Prof. Erin Schuman
Erin Schuman is the Director of the Department of Synaptic Plasticity at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. She has made seminal discoveries in how synaptic plasticity requires local synthesis of new proteins in neuronal dendrites.
With this Diversity prize, The ALBA Network and the The FENS-Kavli Scholars wish to highlight a scientist or group that has made outstanding contributions to promoting equality and diversity in brain sciences.
Prof. Schuman was awarded the ALBA-FKNE Diversity Prize 2020 for her exceptional accomplishments in promoting gender equality in neuroscience. Among them, ALBA and FKNE would like to highlight the following:
- she helps reduce the burden of child care, that often falls more heavily on women. While working at Caltech, she was a pioneer in implementing the policy to automatically extend tenure clocks for parents - a policy which is now widespread. When taking on her position at the Max Planck Institute, she pushed for the creation of a child care facility.
- she fights subconscious gender bias by pushing for gender balance in recruitment, committees, evaluation, speakers at meetings, etc.
- she acts as a role model by inspiring young female neuroscientists to pursue their ambitions through mentoring and participating in panel discussions.
The ALBA-FKNE Diversity Prize Selection Committee would like to congratulate Prof. Schuman for being such an inspiration and encourage her to continue her efforts.
More information on ALBA-FKNE Diversity Prize here.
