, a Boston University neuroscientist studying memory with the goal of improving mental health treatment, has been given an inaugural Science Diversity Leadership Award by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The awards-launched in partnership with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine-champion early- and mid-career scientists with a proven research record and a commitment to diversifying their field.
In his lab, Ramirez (CAS'10), a BU College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, examines the neural circuits controlling memory and looks for ways to modulate them. His goal is to shape memories to help treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health disorders.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 by Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, and its diversity leadership award comes with a five-year, $1.15 million grant. Ramirez will use the funding to advance his research and train the next generation of scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.
The Brink spoke with Ramirez about why this award matters and why it's so important to diversify science.
