Basma Daham, a senior majoring in both Biology with a specialization in Neuroscience, and Arabic, in the School of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, is the winner of the 2025 Garland Allen Prize in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Biological Sciences.
Professor Emeritus Garland E. Allen III was a renowned science historian and an outstanding leader in the Washington University Biology Department, advocating for racial and gender equality in the biological sciences. The Allen Prize was established in 2023 to honor his work and his memory, and is awarded to a graduating senior biology major who has made significant efforts in DEI.
The winner is selected by members of the Biology Inclusion Committee. Members were greatly impressed by Daham’s contributions to DEI inside and outside WashU, including her service on the Biology Inclusion Committee as an undergraduate representative advocating for undergraduate perspectives in discussions about departmental culture and practices.
Throughout her research in the Moron-Concepción Lab on the neural mechanisms of addiction, she maintained a critical perspective on how socioeconomic factors, racial disparities in healthcare access, and systemic inequities influence both addiction vulnerability and treatment outcomes. Through her clinical research in the Pediatric Student Research Program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, she was mindful of how socioeconomic factors such as the gender, race, insurance status, and zip code of a patient influence both patient access to follow-up care and long-term outcomes.
Daham served as a mentor and teaching assistant in the Biology Department, where she maintained an atmosphere of understanding and a learning environment where diverse perspectives were valued, and all students could thrive.
She worked with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and GlobeMed, where she made significant efforts to increase access to global health experiences for biology students. As a Mental Health Peer Health Educator, she worked to address the mental health challenges that disproportionately affect underrepresented students in STEM fields.
Daham says, "Receiving this award at a time where diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are becoming increasingly difficult is both humbling and affirming. It reminds me that this work is not only necessary, but also valued — and that advancing representation and access in the sciences remains critical, even when the path feels uphill. I am hopeful that this kind of work continues at WashU and beyond, and I urge others to stay persistent and keep driving the change our communities need.”
Daham will receive the award during a biology awards ceremony in May.
