ECS Weekly: Redefining "normal" language; register for a seminar with Ofer Rog, Early Career Medal winner; submit an abstract for BREWMOR's AI seminar

This week’s newsletter challenges us to redefine what it means to be “normal,” and it was written by Karen Hales of the GSA Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Characterizing gene function often involves comparing “wild type” to “mutant” phenotypes, using terms such as “defect,” “disorder,” and “abnormal.” Such language may seem unremarkable to some. However, for those with disabilities and/or differences related to gender and sexuality, the emphasis on “normality” can be alienating, particularly when the genes in question relate to human traits. Retaining people of diverse identities in science merits reconsideration of such language frameworks.

In many works, Disability Studies scholar Lennard Davis recounts the rise of the idea of “normality” or “normalcy” in the 19th century, intertwined with the emerging fields of statistics and eugenics. Normality is seen as desirable, and conceptions of abnormality have come to signify—metaphorically in some cases (as in literature and film)—degrees of negativity, from ineptness to evil. All of us who have been teenagers have likely felt pressure to be normal, with social media exacerbating such effects.

I tell students I use the word “normal” only in reference to entire populations. Because of mutation rates, chromosomal dynamics, epigenetics, inheritance patterns, and other phenomena, a normal population includes a wide range of phenotypic outcomes, including rare traits at the ends of any spectrum. Thus, anyone inhabiting a body of any phenotype is normal as part of a normal population.

We need effective language to communicate research and teach science. More neutral wording in contexts that connect to human differences may reduce perceived “othering”:

“Typical” and “atypical” seem number-based and objective, as opposed to implied value judgments of “normal” and “abnormal.”
“Variation” is a useful equalizing term since a wild type allele is one of many variants.
While “disorder” may be apt in reference to some conditions, views diverge on its relevance to different ways of being with strong cultural connotations, such as autism and deafness.

In which contexts do these shifts matter? In the classroom, inclusive language frameworks may help students of many identities feel seen, increasing the likelihood of pursuing careers in genetics and/or science education. In research contexts, the “we” of the scientific community includes colleagues with visible and invisible disabilities who are in the lab, reading journals, and attending conferences. Deliberate efforts to reduce the subtle microaggressions in old-fashioned language frameworks could boost belonging and retention, leading to a more robust and diverse biomedical workforce.

GSA Early Career Leadership Program Resources

NEW! Hear from the recipient of the new GSA Early Career Medal, Ofer Rog, in a seminar on July 11, 2024. Rog will discuss two unpublished stories from his lab: the first documenting the unexpected de-mixing of sister chromatids during meiotic prophase and the mechanisms that mediate it; and the second describing a new genomic technique his lab developed to characterize large-scale chromatin organization and its application to meiotic chromosomes. Register today!

Deadline extended! The GSA Journals are calling for papers on the opportunities and challenges for genomic data analyses in biobanks. This series will highlight theoretical, analytical, and computational advances addressing these challenges and leveraging these opportunities. Submissions are due June 30, 2024 to be considered for the launch block of papers.

#Dros25 is happening March 19–23, 2025 in sunny San Diego, CA! Visit the website more information about attending the conference.

Register today for the International Seminar Series with Mónica Sans on June 24, 2024 at 4 p.m. EDT. Sans will speak about her research on genetics and molecular studies in past and present human populations from Latin America and more specifically, Uruguay, national and regional identities and their relationship with ancestry, structured populations and inequalities, and complex diseases and their relationships with different ancestries.

Research Associate | Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center | Davis, CA

Assistant Professor | Department of Family Medicine, University of Chicago | Chicago, IL

Research Faculty | Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA

Assistant Professor | Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX

Assistant Professor | Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX

Assistant Professor | Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX

Senior Scientist | Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, Scripps Research | San Diego, CA

Research Technician | Bordenstein Lab, Pennsylvania State University | State College, PA

Postdoctoral Fellow | Dai Lab, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine | St. Louis, MO

Postdoctoral Fellow | Garrido-Oter Group, Earlham Institute | Norwich, United Kingdom

Postdoctoral Fellow | Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow | Reinke Lab, University of Toronto | Toronto, Canada

Postdoctoral Fellow | Auerbach Lab, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Urbana, Illinois

Is your lab hiring? GSA members qualify for a discounted rate to post job openings and can post student and postdoc positions at no cost on the GSA Job Board!

NEW! BREWMOR is holding a workshop titled “AI: Friend or Foe? How to work with AI in the classroom.” If you have experience with using AI in the classroom, BREWMOR encourages you to submit an abstract to be considered for a talk. The deadline to submit is Friday, June 21.

NEW! Check out the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship to enhance your advocacy and science communication skills while networking with science policy experts! Applications due by July 15. Visit the link to learn more and apply now!

The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism awards are accepting entries for the best science journalism between July 16, 2023 and July 15, 2024. The deadline to enter is August 1, 2024. Learn more at their website.

The Genome Informatics 2024 meeting will be held at the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge, United Kingdom. Abstracts are due by September 10, 2024. For more information, visit the website.

Abstract submission is open for the Midwest Society for Developmental Biology meeting. The deadline to submit is June 30, 2024. The meeting will take place in Madison, WI in August.

Comparative Developmental Biology is an intensive two-week laboratory course for graduate students in year two of their studies or beyond and post-docs, who seek a broad training in experimental approaches to developmental questions across diverse study organisms. Applications are due June 21, 2024.

Current professional development and training opportunities

NEW! Check out exciting opportunities at the Van Andel Institute for postdoctoral research training including programs like the Postdoc Preview, Cancer Epigenetics Training Program, and the Inspire Fellowship Program. Visit the links to learn more about each program and find out about the application deadlines.

The Stowers Institute is hosting this year's EMBO Laboratory Leadership for Group Leaders course. The four-day course is for current and future PI's, lab managers, and other group leaders, and it introduces key, yet simple, leadership concepts and provides hands-on experience in the form of role-play and discussion groups. Learn more at their website.

Check out The Postdoc Academy, a comprehensive online and in-person program extending from the National Postdoctoral Association. The program aims to support postdoctoral fellows through career and research development.

Join the virtual ASAPbio July community call on “Research Integrity, Trust Markers, and Forensic Scientometrics.” Specifically, the call will discuss the implications of AI in research. Sign up now to join the discussion on July 17 at 12 p.m. EDT.

Check out The Trainee Podcast, a course from iBiology that includes seven podcast episodes highlighting important discussion topics relevant to all aspects of life as a trainee. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to make the most of their training experience.