Statement of Inclusivity
Everyone has a voice

The Young Lab is dedicated to being an open and for-all environment. Beyond welcoming everyone equally, we continuously strive to improving diversity & inclusivity within the laboratory, the Department, UCSD as a whole, and science in general.
For Dr. Young, as an immigrant to the US (originally from Scotland), a first generation university graduate (a term I had not heard before coming to the US), and as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, we recognize the greater appreciation for the need for equality in science and our community as a whole. Dr. Young has been part of the UC-wide award-winning Psychiatry Chair’s Diversity Committee (since 2012), playing a very active role in several subcommittees including Gender, Cultural Celebration, LGBTQIA+, and Climate Surveys, aiding in organizing and presenting workshops including the Implicit Bias Workshop.
As President of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS), Dr. Young took the opportunity in his first year as President-Elect to lead an Ad Hoc Committee on Ethics and Diversity. Prior to that year (2018), IBNS neither had a code of conduct, nor a means to promote diversity. While we began modestly, we highlighted the problems of not having this equal level of commitment from the Society and in 2019 began a full committee, where other members took prominent roles. This work culminated in applying, and being granted, NIMH R13 support for IBNS to improve diversity and inclusivity within the Society.
Dr. Young has also been a part of the American College for Neuropsychopharmacology Diversity & Inclusivity Task Force, first pushing for and obtaining that the LGBTQIA+ community – underrepresented in the College and STEM in general – is now a group part of the Diversity Invitation Bank. In addition, he created LGBTQIA2S+ panels and study groups to highlight diversity within the college, and better understanding for this community. In addition, he used this knowledge to spearhead the adoption of inclusivity work within the Consortium for Translational Research In Neuropsychopharmacology (CTRIN), work and statements for which appear throughout our website.
The Young Lab has sponsored two students from the Scholars in Translational and Academic Research (STARs), program at UCSD, Loren Lavadia and Daniella Yidi. Loren enjoyed her 6-week program with us so much she joined as a volunteer, then as a paid intern, completing a Post-Bac in Boston, and is now in a MD/PhD program. Further under-represented support came from working with Dr. Johnny Kenton, whom received a Diversity Supplement to work on our R01 research on bipolar disorder and the endocannabinioid system.
We are proud of the foundation that we have worked to create, but recognize far more needs to be done, and welcome all to join us and support this work.