In person at Brookline Booksmith! Celebrate the release of Uncharted with editor Gabi Serrato Marks and contributor Emma Tung Corcoran, in conversation with Fin Lavoie.

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Uncharted: How Scientists Navigate Their Own Health, Research, and Experiences of Bias

People with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM fields, and all too often, they face isolation and ableism in academia. Uncharted is a collection of powerful first-person stories by current and former scientists with disabilities or chronic conditions who have faced changes in their careers, including both successes and challenges, because of their health. It gives voice to common experiences that are frequently overlooked or left unspoken. These deeply personal accounts describe not only health challenges but also the joys, sorrows, humor, and wonder of science and scientists.

With a breadth of perspectives on being disabled or chronically ill, these stories highlight the intersectionality of minoritized identities with the disability community. Uncharted features essays by contributors who are d/Deaf, blind, neurodivergent, wheelchair users, have experienced traumatic brain injuries, have blood sugar disorders, have rare medical diagnoses, or have received psychiatric diagnoses, among many others. In many cases, the scientific field is not fully accessible to them, and they frankly describe struggling as well as thriving alongside their conditions.

This book serves as representation for scientists who have never felt comfortable disclosing their disability or who have never felt fully understood. The stories shared in this book seek to normalize medical conditions and disabilities in scientific culture, offering recommendations for how and why to improve access. Uncharted is vital and compelling reading for current and aspiring scientists who want to make their fields more inclusive and supportive for everyone.

Gabi Serrato Marks is a geochemist turned writer. She received her PhD in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography and is now a partner at the scientist-focused PR firm Stellate Communications. Her work has been published in Scientific American and Audubon and on the PBS Eons YouTube Channel.

Emma Tung Corcoran is a computational biologist with a passion for expanding inclusion and accessibility in scientific research. Emma received a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale University in 2022.

Moderator Fin Lavoie (he/they) is a program manager at We Need Diverse Books, a reviewer at Booklist, and a faculty member at Emerson College, where he teaches in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing department. His work has been published in the anthology About Us edited by Peter Catapano and Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, as well as the New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Refinery29, The Boston Globe Magazine, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Magazine, Vice, Bitch, Teen Vogue, Healthline, and more. Fin lives with his wife, their three literary cats, and a rainbow bookshelf outside of Boston, MA.

EVENT ACCESSIBILITY

This event will take place at street level.ASL interpretation may be provided (based on the availability of interpreters) but must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Seats are limited. Please email us at tickets@brooklinebooksmith.com as soon as possible if you require ASL interpretation, guaranteed seating, or other accommodations. We will do our best to serve your needs!