LGBTQ+ Brains

Welcome to LGBTQ+ Brains

The LGBTQ+ Brains initiative highlights the work of queer scientists, along with their journey into research, via a series of interviews. This initiative is led by Dragos Gruia, as part of the LGBTQ+ Allies Network at the Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London.

We welcome both staff and students at the college to get involved with the network. This includes anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, or who is questioning their identity (LGBTQ), and people who identify as allies. We use the “+” sign as an umbrella term to indicate we welcome minority gender identities and sexual orientations not included explicitly in the term LGBTQ.

More about the network

The LGBTQ+ allies network was set up in July 2022 within the Department of Brain Sciences with the following aims:

• Create a sense of community. We wish to provide a space for LGBTQ+ staff and students to support each other, express any concerns they may have and get to know other like-minded individuals.
• Listen to Queer People’s needs. We want to act as a middle ground between our LGBTQ+ members and the department, to ensure that the voices of queer students and staff are heard and that the department acts in accordance with their needs.
• Improve visibility and awareness. We hope to improve the visibility of queer scientists in the department, making it known that they are welcome and appreciated as much as any other scientist. Through this, we hope to make the department an inviting and inclusive place for newcomers, while making those who are here feel at ease to be themselves.

If you would like to get involved with what we do or just find out more about us, follow this link. If you have any questions or suggestions about how the network could better support you, feel free to get in touch with a network member or Dr Alexi Nott.