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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.
The principles underlying the HDFCCC PED are captured in the acronym AEIOU.
Accountability
Engagement of stakeholders
Individual-centered institutional change
Opportunities
Unity
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.
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, 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 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 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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Assistant Director for Staff DEIA
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.
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.