Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Health Cluster Alliance

The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Health Cluster Alliance is comprised of 8 UBC Research Excellence Clusters who contribute to health research. The goal of this alliance is to learn about inequity and oppression in a post-secondary context, to investigate the strategies that the University of British Columbia and other institutions are using to combat various types of oppression, and to create change, starting within our Clusters. As such, we’ve partnered with UBC’s Equity & Inclusion Office to create a series of events and workshops that address various forms of inequalities, and that encourage thoughtful action. Although the UBC community will be a focal point of conversation for these events, the skills and lessons conveyed within will translate to communities beyond UBC. We welcome anyone interested in learning how to foster an inclusive and respectful working and research environment to attend.  

Learn More about the Clusters Involved

Core Partners:

Dynamic Brain Circuits is thrilled to be a core member of the JEDI Health Cluster Alliance. Dynamic Brain Circuits is co-hosting the “Building an Ethical Algorithmic World: A 3-Part Series” event in October with BMI AICAIDADASHBrain Circuits, and the UW Computational Neuroscience Centre.

Affiliate Partners:

Upcoming Events

Speak Up Community Building Workshop 

Interested to learn how to build an inclusive and respectful working environment? Curious about what to say when somebody makes an inappropriate comment? Want to know how to handle situations that are embarrassing at work? In this workshop, attendees will learn about what makes a respectful community. This workshop builds on an intersectional approach to identities and experiences that shape how people show up at work, and explores challenges to inclusion by focusing on microaggressions and the impact they can have on workplace culture. Participants will have the opportunity learn how to challenge these instances as an Active Bystander/Upstander. All of these skills are important for fostering a respectful inclusive community. 

October 6, 2021 
12:00 – 1:00pm 
Zoom 

RSVP Here 

Building an Ethical Algorithmic World: A 3-Part Series 

Interested in the ethics of algorithms? Concerned with the current biases within algorithms and the dangers these biases pose to particular groups of people (e.g. women and darker-skinned people)? Join us in this three-part Algorithmic Bias event to delve deeper into this issue. First watch a free screening of “Coded Bias”, then join a live Q&A session with the film’s director Shalini Kantayya. Finally, attend a panel discussion with experts Marc-Antoine Dilhac (Canada Research Chair in Public Ethics and Political Theory), Aline Talhouk (Assistant Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, UBC), Mijung Park (Canada CIFAR AI Chair), and Blaise Agüera y Arcas (VP and Research Fellow, Google Research).   

Use the link below to RSVP for any/all of the “Building an Ethical Algorithmic World” events

RSVP Here

1. Coded Bias Screening 
October 26th – November 2nd  
Watch anytime during the dates above using our link (RSVP above).

Coded Bias –A film by Shalini Kantayya 
Film Summary: When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that most facial-recognition software misidentifies women and darker-skinned faces, she delves into an investigation of widespread bias in algorithms. 

2. Q&A with Coded Bias Director Shalini Kantayya 
November 2nd  
5:00pm 
Zoom (RSVP above).

3. Panel Discussion with Algorithm Experts 
November 4th  
12:00pm 
Zoom (RSVP above).

Panelists: 
Marc-Antoine Dilhac (Canada Research Chair in Public Ethics and Political Theory)  
Aline Talhouk (Assistant Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, UBC)  
Mijung Park (Canada CIFAR AI Chair)  
Blaise Agüera y Arcas (VP and Research Fellow, Google Research)