Dr. Odette Harris was featured as 1 of 13 women who are considered history makers within our Stanford community that have changed the world for the better. It tells the story of each featured woman and how they have fought for hard-won accomplishments. 

September was Women in Medicine month. Throughout the month, women within our department were highlighted on social media. The Stanford Medicine Children’s Health posted an article that featured our all-women pediatric neurosurgery team. 

The Women Leaders at the VA video was shared by the VHA Chief of Staff on March 2022. The video consists of interviews with women leaders at the Palo Alto VA. Neurosurgery’s Dr. Odette Harris was featured in this video.

On August 19th we hosted a pilot program with the Aspen Institute for all residents. The series focused on addressing belonging, bias, and micro-aggressions, while using the patented Aspen approach. Aspen is hopeful this will then be launched nationally. We are now the 1st in the country to provide this opportunity in neurosurgery. We sent out a survey to all residents to receive feedback. We encouraged all who attended to complete the survey so that we can have an accurate representation of their experience. We are planning another ASPEN workshop in 2023. 

On May 5, 2023, the Departments of Neurosurgery,  Neurology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences hosted the annual Neuroscience Forum at the Center for Academic Medicine. This event is an opportunity for trainees to display their work. The keynote speaker was Dr. Karl Deisseroth, D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering and Psychatriy and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford.  He discussed the inner workings of channelrhodopsins and nervous systems.  There were had 40 poster presentations and 16 oral presentations. Over 100 people attended the event.

BFAM:
Dr. Robert Dodd Participates in the Black Faculty Affinity Meetings (BFAM), a group that meets quarterly to allow for a safe space for Black faculty to engage in timely and purposeful dialogue around critical issues affecting physicians of color and continue to make indelible contributions to the Stanford Medical community and beyond. This group fosters opportunities for career mentoring, research collaboration and collective support to retain Black faculty. 

E-4-C:
Dr. Ciara Harraher is working with the E-4-C Program at the Medical School and the MD/GME Diversity Recruitment Committee. She is supporting the planning of a more formalized recruitment approach for increased URM faculty involvement in the program. 

Social Justice and Health Equity CCAP Subcommittee: 
Neurosurgery faculty selected to participate in this formal subcommittee of the Faculty Senate on the Committee on Curriculum and Academic Policy. 

The President's Black Community Council: 
Neurosurgery faculty to serve on President Marc Tessier-Lavigne's Black Community Council

Neurosurgery Staff JEDI-B:
Staff formed this committee in November 2022. They are currently recruiting members. 

Dr. EJ Chichilnisky runs a program, NeuroTech Trainees that trains engineers and scientists from many disciplines to do research in neuroscience. The program has exceptionally diverse collection of trainees, particularly women in the area of research where women are traditionally underrepresented. 

Dr. Maheen Mausoof Adamson is the new Research Director for Women’s Operational Military Exposure Network, (WOMEN) a new national center that combines a comprehensive clinical care program with cutting edge research to pursue answers to military exposure effects on women who served. This center is under War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) located at VAPAHCS and will work closely with Rehabilitation Service to enhance, educate and promote Women Veterans Health by providing clinical services, studying possibilities with proven research techniques and disseminating findings to scientific and Veteran communities. 

The Department of Neurosurgery is participating in a School of Medicine initiative that pairs students from Historically Black Medical Schools with clinical and research opportunities at Stanford. Additionally, these visiting scholars will have specified mentorship based on their interests, along with access to Stanford resources such as panels and lectures. Department and faculty will also be participating in the HBCU Bi-directional Faculty Fellows program led by Dr. Hannah Valantine. Ongoing meetings. 

AANS Diversity Task Force led by Dr. Aviva Abosch was transitioned to a formal AANS committee. This is a clear reflection of the AANS Board’s staunch belief of on-going work, and its strategic alignment with the mission of the AANS.

February 2022, a Diversity webpage was created to highlight the faces of US neurosurgery that are working to ensure diverse profession with equal opportunities for all trainees and neurosurgeons. Stanford Neurosurgery is key to this initiative. 

Dr. Harris, Dr. Cage and Dr. Prolo were invited to help establish the Neurosurgery Pathways Program in the Bay Area for middle and high school students. This will include participating in their annual meeting and committing to a year of mentorship to the students. They will keep the students engaged by giving them opportunities for mentorship, research, shadowing, and possibly college scholarships.

The Neurosurgery Diversity Cabinet held last meeting on September 16, 2022. We are planning to meet again in January 2023. 

• Ongoing mentoring 
• On June 18, 2022, Dr. Harris presented at the American Society of Black Neurosurgeons 2022 Resident and Intern Virtual Seminar. She discussed tips and pearls to being an excellent neurosurgical trainee. She also shared challenges unique to Black neurosurgery trainees and strategies to overcome them.
•  On July 22, 2022, a Neurosurgery Faculty member hosted a TBI teaching session. 
• On August 16, 2022, a Neurosurgery Faculty member presented at the CNV-X talk on Neurosurgery and Ethics. 
• On September 15, 2022, Dr. Harris presented during an AT Psych class.

On April 23rd, the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology and Psychiatry hosted a Virtual High School Neuroscience Forum. We received submissions from students from around the world, including England, Canada, Ukraine, Mexico, India and thirteen different states! Eleven student presenters shared their research pertaining to neuroscience. There were two keynote presentations from Dr. Paul Nuyujukian and Dr. Emmanual During. Following the Forum, 20 additional students shared their neuroscience projects and received feedback from Stanford neuroscientists, Dr. Maheen Adamson and Dr. Sherry Beaudreau.

We are planning the 2023 High School Neuroscience Virtual Forum for April 2023.

Dr. Harris, Dr. Cage and Dr. Prolo were invited to help establish the Neurosurgery Pathways Program in the Bay Area for middle and high school students. This will include participating in their annual meeting and committing to a year of mentorship to the students. They will keep the students engaged by giving them opportunities for mentorship, research, shadowing, and possibly college scholarships.