It was a pleasure to spend time with Shakira M. Nelson, Ph.D! During our interview we discussed her experiences with her first Black American educators, learning how to be authentic in all spaces, encouraging learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and what a Scientist looks like. This is a conversation rooted in a passion and desire to encourage learning in STEM in underrepresented communities, amongst women and beyond.

Biography

Shakira M. Nelson, Ph.D. is a Program Director at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in the Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). She manages multiple grant portfolios, including the Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, the Bridges to Baccalaureate, and the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development programs.

Before joining NIGMS, Shakira worked in Philadelphia as a Senior Scientific Program Administrator at the American Association for Cancer Research. Early in her academic career she earned a B.S. in microbiology from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a Ph.D. in immunology and infectious diseases, also from The Pennsylvania State University. Shakira conducted postdoctoral research as a cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute, working in the areas of prostate cancer and health disparities.