Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

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The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) aims to achieve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the research workforce, for our trainees, faculty, and staff, Center leadership, and advisory boards using an approach that is accountable, engages stakeholders, promotes institutional, individual-centered change, and that aims to provide more opportunities for all.

Key Principles in our Plan to Enhance Diversity

The principles underlying the HDFCCC PED are captured in the acronym AEIOU.

Accountability

The institutional changes needed to improve DEIA do not happen without accountability, starting with setting goals and outcome metrics. The DEIA Office created a logic model, which will be available at the site visit, to ensure it can measure progress towards its goals. It uses available data and collects additional data as needed to set the baseline, to monitor progress, and to adjust the plans.

 

Engagement of stakeholders

Those with a vested interest (e.g., women, racial/ethnic minorities) and those with institutional power both need to be a part of the process of identifying problems and creating solutions. Our DEIA Steering Committee provides oversight and ensures stakeholder input. The DEIA Office also fosters interactions through town halls, anonymous feedback, surveys, and focus groups of the HDFCCC workforce.

 

Individual-centered institutional change

Creating an equitable and inclusive institution requires changing underlying structures. However, while the change is institutional, the outcome should be chosen by the minority person, thus individual-centered. For example, a URM student trainee may want to become a researcher (a “pipeline” outcome), or a CRC, a physician, or a community leader, which are all impactful outcomes.

 

Opportunities

The plan should create more opportunities and ensure equal access and preparation for diverse staff, trainees, faculty, and leaders.

 

Unity

Structural oppression pits minority groups against each other. Unity means working in ways that elevate all groups. This is partly accomplished by increasing opportunities and partly by addressing structural issues that harm all groups. Unity also helps to address intersectionality (e.g., Black women, disabled Asians, etc.).

 

Strategic Aims

The Strategic Aims listed below leverage institutional commitment and infrastructure and are carried out in coordination with the Office of Education and Training, Office of Community Engagement, and HDFCCC Administration, and further guided by our Key Principles to actualize a more representative and inclusive workforce.

  1. To create and maintain a system of accountability for DEIA at the HDFCCC by iteratively collecting and analyzing data, disseminating the data with transparency, and soliciting stakeholder input for improvement.
  2. To build and expand capacity for DEIA by collaborating with HDFCCC leadership groups, coordinating with other DEIA efforts at UCSF, and integrating COE efforts with community partnerships, and CRTEC efforts with training institutions in the catchment area.
  3. To facilitate recruitment, career development, and retention of diverse research staff, trainees, faculty, advisors, and leaders and to foster their career development.

Core Team

Tung Nguyen, MD

Tung Nguyen, MD (Nguyễn Thanh Tùng)
Associate Director for DEIA

In his role as the inaugural associate director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA), Dr. Nguyen directs a DEIA office that ensures that the HDFCCC is an inclusive, equitable, anti-racist, and supportive environment for a diverse workforce, so that cancer research is conducted with integrity, without causing harm, and in an environment where people want to work. His primary responsibilities are to develop and sustain opportunities to support a diverse HDFCCC workforce (staff, trainees, faculty, leaders, and advisors), with an emphasis in retention and recruitment of diverse faculty, staff, and learners.

Nynikka Palmer

Nynikka Palmer, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Director for Faculty DEIA

Dr. Palmer joined UCSF in 2013 as an assistant professor of Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, with secondary appointments in the departments of Urology and Radiation Oncology. Her research agenda sits at the intersection of multiple fields and methods, including cancer disparities, health services research, health care communication, and community engagement. In 2016, she helped launch and co-leads the prostate cancer task force for the San Francisco Cancer Initiative. Dr. Palmer is also the director of the research education component of the UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, leading a scholar training and mentoring program for underrepresented junior investigators to develop independent research careers focused on health equity and aging issues. Since 2019, Dr. Palmer has been a certified facilitator for the Academy of Communication for Healthcare and the UCSF Center for Enhancement of Communication in Healthcare that offers training on enhancing relationship-centered communication skills and relationship-centered communication for equity and inclusion.

Ana Velázquez Mañana

Ana I. Velázquez Mañana, MD, MSc
Assistant Director for Trainee DEIA

Dr. Velázquez joined UCSF in 2018 as a clinical fellow of Medicine and in 2022 was appointed as an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. During her clinical training, she focused on thoracic oncology, with a special interest in the care of vulnerable populations with cancer. Since 2019, Dr. Velázquez has been an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Trainee and Early Career Advisory Group. Over the past two years, she has served as co-leader of the ASCO Oncology Summer Internship at UCSF, a clinical summer program for underrepresented medical students aimed at increasing diversity of the oncology workforce.

Roberto Efrain Diaz, PhD

Roberto Efraín Díaz, PhD
Program Manager

Dr. Díaz joined UCSF in 2017 as a PhD student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and in 2023 joined the HDFCCC Office of DEIA as a Program Manager. During his graduate education, he used biochemical and structural techniques to study interactions between chitin-binding proteins and chitin. In addition to his research, Dr. Díaz spearheaded numerous DEIA initiatives during his PhD including the Diversity Network Initiative, the Graduate and Postdoctoral Queer Alliance, the Basic Science Graduate Program Task Force on Systemic Racism and Anti-Blackness, and more. Since 2019, Dr. Díaz has been recognized for his advocacy and leadership with numerous awards, including a Graduate Division Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship, LGBT Resource Center Marsha P. Johnson Leadership Award, and the Chancellor’s Edison T. Uno Public Service Award.

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TBN
Assistant Director for Staff DEIA

Gender Equity Committee

Bridget Keenan, MD, PhD

Bridget Keenan, MD, PhD
HDFCCC Gender Equity Committee Co-Leader

Dr. Bridget Keenan has been at UCSF since 2015, first as a resident in Internal Medicine, then as a fellow in Hematology/Oncology, and recently, as faculty in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. She is a medical oncologist and physician-scientist, with a background in immunology and tumor immunotherapy. Her clinical role is in the Cancer Immunotherapy Clinic, where she cares for patients with solid organ tumors who are seeking or enrolled in immunotherapy clinical trials. Her research investigates mechanisms of the immune system to treat gastrointestinal malignancies. Dr. Keenan has had a long-standing interest in equity and working with underserved communities, and was involved with several community organizations in Baltimore during college and medical school. She has a particular focus on gender equity in science and medicine. At UCSF, she was the co-founder of WILD ("Women in Leadership Development") and is a current co-leader of the HDFCCC Gender Equity Committee.

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Lauren Boreta, MD
HDFCCC Gender Equity Committee Co-Leader


HDFCCC Leadership

Emily K. Bergsland, MD
Professor, Department of Medicine
Associate Director of Education and Training

Lauren Boreta, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
Co-Leader, Office of DEIA Gender Equity Committee

Bridget Keenan, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Co-Leader, Office of DEIA Gender Equity Committee

Kim Rhoads, MD, MS, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Associate Director of Community Engagement

Kate Shumate, MPA, CCRP
Chief of Staff, Associate Director of Administration

Katherine Van Loon, MD, MPH
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine
Co-Leader, Office of DEIA Gender Equity Committee

UCSF Leadership

Alejandra Rincón, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor of the Office of Diversity and Outreach

HDFCCC Trainees, Faculty, and Staff

Rony Francois, MD, PhD
Clinical Instructor, Departments of Dermatology and Pathology

Jennifer E. James, MSW, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor, Institute for Health & Aging

Mark Magbanua, PhD
Professional Researcher, Department of Laboratory Medicine

Salma Shariff-Marco, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Co-Investigator, Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry
Co-Director, Biostatistics & Population Research Shared Resource, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Evelin Trejo PhD, MPH, MSBH 
Clinical Research Coordinator, ZSFG Division of Hematology-Oncology 

UCSF Trainees, Faculty, and Staff

Emma Gunderson
DEI Manager & Project Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Lena Rivas, RACR
Talent Acquisition Partner, Human Resources

UC Staff

Sara Moncivais, MA
Cancer Clinical Research Projects Specialist

  • Díaz RE, Wankowicz SA. Ten recommendations for hosting a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) journal club. doi: 10.31219/osf.io/dtwsq

  • Keenan BP, Sibley A, Zhang L, Westring AF, Velazquez AI, Bank EM, Bergsland EK, Boreta L, Conroy P, Daras M, Hermiston M, Hsu G, Paris PL, Piawah S, Sinha S, Sosa JA, Tsang M, Venook AP, Wong M, Yom SS, Van Loon K. Evaluation of Culture Conducive to Academic Success by Gender at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Oncologist. 2023 Jul 13:oyad194. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad194. PMID: 37440206.