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. 2024 Jun 17:26:e47560.
doi: 10.2196/47560.

Diverse Mentoring Connections Across Institutional Boundaries in the Biomedical Sciences: Innovative Graph Database Analysis

Toufeeq Ahmed Syed  1 , Erika L Thompson  2 , Zainab Latif  3 , Jay Johnson  1 , Damaris Javier  4 , Katie Stinson  1 , Gabrielle Saleh  4 , Jamboor K Vishwanatha  4
Affiliations

Diverse Mentoring Connections Across Institutional Boundaries in the Biomedical Sciences: Innovative Graph Database Analysis

Toufeeq Ahmed Syed et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: With an overarching goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in biomedical sciences, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) developed a web-based national mentoring platform (MyNRMN) that seeks to connect mentors and mentees to support the persistence of underrepresented minorities in the biomedical sciences. As of May 15, 2024, the MyNRMN platform, which provides mentoring, networking, and professional development tools, has facilitated more than 12,100 unique mentoring connections between faculty, students, and researchers in the biomedical domain.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the large-scale mentoring connections facilitated by our web-based platform between students (mentees) and faculty (mentors) across institutional and geographic boundaries. Using an innovative graph database, we analyzed diverse mentoring connections between mentors and mentees across demographic characteristics in the biomedical sciences.

Methods: Through the MyNRMN platform, we observed profile data and analyzed mentoring connections made between students and faculty across institutional boundaries by race, ethnicity, gender, institution type, and educational attainment between July 1, 2016, and May 31, 2021.

Results: In total, there were 15,024 connections with 2222 mentees and 1652 mentors across 1625 institutions contributing data. Female mentees participated in the highest number of connections (3996/6108, 65%), whereas female mentors participated in 58% (5206/8916) of the connections. Black mentees made up 38% (2297/6108) of the connections, whereas White mentors participated in 56% (5036/8916) of the connections. Mentees were predominately from institutions classified as Research 1 (R1; doctoral universities-very high research activity) and historically Black colleges and universities (556/2222, 25% and 307/2222, 14%, respectively), whereas 31% (504/1652) of mentors were from R1 institutions.

Conclusions: To date, the utility of mentoring connections across institutions throughout the United States and how mentors and mentees are connected is unknown. This study examined these connections and the diversity of these connections using an extensive web-based mentoring network.

Keywords: diversity; graph database; mentorship; network analysis; online communities; online platform.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MyNRMN Neo4j graph database structure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Connections by gender: mentee-mentor.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Connections by gender: mentee-mentee.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Connections by gender: mentor-mentor.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Connections by race: mentee-mentor.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Connections by race: mentee-mentee.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Connections by race: mentor-mentor.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Connections by ethnicity: mentee-mentor.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Connections by ethnicity: mentee-mentee.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Connections by ethnicity: mentor-mentor.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Connections by MSI Classification: mentee-mentor. AANAPISI: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institution; HBCU: historically Black colleges and universities; HSI: Hispanic-serving institution; MSI: minority-serving institution; TCCU: tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Connections by MSI Classification: mentee-mentee. AANAPISI: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institution; HBCU: historically Black colleges and universities; HSI: Hispanic-serving institution; MSI: minority-serving institution; TCCU: tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Connections by MSI Classification: mentor-mentor. AANAPISI: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institution; HBCU: historically Black colleges and universities; HSI: Hispanic-serving institution; MSI: minority-serving institution; TCCU: tribally controlled colleges and universities.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Connections by educational attainment: mentee-mentor.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Connections by educational attainment: mentee-mentee.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Connections by educational attainment: mentor-mentor.
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