(Press-News.org)
A trio of biomedical scientists at the University of California and University of Massachusetts have written a research-backed defense of DEI programs that was published today in the journal Nature Cell Biology. They assert that such programs broaden participation in and democratize science—ultimately producing more effective and supportive training environments for all scientists.
To support their case, they cite research that rooted the National Institutes of Health's previous stance in support of diversity—before it was reversed (but can still be found online). "Data shows that expansion of those who participate in academic science produces better science that has a wider impact," they write. "Demographic diversity produces greater novelty, links concepts in new combinations and results in studies with higher impact and more citations."
They conclude that broadening participation "creates a wider and more relevant array of scientific research questions and approaches, and results in more innovative science and technologies that benefit all people. Going backwards to a time when only certain demographic groups could or were able to participate in science ... promises to be a disaster for our multi-dimensional democracy and the global community, and will stall the progress of science and innovation that shapes our future."
The lead author of the commentary, "Scaling back DEI programs and the loss of scientific talent," is Needhi Bhalla, professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology at UC Santa Cruz. Her co-authors are professors JoAnn Trejo at UC San Diego and Mary Munson at UMass.
END
Research-backed defense of DEI programs published today
2025-10-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
From sewage to super soil: Dual breakthrough in phosphorus recycling unveiled by Chinese research teams
2025-10-23
What if the key to feeding the world didn’t come from a factory, but from a wastewater treatment plant?
In a groundbreaking leap for sustainable agriculture, two leading Chinese research teams have turned one of the most overlooked waste streams, sewage sludge, into a powerful new resource for farming. Not just fertilizer, but precision-engineered fertilizer.
Published on September 17, 2025, in the open-access journal Carbon Research, this innovative study reveals how modified hydrochar, a carbon-rich material made from treated sewage sludge, can ...
Sustainable use of woody biochar boosts soil carbon and crop yields in pepper fields
2025-10-23
Applying woody biochar to farmland could help farmers grow healthier crops while locking more carbon into the soil, according to a new study published in Biochar. Researchers from Suncheon National University found that carefully managed applications of biochar significantly improved soil quality, crop yield, and carbon balance in red pepper fields over two growing seasons.
Biochar is a carbon-rich material made by heating plant matter under low-oxygen conditions. When added to soil, it can store carbon for long periods and enhance soil fertility. However, the ideal amount of biochar for sustaining both crop production and carbon storage has remained unclear.
To address this gap, the team ...
Smart hormone technologies could help sugarcane survive droughts and floods
2025-10-23
As climate extremes become more frequent, sugarcane growers face a double challenge: droughts that parch their crops and floods that drown them. A new review highlights how applying plant hormones from outside the plant, rather than waiting for natural processes—can strengthen sugarcane’s ability to cope with both too little and too much water.
The study, published in Agricultural Ecology and Environment, examines how exogenous phytohormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GA), and auxins can improve sugarcane’s drought and waterlogging tolerance. These tiny signaling ...
Updated CPR guidelines released for pediatric and neonatal emergency care and resuscitation
2025-10-23
DALLAS and ITASCA, IL, Oct. 23, 2025 — The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association (the Association), a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, have published updated guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care for newborn and pediatric populations.
The “2025 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care” mark a comprehensive update to the guidelines for pediatric basic and advanced life support and neonatal resuscitation since 2020. Experts from each ...
Psilocybin plus mindfulness shows promise for healthcare worker depression
2025-10-23
Frontline healthcare workers struggling with depression after the COVID-19 pandemic experienced significant relief from a treatment combining psilocybin group therapy with mindfulness training, according to a new study from Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health. Doctors and nurses who received this controlled, group psilocybin therapy along with an eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program saw far greater improvements than those who only learned mindfulness techniques.
"Depression and burnout have long been serious problems for healthcare workers. When the pandemic only worsened these effects, ...
New study documents functional extinction of two critically endangered coral species following record heatwave in Florida
2025-10-23
A new research paper published in Science reports the functional extinction of Acropora corals from Florida’s Coral Reef. Scientists documented catastrophic mortality of these critically endangered corals following a record-setting marine heatwave in 2023 that marked the ninth mass bleaching event for the region. Both Acropora coral species — staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) — are important reef-builders in Florida and the Caribbean and have been a major focus of recent coral restoration efforts.
Led by the National Oceanic ...
UC Irvine researchers find new Alzheimer’s mechanism linked to brain inflammation
2025-10-23
Irvine, Calif., Oct. 23, 2025 — Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have uncovered an unexpected molecular partnership that reshapes scientists’ understanding of how brain inflammation arises in Alzheimer’s disease.
In a study published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists led by assistant researcher Ruiming Zhao and Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs at UC Irvine, discovered that amyloid precursor proteins – best known as the source of amyloid-beta ...
Ancient stone tools trace Paleolithic Pacific migration
2025-10-23
CORVALLIS, Ore – A new analysis of stone tools offers strong evidence for the theory that ancient people from the Pacific Rim traveled a coastal route from East Asia during the last ice age to become North America’s First Peoples, according to a paper published this week in the journal Science Advances.
“This study puts the First Americans back into the global story of the Paleolithic – not as outliers – but as participants in a shared technological legacy,” said Loren Davis, professor of anthropology at Oregon ...
New ‘molecular dam’ stops energy leaks in nanocrystals
2025-10-23
A collaborative team of scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of California Irvine, and Fort Lewis College, led by RASEI Fellow Gordana Dukovic, has found a way to slow energy leaks that have impeded the use of tiny nanocrystals in light-driven chemical and energy applications. As described in a new article published October 13 in the journal Chem, the team has used a molecule that strongly binds to the nanocrystal’s surface, essentially acting like a ‘dam’ to hold back the energy stored in the charge-separated state formed after light absorption. This technique extends the lifetime of the charge separation ...
Hidden toxins in e-cigarette fluids may harm lung cells
2025-10-23
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A study by University of California, Riverside, scientists has found that two toxic chemicals can form when the main ingredient in most e-cigarette fluids is heated, and that these compounds can harm human lung cells.
The researchers characterized the toxicity of methylglyoxal and acetaldehyde, both known toxins that can be generated during the heating of vaping liquids containing propylene glycol. While these chemicals are already recognized as harmful in other settings, their impact during vaping has not been well understood until now.
Using lab-grown human airway ...