Science and storytelling: UCLA women leaders speak out

With the challenges we face daily - from traffic jams and busy schedules to massive misinformation and funding interruptions to science - resilience is key. But achieving it can sometimes seem impossible.

So where can we find inspiration?

"I'm a biologist - and a nerd - so I look to stories in biology," said Tracy Johnson, dean of UCLA Life Sciences. "I think fungi is a good place to start."

She opened the inaugural installment of the event series "Breaking Barriers: Conversations on Leading Change in Science, Advocacy and Storytelling" by discussing a thought-provoking study from Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard, who argued that underground networks of fungi help trees communicate to share information and resources needed by both individual organisms and the forest as a whole.

"I think about that as an example of what it's going to take, in science and in a variety of spaces, to move through this moment," Johnson said. "We need to be connected in order to provide the level of resilience."

Centering Black women leaders and bringing together guests from across multiple communities and professional sectors, the series is the brainchild of entrepreneur, activist and Bruin alumna Bridgid Coulter Cheadle. Hosted at her Blackbird Collective Flagship locationin Culver City on Sept. 25, this first installment featured a panel discussion with Cheadle, Johnson and Gina Poe, director of the UCLA Brain Research Institute.

"That connectivity - that feeling - is why I wanted to launch this larger conversation and all the smaller ones it inspires," said Coulter Cheadle. "Storytelling shifts culture, worlds and minds, so how can we as individuals and as a community use it to advance science and empower one another?"

The discussion covered many points, from the importance of diversity to scientific progress (as demonstrated by the work of Stephanie Correa, a UCLA associate professor of integrative biology and physiology who broke neuroscientific ground by studying the brains of female mice instead of the typical male models), to the way empathy is a crucial tool in both the artistic and scientific process and can be strengthened.

The panelists agreed that it's vital for everyone to realize that "science" is not something performed behind closed doors by a select few for esoteric purposes, but an innate, actively practiced human trait that benefits us all, every day, in numerous ways.

"Every single one of us is a lifelong scientist whether we know it or not: Think about a baby learning to walk or dropping a toy repeatedly to see what happens," said Poe. "It's so important that we appreciate science as one of our greatest tools and instead of following easy answers unthinkingly, we continually exercise our power to question, observe, test and experiment."

During the Q&A with panelists, audience members shared their own perspectives on a variety of topics, including the neurological impact of the additional psychological and physiological stress shouldered by women of color, the ways generational trauma can impact brain development, and how to combat the growing sense of widespread distrust in universities and colleges.

"What's being done to higher education breaks my heart; I'm deeply saddened. That's why hearing the three of you share so much wisdom and inspiration is such a gift. You're reminding all of us to keep that light moving forward ," said Paco Retana, who earned two degrees at UCLA and is president of the UCLA Alumni Association. "Listening to all the amazing energyin this room makes me reflect on how I can contribute and make a difference."

Acknowledging that the road forward would not be easy, Johnson closed by emphasizing how much power scientists - and everyone - have to advocate for their work and the mission of higher education by speaking up and speaking out.

"Ninety-nine percent of FDA-approved drugs come from federally funded research at universities - including and especially UCLA - so anyone who has a loved one with cancer in remission, anyone whose child has received lifesaving treatment, has an important story to share," she said. "There's a lot more public interest in evidence and data than we might think; we just need to be out there in conversation sharing them and telling our stories."

Ultimately, the panelists concluded that embracing proactive storytelling and scientific activism can build community - and resilience.

"Fear and inspiration are both powerful motivators, but fear's the cheap way out. Inspiration ain't cheap: You have to breathe it, walk it, be it," Coulter Cheadle said. "But the more we lean into that - and on one another - the easier it gets. Each of us is an influencer in our world, so let's all commit to making the inspiring, beautiful things go viral."