We are recruiting early career scientists with deep roots in community who have a specific research interest in supporting a community need. Working together with mentors from the GSA Equity and Inclusion Committee, Block Captains will lead discussion and directions of individual neighborhoods and present the outcomes of your neighborhood’s discussion with the larger group. Ideally, Block Captains will meet with mentors via Zoom and/or at the conference, prior to the in-person workshop on March 2.  

I am an early career scientist and I am interested in opportunities to lead a Neighborhoods Group as a Block Captain:

1) Define your community

What is a significant health challenge in your community? (Use your own knowledge, scientific literature, social media, newspapers, any source to identify health challenges within your community.)

Is there a known genetic cause of the health challenge?  If so, please explain.

4) Are there known founder mutations that might contribute to this health challenge in your community?  This might be a human germline or somatic mutation that directly drives a disease, an evolutionary adaptation of an animal or microorganism that impacts human health indirectly, or other exciting new ideas. Please explain.

5) If there are common mutations within your community but there is no currently known link between the mutations and the health challenge the community faces, please propose any possible ways the mutations might contribute.

6) Are there environmental or social factors that might intersect with genetic causes of the health challenge or long-standing founder mutations in your community?  If so, please describe.

7) Are members of the community aware of potential founder mutations and their possible effect on the health challenge?  Could enhanced education regarding the founder mutation and known or existing screening, vaccination, diet or drug treatment reduce the impact of the health challenge?

8) Based on your answers, propose a potential intervention that might reduce the impact of the health challenge in your community.  Be creative!  Drug targets, prevention techniques, educational outreach, environmental intervention, social changes, anything is a possibility if it will reduce the burden of the health challenge.