Indigenous Voices in Neuroscience: Transforming Research Practices
Author: Puja Saha || Scientific Reviewer: Caedyn Lipovsky || Lay Reviewer: Laura Miller || General Editor: Regan Skudlarek
Artist: Deja Nortey || Graduate Scientific Reviewer: Micaelly Alves
Publication Date: December 16th, 2024
On September 16, 2024, the ALBA network and the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) hosted a webinar called Indigenous Voices in Neuroscience: Transforming Research Practices. The ALBA Network is dedicated to recognizing the contributions of underrepresented scientists and promoting professional opportunities. The IBRO, the global association of neuroscience societies, supports neuroscience through training, education, research, outreach, and engagement initiatives. The webinar focused on Indigenous neuroscience researchers' challenges when integrating their knowledge into mainstream neuroscience. Panelists shared their insights and called to action for a more inclusive scientific community.
One panelist, Rudi Louis Taylor-Bragge, is an Aboriginal man and a psychology PhD candidate at Monash University in Australia. His heritage traces back to the First Peoples of Australia–the original inhabitants of the land before British colonization. In his free time, Taylor-Bragge works on developing an Indigenous cultural center in his community, featuring a small cafe, arts programming, and a creative space to promote cultural empowerment for Aboriginal communities in Australia.
When asked about Indigenous representation in brain research, Taylor-Bragge noted there are only 220 Aboriginal psychologists in Australia and zero neuroscientists. He noted that there are financial, cultural, and systemic barriers that hinder access to careers in psychology and neuroscience. He recounted the experience of a colleague, a clinical PhD student at Monash University, who her neuroscience professors mistreated. He says, “The treatment that she received…has been nothing short of disgusting. There is a pre-mediating patriarchal, archaic, exclusionary, and demeaning attitude that exists in the space” (ALBA Network, 2024, 23:44). He further describes a widespread lack of cultural awareness in the department for Indigenous researchers when it comes to the discussion of anything related to neuroscience and psychology. Taylor-Bragge called on the neuroscience community to actively listen to Indigenous ideas and consider their techniques in research. He also encouraged future neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds to prioritize their safety and well-being in research and academic environments.
Another panelist, Dr. Olivia Matshabane, is a research psychologist and neuroethics Principal Investigator (PI) at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Dr. Matshabane identifies with the Xhosa people, an Indigenous tribe from the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. She leads and manages research funded by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, exploring how moral responsibility affects brain research. The AAS is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit Pan-African organization that aims to transform African lives through science. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds education opportunities, such as funding for all stages of higher education around the world for those who cannot fund these opportunities on their own.
The third panelist, Dr. Louise Parr-Brownlie, or Ngāti Maniapoto me Te Arawa, is a neuroscientist at the University of Otago and the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Science, and Innovation. She identifies with the Indigenous Maori people from the Northland, Waikato, and Auckland regions of New Zealand. Māori people are natives of New Zealand who resided on the land as early as the 13th century. Parr-Brownlie’s research focuses on creating inclusive communities for elderly people living in Aotearoa, New Zealand, with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's.
The chair for this event was Dr. Melissa Perreault, a neuroscientist from the University of Guelph in Canada. She moderated the event by asking panelists to reflect on their experiences as Indigenous researchers. A common experience amongst the researchers was the lack of representation and frequent marginalization of Indigenous neuroscientists.
This webinar underscores the importance of respecting and amplifying Indigenous voices in brain research–not only for the valuable perspectives they bring but also for the role this inclusion plays in empowering Indigenous communities today and inspiring future generations of researchers from these backgrounds.