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Wedekind L, Noé A, Mokaya J, Tamandjou C, Kapulu M, Ruecker A, Kestelyn E, Zimba M, Khatamzas E, Eziefula AC, Mackintosh CL, Nascimento R, Ariana P, Best D, Gibbs E, Dunachie S, Hadley G, Ravenswood H, Young B, Kamau C, Marsh K, McShane H, Hale R, McPhilbin E, Ovseiko PV, Surender R, Worland C, White LJ, Matthews PC. Equity for excellence in academic institutions: a manifesto for change. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 6:142. [PMID: 34381874 PMCID: PMC8343400 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16861.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher academic institutions in the UK need to drive improvements in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) through sustainable practical interventions. A broad view of inclusivity is based on an intersectional approach that considers race, geographical location, caring responsibilities, disability, neurodiversity, religion, and LGBTQIA+ identities. We describe the establishment of a diverse stakeholder group to develop practical grass-roots recommendations through which improvements can be advanced. We have developed a manifesto for change, comprising six domains through which academic institutions can drive progress through setting short, medium, and long-term priorities. Interventions will yield rewards in recruitment and retention of a diverse talent pool, leading to enhanced impact and output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Wedekind
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Andrés Noé
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jolynne Mokaya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cynthia Tamandjou
- Division of Health Economics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Andrea Ruecker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Evelyn Kestelyn
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Machilu Zimba
- Equality and Diversity Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elham Khatamzas
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
- Regional Infectious Diseases Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Roger Nascimento
- International Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Medawar Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Proochista Ariana
- International Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Medawar Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Denise Best
- Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School (OUCAGS), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Gibbs
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susanna Dunachie
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Gina Hadley
- Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Harris Manchester College, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Bernadette Young
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Kevin Marsh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Africa Oxford Initiative, Medawar Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Helen McShane
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- NIHR BRC, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Rob Hale
- MaynardLeigh Associates, London, UK
| | - Elena McPhilbin
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pavel V. Ovseiko
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Oxford Equity in Academia consortium
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- Division of Health Economics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Kilifi, Kenya
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Hanoi, Vietnam
- Equality and Diversity Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
- Regional Infectious Diseases Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
- University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
- International Health and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Medawar Building, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School (OUCAGS), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Harris Manchester College, Oxford, UK
- Africa Oxford Initiative, Medawar Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR BRC, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- MaynardLeigh Associates, London, UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Social Policy, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rebecca Surender
- Department of Social Policy, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Claire Worland
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lisa J. White
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philippa C. Matthews
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Harris Manchester College, Oxford, UK
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Magee TR, Ross MG, Wedekind L, Desai M, Kjos S, Belkacemi L. Gestational diabetes mellitus alters apoptotic and inflammatory gene expression of trophobasts from human term placenta. J Diabetes Complications 2014; 28:448-59. [PMID: 24768206 PMCID: PMC4166519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2014.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIM Increased placental growth secondary to reduced apoptosis may contribute to the development of macrosomia in GDM pregnancies. We hypothesize that reduced apoptosis in GDM placentas is caused by dysregulation of apoptosis related genes from death receptors or mitochondrial pathway or both to enhance placental growth in GDM pregnancies. METHODS Newborn and placental weights from women with no pregnancy complications (controls; N=5), or with GDM (N=5) were recorded. Placental villi from both groups were either fixed for TUNEL assay, or snap frozen for gene expression analysis by apoptosis PCR microarrays and qPCR. RESULTS Maternal, placental and newborn weights were significantly higher in the GDM group vs. Controls. Apoptotic index of placentas from the GDM group was markedly lower than the Controls. At a significant threshold of 1.5, seven genes (BCL10, BIRC6, BIRC7, CASP5, CASP8P2, CFLAR, and FAS) were down regulated, and 13 genes (BCL2, BCL2L1, BCL2L11, CASP4, DAPK1, IκBκE, MCL1, NFκBIZ, NOD1, PEA15, TNF, TNFRSF25, and XIAP) were unregulated in the GDM placentas. qPCR confirmed the consistency of the PCR microarray. Using Western blotting we found significantly decreased placental pro-apoptotic FAS receptor and FAS ligand (FASL), and increased mitochondrial anti-apoptotic BCL2 post GDM insult. Notably, caspase-3, which plays a central role in the execution-phase of apoptosis, and its substrate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were significantly down regulated in GDM placentas, as compared to non-diabetic Control placentas. CONCLUSION Maternal GDM results in heavier placentas with aberrant placental apoptotic and inflammatory gene expression that may account, at least partially, for macrosomia in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Magee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA; Department of Health and Life Sciences at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael G Ross
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Wedekind
- Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Mina Desai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Siri Kjos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Louiza Belkacemi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA.
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