In a new video, Professors Hosea Nelson and Jose Rodriguez speak about their research and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the sciences.
The two assistant professors in the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry are part of a UCLA team that developed a way to look at small molecules with electron microscopes which allows researchers to unambiguously figure out the identity of molecules in minutes. In the video, Nelson and Rodriguez talk about this research and they explain how their passion for science evolved and the importance of diversity and inclusivity in bringing new and creative ideas to research.
An organic chemist, Professor Hosea Nelson joined the UCLA faculty in 2015. His research program is focused on the development of enabling technologies for chemical synthesis and biology. He says in the video that inclusivity is “going to make science better because we’re going to provide perspectives that weren’t the norm before. And I think perspective is creativity, and creative solutions to problems change the world.”
A biochemist and UCLA alumnus, Professor Jose Rodriguez joined the UCLA faculty in 2016. His laboratory develops and applies techniques in bio-imaging to solve cellular and molecular structures. He says in the video “You can never predict where you’re going to find a particular talent in someone. And only by being inclusive can we capture all of those ideas”.
Penny Jennings & Nikki Erinakis, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.
