About Nancy L. Wayne

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMICS:

Dr. Nancy Wayne is Professor Emerita of Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She received her B.A. in Biology from Northwestern University, Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Michigan, and postdoctoral training from the University of Virginia. She joined the UCLA faculty in 1992. Dr. Wayne was the principal investigator of a research laboratory for over 25 years, studying the biology of brain cells that control reproductive development and fertility. Her current research has shifted from physiology to the social sciences, investigating diverse areas such as gender bias and safety issues.

Dr. Wayne has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognized journals in the fields of biomedical/life sciences, gender bias, and laboratory safety. She has been an invited speaker at over 50 campuses and conferences world-wide, including during the last 10 years: The Distinguished Marine Neuroscience Lectureship at University of Miami, FL; XXXVIth International Congress of Physiological Sciences, Kyoto, Japan; The Seminar Series in Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder; School of Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Shanghai University, China; International Congress of Neuroendocrinology, Sydney, Australia; and others.

Dr. Wayne is also a dedicated educator, and was co-chair of the first year medical school curriculum for 10 years. She was Vice Chair of Instruction for the Department of Physiology in the UCLA School of Medicine. And she received the School of Medicine’s 2010 Excellence in Education Award.

ADMINISTRATION:

Dr. Wayne was a 2018-19 Leadership Fellow of the American Council on Education working in the President’s Office of the University of Redlands. She has continued her work at University of Redlands as Deputy to the President for Strategic University Partnerships (2019-20) working on two primary historic projects: 1) a merger & acquisition of San Francisco Theological Seminary in Northern California into the secular University of Redlands in Southern California; and, 2) development of a Rail Station and University Village on mostly unused university property.
As UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor for Research (2010-19), Dr. Wayne’s portfolio was focused primarily on laboratory safety in the aftermath of a fatal chemistry accident. She was responsible for communications with faculty with the objective of enhancing the effectiveness of laboratory safety programs and policies, and developing a strong culture of lab safety. She was Founding Chair of the Advisory Board of the University of California Center for Laboratory Safety that gained global prominence. And she was also an active member of the Vice Chancellor for Research’s Cabinet, with responsibility for creating and implementing innovative and trans-disciplinary research programs.

DIVERSITY:

Dr. Wayne has been involved in a variety of diversity programs at UCLA. In 2009, she was part of a team of women from across the UCLA campus who developed the campus Diversity Strategic Plan, and was a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Group on Diversity. She is a founding member of the UCLA School of Medicine’s Faculty Partners for Diversity. Dr. Wayne was the lead investigator of a study showing gender bias in leadership among medical students, and developed an effective intervention to eliminate this bias. This study was published in 2010 in the influential journal Academic Medicine, and is widely cited and used to mitigate gender bias. Dr. Wayne was founder and chair of the UCLA School of Medicine’s Women in Science Networking Group that led to the development of Women Advancing Together’s workshops on issues of interest to women across multiple disciplines (see Workshops).

For full curriculum vitae, email: WomenAdvancingTogether@gmail.com

Dr. Nancy Wayne