Message From President
The Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) is a national coalition of Black people possessing or pursuing higher degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine/Health (STEMM), together with Allies who are senior leaders with a demonstrated commitment to action for Black inclusion. Our network is young and growing. We were founded by a small group of faculty and held our first meeting in July 2020. Since then, we have expanded to include hundreds of members from across the country, including academics, graduate students and postdocs, research administrators, and STEMM practitioners. We have established a very active steering committee of volunteers, an online presence, and are increasingly recognized as the face of a multidisciplinary, national vanguard of Black excellence in STEMM.
The CBSN strives for inclusion of the complex and intersectional identities that are manifest in Black Canadians, Black people living in Canada, and Black Canadians living abroad. We seek to build a network in which all feel that they belong, and can contribute to programs and strategic directions that they value.
We focus on those who identify as Black, which we define as those of Black African descent, which includes those who identify as Black Africans, and those found worldwide who identify as descendants of Black African peoples. We acknowledge and will be open to working in partnership with other organizations that focus on dismantling the challenges, discrimination, and barriers to inclusion in STEMM that are experienced by others. We simultaneously emphasize the need to maintain our network’s focus on Black Canadians. Deliberate, tailored interventions for Black communities are required to remove the long-standing discrimination, exclusion, and oppression that was initially created to justify slavery, and the ways in which those structures and stereotypes still manifest in systematic anti-Black racism in the lives of Canadians (see: the United Nations Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its mission to Canada). We will not shirk from pointing to these realities, but will maintain a strong commitment to joining with all Canadians to build a more equitable society.
I invite you to explore this website to learn more about the CBSN, our mission, vision, and partnerships. Most importantly, I invite you to take some time to learn about the wide range of interests and accomplishments of our members, and consider how you might participate in our programs. I hope you return frequently to this website for updates and opportunities to join us in our events. Thank you for engaging with our network.
Sincerely,
Prof Maydianne CB Andrade
Inaugural President & Co-Founder
August 10, 2021


Mission & Vision
The Canadian Black Scientists Network exists to Elevate, Make Visible, Celebrate and Connect Black Canadians pursuing or possessing advanced degrees in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine/Health) across sectors.
- Increase intake and retention of Black Youth in STEMM
- Increase representation of Black Canadians as STEMM researchers & practitioners
- Advocate for equitable practices in funding & awards
Promouvoir la visibilité, les intérêts professionnels et académiques, célébrer le succès, connecter et rassembler les Canadiens noirs impliqués dans les domaines des sciences et de la technologie, dans l’ingénierie, en mathématiques et en médecine (STIMM) dans tous secteurs confondus.
- Augmenter l’admissibilité et la rétention des jeunes noirs en STIMM
- Accroître la représentation des Canadiens noirs impliqués en STIMM tous secteurs confondus
- Identifier et plaider pour le traitement équitable en matière d’attribution des fonds de recherche et de la remise des prix d’excellence
CBSN Logo

Steering Committee
Ingrid Um Nlend MSc.
Position: Communications Officer
Research Topic: Direction of Research and Innovation
Dr. Toyib (Olan) Olaniyan
Position: Member-at-Large, Statistics Canada Liasion
Research Topic: Environmental Epidemiology
Prof. Kevin Hewitt
Position: Partnership Lead, Co-founder
Research Topic: Physics, Bionanophotonics
Prof. Loydie Jerome-Majewska
Position: Secretary, Co-founder
Research Topic: Developmental Biology/Congenital malformations mouse model
Jeffrey Hyacinthe
Position: Trainee Lead
Research Topic: Relationship between transposable elements and the epigenome.
Prof. Kiven Erique Lukong
Position: Vice-President
Research Topic: Tumour biology (with a focus on breast cancer and gastric cancer) and the signal transduction roles of tyrosine kinases, especially non-receptor tyrosine kinases in the breast tumour kinase (BRK) family.
Juliet Daniel
Position: Treasurer, Co-founder
Research Topic: Cancer Biology, Cancer Health Disparities, TNBC
Prof. Tamara Franz-Odendaal
Position: Lead Ally, Co-founder
Research Topic: Research Topic: Evolutionary-developmental biology of the vertebrate skeleton, environmental impacts on fish development.
Prof. Maydianne Andrade
Position: President, Co-Founder
Research Topic: Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology of mating, plasticity, diversification, arachnology