives you the opportunity to confer with the person on the receiving end of the harassment to see how they would prefer you contribute to the situation. As Griffith mentioned, it’s best not to jump in right away and take away someone else’s voice. They might have the situation under control. Everyone discussed being prepared for such situa- tions. Having a few premeditated actions or words can help you avoid freezing in the moment. For example, if someone makes an off-color joke, as a leader, you can step in and say something like “we don’t say things like that here.” Focus on the action rather than the person. Continuing with the theme of making a positive change, we next discussed what steps each of the panelists are taking in their own lives and careers in response to the movie. Palermo said it was important to act as a role model, with your lab and your colleagues. Setting the tone in the lab as the Principal In- vestigator (PI) tells the students and postdocs how to behave. I would expand on that and say that the everyone, not just the PI, is a role model. Griffith brought up privilege. When a male scientist in the movie expressed regret at not realizing blatant abuse had

Figure 1. Word cloud of audience and panelist reactions to the movie.

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