Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Cell Press

Isabel holds an M.D. from Temple University. She spent much of her career as a consultant analyzing clinical trials, regulatory submissions, and prescription drug and device marketing. After helping launch and shape Cell Reports Medicine, she joined Cell as a Leading Edge editor while also becoming Cell Press’s second Inclusion & Diversity Officer in which capacity she oversees Cell Press's various diversity initiatives. Isabel led the establishment of Cell Press’s guidelines on reporting sex- and gender-based analyses. She chairs Elsevier’s Gender Equity Taskforce workstream focused on sex & gender reporting in research and has spoken on improving the language of sex and gender in science. Finally, Isabel believes that words matter; precise, accurate and inclusive language is essential; and biomedical journals must front and center issues of equity in research, science, health and medicine while also ensuring that the science they help publish is not misused for exclusionary agendas. She enjoys working with authors on pieces that explore the nexus where social forces collide with science, medicine and public health. 

Dr. Sheba Agarwal-Jans is a Scientific Editor at iScience, published by Elsevier's Cell Press, specializing in papers on microbiology, infection biology and virology. Previously, she was a Publisher at Elsevier, managing the Microbiology portfolio of journals in the Life Sciences department. Sheba’s PhD is in Molecular Genetics (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands). She is deeply involved in various inclusion and diversity activities at Elsevier. She is also the founder of the science communications blog We Talk Science, as well as the Seriously Wondering podcast.