Another day, another Black woman cracking a glass ceiling!
Dr. Monica L. Baskin is making history in cancer research and healthcare leadership.
VCU News reports that Baskin has been named the next director of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia. With the appointment, she becomes the first Black woman to lead a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the first woman to lead Massey.
Baskin, a nationally recognized health equity researcher and population scientist, has spent her career working to advance cancer prevention, early detection, and community-centered research. Her work focuses on improving outcomes for rural, medically underserved, and underrepresented communities.
According to VCU, Baskin has served as principal investigator or primary leader on research teams that have received more than $70 million in National Institutes of Health funding.
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Before being named director, Baskin served as Massey’s deputy director of research, associate dean for cancer innovation in the VCU School of Medicine, and interim director of the cancer center. She previously held leadership roles at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“It is an honor to be named as the next director at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center,” Baskin said in VCU’s announcement. “The center has an incredible legacy of advancing science, delivering compassionate cancer care and working collaboratively with the community.”
Baskin’s appointment places her among only nine women currently serving as directors of comprehensive cancer centers in the country.
Congratulations, Dr. Baskin!
