AAAS: Call for Scientific Community to Increase Diversity and Inclusivity in Medical Research
Scientists describe the critical worldwide need to improve the diversity of cells used in medical research. Currently, 95% of all human cell lines used in research are of European descent. The authors provide actionable steps that researchers and the biomedical community can take to promote more inclusivity in preclinical and basic science research. 

AMA: Feds warned that algorithms can introduce bias to clinical decisions
Clinical algorithms can help guide clinical decision-making, but—if not developed accurately—they also carry the potential to introduce bias and racism that can threaten health and perpetuate inequities already experienced by historically marginalized communities.

Amgen: The Power of Affinity
The Amgen Foundation recently awarded a $250,000 grant to support Stop AAPI Hate, a reporting and resource center which is fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit organization Chinese for Affirmative Action. This center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

Bedford Group/TRANSEARCH Publishes First Annual 2021 Executive Compensation Report Covering the Biotechnology Industry
Key findings include: 52.2% of the corporations that had both male and female board director representation, paid male directors more than their female counterparts; 14.2% of the board members analyzed were female (this is significantly lower than the estimated 20% female board member representation seen in North American public companies more broadly; NEOs who were members of visible minority groups observed lower levels of total compensation across most market cap tiers. 

Biocom California: Leading on DE&I
Perhaps at no time in history have more people, policy makers and the general public alike, been more aware of the industry’s contributions to society and the economy. The life science industry has delivered life-saving devices, tests and therapeutics in months. That battle is not over, but people finally can see a finish line, and see the industry in a whole new light.

Biocom California: Life Science Field Needs More Diversity
While Hispanic and Latinx residents make up 33 percent of the county’s population, they represent just 16 percent of the life sciences and biotech workforce. And while Black residents make up 6 percent of the county’s population, they represent just 3 percent of the industry’s workers. As a community that prides itself on a culture of scientific innovation and premier biomedical research, we must be better.

Biocom California’s DE&I Task Force: We Must Act Now to Create Change
In June of 2020, a diverse group of industry leaders gathered to discuss the racial reckoning and advance progress around two primary questions, what CAN we do and what SHOULD we do?

Biocom California’s New Partnership with MESH/diversity to Offer Tailored DEI Program for Members
Biocom California is proud to announce we are partnering with MESH/diversity to provide access to a comprehensive DEI program tailored for our member organizations.

BIO 2nd Annual Report on Measuring Diversity in the Biotech Industry 
This report builds on the past three years of work by BIO’s Workforce Development, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, including the launch of the Right Mix Matters campaign in 2019. BIO is committed to providing practical tools to help the industry assemble boards and leadership teams as diverse as the customers and patients it serves. The overarching objective is to advance an even more globally competitive biotech industry.

BioSpace: Promoting Diversity & Inclusion Through an Ethos of Cultural and Emotional Intelligence
Despite a historic push for greater diversity and inclusion (D&I), a significant disconnect prevails between good intentions and actual lived experiences. The root of the dilemma appears to reside in the gaps and unconscious biases that lie hidden below the surface – and life sciences leaders are working hard to find an answer

BMS: Global Diversity and Inclusion Report
Our first in a series of updates about our commitment to addressing diversity, gives an overview of the strategic approach and progress we have made towards becoming a diverse and inclusive company. Throughout this report you will read stories that bring to life our efforts to create a culture that invites employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Ultimately, Bristol Myers Squibb could not have achieved progress without our workforce.

CNBC Workforce Wire: Majority of Employees Want to Work for a Company that Values DEI
Workers who are satisfied with their company’s efforts on [DEI] issues are actually happier with their jobs. They are more likely than others to say that they have good opportunities to advance their careers, and they are more likely to feel like they are paid well for the work they do. As companies position themselves for growth in the wake of the pandemic, they need the very qualities that define D&I cultures—innovation and resilience.

Fierce Biotech: ‘Only 13 Calls to Make’: Exec Search Firm Q&A on Diversity in the Biotech C-Suite
If you’re paying attention even a little bit to the diversity of the biotech C-suite, it’s easy to see that there are few women or visible minorities at the top. But just how bad is the situation? 

Genetech: Diversity and Inclusion Report
Embracing the increasingly diverse world around us is core to our business strategy. We believe in diversity of backgrounds and perspectives — including race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, veteran, and accessible communities — uniting us behind a common purpose and drawing on the strength of that diversity to drive better science and health outcomes.

Harvard Business Review: To Dismantle Anti-Asian Racism, We Must Understand Its Roots
In order to meet this moment and make good on the promise of corporate social justice, we need to fully understand the under-written histories of anti-Asian racism and the Asian American identity. Recognize that while there is always more to learn, understanding at least some of the complexity behind this issue will help you meaningfully take action.

ICYMI: Biocom California’s Inaugural DE&I Leadership Summit
Biocom California hosted the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Leadership Summit, a virtual event to further ignite action around DE&I in California’s life sciences industry, on Thursday, August 26.

Illumina 2021 Interns Give Back While Developing Their Skills
We know top talent expect companies to be good corporate citizens. At Illumina, they engage employees to offer connections to a purpose-driven mission and culture of giving back..

Pfizer Commits to Bridging the Diversity Gap in Clinical Trials
The COVID-19 epidemic highlighted the disproportionate way the virus impacted minority communities across the U.S., increasing the calls for racial and ethnic diversity in clinical studies. Some studies have shown that medications that treat a broad population of patients are less effective in minorities. Pfizer took a clinical trial enrollment snapshot of participants between 2011 and 2020 to establish a diversity baseline. It includes 213 trials with 103,103 participants from the United States.

Royal Society of Chemistry: It’s Time to Stop Excluding Disabled Scientists 
Disabled chemists face a wide variety of barriers to full and equal participation – for example, inaccessible buildings, non-adjustable lab benches, or conferences without captions. Or they can be as complex as a competitive chemistry culture that still values long working hours, leaving little space for those who need to work flexibly and pace themselves. Building a chemistry community where disabled scientists can thrive is a collective responsibility and we all have to play an active part. 

Nature Biotechnology, The Next 25 Years
Biological technology has the potential to alter many aspects of human life, and it will transform them in ways we cannot imagine. But the ways we deploy biotech must change, too. Thus far, it has been a largely elitist enterprise, serving niche markets in rich nations. If biotech is not to be just another source of inequity in our world, it must redefine itself. That means focused, collective efforts to address the needs of patients and consumers—and of the planet.

STEMconnector: The State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in STEM 2021
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the US economy alone will see an additional 10.7 million STEM jobs by 2029. Historically, STEM has been dominated by white males from high income backgrounds. As explored in the State of STEM, there is no single STEM talent gap, but rather five nuanced gaps – the Fundamental Skills Gap, the Belief Gap, the Postsecondary Education Gap, the Geographic Gap, and the Demographic Gap. However, all five gaps share a common thread – that some do not have access to the same education, resources, mentors, or opportunities as others.  

Sutro Biopharma: The Long Run Mentality for Diversity and Inclusion in Biotech (appearing in the Timmerman Report)
There is no simple fix that will end systemic racism. Its roots run deep and are pervasive. Even when we believe we have made progress, back sliding happens too easily and too rapidly. We need to acknowledge that being antiracist is to be on a long run and there will always be more to do. That may seem daunting and occasionally, discouraging. Even so, our industry’s long run mentality will serve us well as we strive for equality.