Lab Values

The SUMMIT Lab believes in creating a welcoming environment that embraces diversity, promotes equity, fosters inclusion, and cultivates a sense of belonging for all individuals. Each member of our team brings their unique identities, perspectives, and lived experiences, and we leverage these differences to conduct meaningful and impactful research. We believe that clinical science will only be able to maximize its impact on the well-being of individuals when its researchers and staff better reflect the identities, lived experiences, and demographics of the communities we serve.

Our lab is committed to a culture of mutual support, accountability, and respect. We believe that everyone should be able to work without facing discrimination, harassment, or oppression based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other aspects of their identity. We strive to support and respect all team members, research participants, and guests.

We recognize the value of including individuals with lived experience in our research on adolescent substance use. We aim to involve researchers and staff who have firsthand knowledge of substance use and recovery. This inclusion enriches our work, making our interventions and policies more effective.

We believe in the power of open and authentic engagement, valuing difficult conversations as opportunities for growth and learning. By engaging in respectful dialogue, we aim to educate ourselves as individuals and as a collective, fostering an inclusive space where everyone feels valued and heard.

 

Actionable Steps

  • Actively recruit, retain, and support individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds in clinical science.
  • Hold dedicated readings and discussions in lab meetings on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in adolescent substance use research.
  • Establish community partnerships for research, viewing partners as equals and guides to our research questions.
  • Integrate sociocultural considerations into our research on adolescent substance use.
  • Disseminate knowledge to the community through various channels (e.g., lab newsletter media).
  • Abide by a system of accountability and safety within the lab.