Both in her roles as a head and neck cancer researcher and associate director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Duke Cancer Institute, Tammara Watts MD, PhD, has made it her mission to address cancer disparities and diversify the oncology workforce. A nearly $2 million grant she recently received from the National Institutes of Health will help her do just that.

For Debra Ragland, PhD, who works closely with PhD students in the School of Medicine, addressing issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the biosciences is simple. She says it’s a matter of creating a supportive environment where the students feel heard. In her role as director of the Duke BioCoRE Program, she helps students who are excited about the biosciences get the support they need as they work toward becoming the next generation of scientists.

The human brain works in different ways for each of us. But Madhav Swaminathan, MD, professor of anesthesiology, says that shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to feel excluded. Witnessing his autistic adult son thrive as an office assistant at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development has been the motivation behind Swaminathan’s push to create welcoming, inclusive spaces for neurodiverse individuals at Duke.

Over the 26 years she has been at Duke, Jeanine Holland has been driven by a desire to serve others and make a lasting difference on local communities. In this month’s Spotlight, Holland discusses her passion for service, which was instilled in her as a child and remains part of who she is. She continues to serve even today in her role as administrative coordinator in the School of Medicine’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

When Oke Anakwenze, MD, was a medical student, it was hard for him to find mentors who looked like him. It was even harder once he began training in orthopaedic surgery, a field of medicine that is lacking in racial and ethnic diversity. In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Anakwenze shares how he’s trying to make the experience of finding mentors a bit easier for today’s underrepresented in medicine students, both in his role as shoulder section head in the Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and as diversity committee chair for the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Appointing and promoting faculty involves much more than simply reviewing CVs. Just ask James Tcheng, MD, associate dean for academic appointments. In this month’s EDI Spotlight, Tcheng gives a glimpse into the world of faculty appointments and promotions, offering insights into why it’s important to incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion into the appointments, promotion, and tenure (APT) process.

In this month’s EDI Spotlight, we highlight a group that is working diligently to address the needs and challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community. The Sexual and Gender Diversity Advisory Council (SAGDAC) is a think tank that helps support collaboration and a wide range of innovative LGBTQ+ initiatives across Duke.

Adriana DaCosta’s experience as a student in the Duke Physician Assistant Program has opened her eyes to many things, among them the need for improved access to health care for Black and Hispanic communities. The realization has led her to partner with a local organization and the Duke Cancer Institute to offer CPR training and resources for historically marginalized groups at health fairs.

Raquel Ruiz, MBA, MAEd, first discovered the importance of including diverse participants in research studies while working as a research assistant in college. Ever since, she has worked in some capacity to help advance health equity. Her passion for EDI most recently led her to the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI), where part of her team’s work includes building community trust in research.

Fourth-year medical student Mary Moya-Mendez, MS, MHS, shares what motivated her to get involved with a Duke University School of Medicine organization aimed at helping students with a first generation and/or low income (FGLI) background navigate medical school.