Who We Are
In 2019, Professor Sue Ishaq posed a simple yet profound question: “What do microbes have to do with social equity?” This inquiry sparked a series of educational and research initiatives, beginning with an undergraduate colloquium course at the University of Oregon Honors College. The insights from this course were distilled into a pivotal essay co-authored by Professor Ishaq and her students, which was published in PloS Biology in 2019 and attracted attention from the global scientific community.
Inspired by this engagement, Professor Ishaq, now an Associate Professor of Microbiomes at the University of Maine, established the Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) working group in early 2020. The group rapidly grew into a dynamic international community of researchers from diverse fields, including anthropology, architecture, bioethics, data science, ecology, engineering, genetics, medicine, microbiology, nutrition, psychology, and sociology. In 2021, thirty-five MSE members collaboratively authored the group's inaugural publication, introducing the MSE's mission and outlining its ambitious goals to a broader academic audience.
Values
- Inclusivity: We embrace diverse perspectives in our research and community engagements.
- Collaboration: We strive for strong interdisciplinary partnerships to enhance the impact of our research.
- Integrity: We commit to the highest standards of scientific rigor and ethical research.
- Innovation: We are dedicated to pioneering novel approaches to address the challenges at the nexus of microbiology and social equity.
- Education: We are devoted to public education and dialogue to disseminate our findings and encourage societal change.
At the Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) group, our mission is to uncover the connections between microbiomes and social equity by integrating research across disciplines such as microbiology, anthropology, ecology, and public health. By exploring how microbial communities interact with social and environmental systems, we aim to inform policy, improve health outcomes, and promote sustainability for communities around the globe.