Women in Oncology honors Black History Month
February is Black History Month.
Here are some of Healio Women in Oncology’s recent stories that highlight the contributions of Black women in the field.
1. Students from historically Black colleges and universities experience unique barriers to medical school admissions, including preferential treatment of students from predominantly white institutions, according to study results.
“Highlighting the importance of strong support networks from peers, family and alumni underscores how historically Black colleges and universities are significant assets for providing competitive applicants to medical school who will become our future physicians,” Jasmine Weiss, MD, MHS, FAAP, physician in the department of general pediatric and adolescent medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Healio. Read more.
2. As the first-ever Black female president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers, Nadine J. Barrett, PhD, MA, MPH, understands the impact she will have on the next generation to come.
“Becoming president of a national organization like this shows that it is possible for young women and girls to envision themselves in these roles, where they can lead and make a difference,” Barret, chief community engagement officer for Atrium Health Cancer Service Line and associate director for the Atrium Health Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center, told Healio. Read more.
3. Monique A. Hartley-Brown, MD, MMSc, a physician in the department of hematology/oncology in the multiple myeloma program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has used her role in the research arena to work toward bridging the gap between community oncology settings and academic centers to ensure that all patients — no matter where they reside — have access to the latest groundbreaking cancer treatments, particularly in the multiple myeloma space.
“I may not be the reflection of what is shown society-wise of the embodiment of what this world looks up to, but the end of the day, I am the root of the tree that this country is built on. I am proud of that,” Hartley-Brown told Healio. Read more.
4. Camille C. R. Ragin, PhD, received the 2024 AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Award Lectureship during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in San Diego.
“Paying it forward through team building, mentoring and capacity building are critical components that will help us to effectively address cancer inequities,” Ragin told Healio. “I have no doubt that one day we will all get there together.” Read more.
5. Edith P. Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCCP, FRCP, oncologist, researcher and health care and gender equity advocate, left a significant imprint on the field of oncology. Mitchell, who died on Jan. 21 at the age of 76 years, is revered by many in the field as a trailblazer, fierce advocate for patients and pioneer in the work toward gender equity in medicine.
“Dr. Mitchell was a pioneer, a fierce advocate for patients and very outspoken on the need to intentionally work towards gender equity in health care,” Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, associate professor of medicine with tenure in the division of hematology/oncology at University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago and consulting editor for Healio Women in Oncology, told Healio. “To say she will be missed would be an understatement. The medical world lost a giant, but her legacy and her exceptional contributions to our field will live on.” Read more.