Different aspects of a person’s identity intersect and overlap, shaping their unique experiences and challenges. By acknowledging that individuals can face various forms of discrimination and oppression that are not isolated but interconnected, intersectionality highlights the idea that our identities are not separate from one another but intertwined and influence how we navigate the world and the barriers we encounter. In our upcoming intersectionality panel, we will be bringing together a panel of diverse voices to hear about their experiences, discuss challenges faced by marginalized communities and identify strategies for creating more inclusive environments.

Panelist bio:

Mareshia Donald (She/Her)

Mareshia Donald, Ph.D. is Director, Chief of Staff to the Chief HR Officer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. She is most energized by opportunities to bring her scientific training, rigor, passion for STEM literacy, and commitment to creating inclusive STEM spaces to bear on organizational strategy.

Mara Shainheit (She/Her)

Mara earned her BS in Biology from Lafayette College in Easton, PA, and continued her education at Tufts University School of Medicine, where she received her Ph.D. in Immunology while training in Dr. Miguel Stadecker’s lab. Mara continued with postdoctoral training in the Molecular Biology and Microbiology Department at Tufts as a member of Dr. Andrew Camilli’s lab and subsequently joined the Biology Department at Towson University as an Assistant Professor. Driven to be a part of a more translational research team, she transitioned into the biotech space as the lead of the Translational Immunology team at Genocea Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotech company that developed personalized immunotherapies for patients with cancer. Mara is currently the Associated Director of Translational Immunology at Clade Therapeutics, where they focus on creating “cloaked” stem-based CAR T cell therapies to treat cancer.

Cynthia Hurlbert (She/Her)

Cynthia is a Science Writer with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).  There she writes for the Office of the Director. She has previously worked as a Technical Writer for the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and as a Private Tutor in the Greater Washington DC area. She holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Neuroscience and Microbiology from Furman University and Clemson University. She continued her educational opportunities at Uniformed Services University, studying Schistosoma spp. Cynthia is involved in Science Communication and Education and has pursued her passion for the subject both formally and informally.