Untangling Bias in Neuroscience

In this episode of Synaptic Justice, Oakley and Temidola speak with Dr. Jasmine Kwasa about how racial and phenotypic bias shows up in neuroimaging and what it takes to build better, more inclusive neuroscience tools.They discuss the personal moment that changed how Dr. Kwasa approaches her work, how her experience as a Black woman in biomedical engineering shapes the questions she asks, and her role in developing the Sevo electrode adapter to improve EEG signals for people with darker skin and curlier hair. The conversation also breaks down convenience sampling, how exclusion weakens brain research, and what it means to work at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and social context.Resources Referenced:Adressing racial and phenotypic bias in human neuroscience methodsUntangling Bias: Racial and phenotypic bias in neuroimaging methods must be addressedWork by Ruha Benjamin: Race After Tachnology and Viral JusticeSafiya Noble's book: Algorithms of Oppression How Search Engines Reinforce Racism Virginia Eubank's book: Automating Inequality