Interview with Dr. Elvisha Dhamala, 2025 Winner of the OHBM Diversity and Inclusivity Champion Award

Author: Zaki Alasmar

Editor: Ashley Tyrer, Audrey Luo

Video Editor: Zaki Alasmar

Dr. Elvisha Dhamala is the 2025 recipient of the OHBM Diversity and Inclusivity Champion Award, recognized for her significant contributions to increasing diversity and inclusivity within the field of Human Brain Mapping. As an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, she directs the Brain-Based Predictive Modeling Lab. 

The Diversity and Inclusivity Champion Award recognises Dr. Dhamala's efforts to foster a more inclusive scientific community. In this interview, she reflects on her broad body of work: the neural bases of human behavior throughout development, sex and gender differences in the brain, and their implications for psychiatric risk and illness. She also discusses the impact of EDI practices on the field of brain imaging,  from advocating for underrepresented researchers to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into the very questions neuroscience asks. You can find the video interview below: