5 questions with ASTRO’s president-elect, Neha Vapiwala, MD
Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, has been named president-elect of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
Vapiwala, the Eli Glatstein endowed professor and vice chair in the department of radiation oncology at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, will assume the role on Oct. 1 during the ASTRO Annual Meeting.
Beginning in fall 2025, she will serve as president-elect for 1 year, followed by 1-year terms each as president, chair and immediate past chair of the board of directors, according to a press release.
Vapiwala, who is dean of admissions for Perelman School of Medicine, previously served as secretary/treasurer of the ASTRO board of directors. She additionally chaired the ASTRO finance/audit committee and played a “pivotal role in maintaining the society’s financial health during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the release.
Healio spoke with Vapiwala about how her career has prepared her for this role, her top priorities during her term, the importance of other women seeing her at the helm of a national society and the legacy she hopes to leave on the medical field.
Healio: How did you react upon being selected president-elect of ASTRO?
Vapiwala: I am honored and genuinely excited. I also feel a tremendous sense of gratitude and responsibility to do right by the membership, and to make sure we stay true to our mission to serve all of our members and the patients for whom we care.
Healio: How has your career prepared you for this role?
Vapiwala: I imagine no one ever really feels fully prepared for this role, as it is a unique opportunity to serve ASTRO, and importantly to play a role in helping to shape our specialty’s future in terms of innovation in science, research, clinical care delivery and guideline development. It requires attention to the evolving impact of health policy on our practices and on patient access to equitable, high-quality radiotherapy as part of their treatment.
This role is an extension of the tripartite mission that has guided my career at the University of Pennsylvania to date. It’s important that we continually prioritize high-quality clinical care; provide knowledge, mentorship and opportunities to the next generation; and ask salient research questions to improve meaningful outcomes. In that regard, I am ready to take on this new role and do whatever I can to fill gaps where needed, relying on the entire team, including our staff, board members, and the many hundreds of volunteers who contribute to ASTRO — physicians, medical physicists, cancer biologists, nurses, radiation therapists, administrators and more. They all play a role in this multidisciplinary sport of modern-day health care.
Healio: What are your top priorities for your term?
Vapiwala: One of the realities of radiation oncology that may be overlooked — by those within and outside of the medical field — is how high value, high touch and high quality our treatments are for cancer patients during arguably the scariest experience of their lives.
At every stage of cancer care, it is hard to find another treatment that is this precisely targeted, patient-centric, and evidence-driven. Radiotherapy is never “one size fits all.” We make a custom plan for every single patient. Through our progress in everything from tumor biology to computing technology, and our partnerships with colleagues in surgical oncology, medical oncology and beyond — radiation oncologists can more effectively integrate our treatments, reduce toxicities, and ultimately improve the therapeutic window to provide better outcomes for our patients.
The term “radiation,” especially in the context of our world’s history, may understandably conjure uncomfortable associations. As a medical community, it is critical to address misperceptions regarding radiation therapy and recognize distinctions in the context of care delivery. ASTRO should go above and beyond to support evidence development on clinical indications, safety and cost effectiveness of radiation therapy, and educate our patients, colleagues, and policymakers accordingly. One of my top priorities is to work in a multipronged manner on communicating this message through data and patient stories.
Healio: Why is it important for other women to see you at the helm of a major society?
Vapiwala: As somebody who at one point in my radiation oncology residency training was the only woman in a program of 17 individuals, I am incredibly grateful for and indebted to all of the individuals — predominantly men, given the circumstances — who have served as my mentors and sponsors over the years.
However, it is incredibly important that we have a breadth of representation and diversity of background, perspectives and opinions. Research shows that in any industry, teams and organizations consistently perform at a higher level when they have genuine diversity in their membership, and that diversity can take many forms — gender being one of them.
As a historically male-dominated field, it’s been very rewarding to see the needle move, though we still have room in terms of women entering our specialty and, if desired, reaching leadership levels. Ensuring that undergraduate students, medical students and residents of all genders are supported, and that we prioritize early exposure to our specialty, that we don’t come across as “closed off” or inaccessible to any group of people — regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, geography — is mission critical. If we as a workforce don’t better reflect our patient population, that is not only a missed opportunity to enhance our specialty, but also a contributor to perpetuating disparities in cancer care and outcomes.
I hope that I can serve as an example in many ways, including as the first woman of color to serve as president of ASTRO, and that this example inspires the next generation of bright and energetic individuals. If I can do it, they can too.
Healio: What legacy do you hope to leave?
Vapiwala: I hope to pave the way for groups that perhaps previously did not think that they could be represented at this level. I also hope to leave ASTRO with a more cohesive and inclusive culture, where “our tent” grows even bigger, because we have so many different professionals who contribute to a radiation oncology practice — individuals with varying educational backgrounds and professional training. I want to ensure they all feel that they have a home in ASTRO. And while the “A” stands for American, we do have a large cadre of international members who contribute greatly to our mission, and whose perspectives could be incorporated more. I want to ensure our members feel heard, and while ASTRO can’t respond to or fix everything, I hope that open, honest conversations will strengthen the many ties that already bind us.
Reference:
- Penn Medicine News. Penn Medicine radiation oncologist named president-elect of American Society for Radiation Oncology (press release). Available at: https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2024/july/neha-vapiwala-md-named-president-elect-of-astro. Posted July 18, 2024. Accessed Aug. 1, 2024.
For more information:
Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, can be reached at neha.vapiwala@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
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