The Florez Lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Improving the care of vulnerable populations and supporting trainees from underrepresented groups in medicine

Background: Racial and ethnic minorities have well-established disparities in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival. A diverse oncology workforce improves the gap in cancer care for vulnerable populations. However, physicians, researchers, and others who are Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) face unique challenges in obtaining mentorship and sponsorship, and there is a lack of safe spaces for them to thrive, forcing many to leave medicine entirely. To further efforts in improving the care of vulnerable populations and to create a welcoming environment for UIM medical trainees, the Florez Lab (formerly known as the Duma Lab) was founded by Dr. Narjust Florez in 2019 at the University of Wisconsin. Subsequently, Dr. Florez moved to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and expanded the lab's reach. Here, we describe the history and legacy of our innovative group. Method(s): The Florez Lab is composed of 39 members, mostly UIM from different backgrounds and locations;members range from college students to faculty. It began as an allfemale team but now includes #HeforShe member allies. Several members joined as trainees, but are now junior faculty at NCI designated cancer centers and pay it forward by mentoring the next generation of the Florez Lab. We focus on social justice issues in medicine, including discrimination and gender bias in academic and clinical medicine, global oncology, and cancer health disparities, with a focus on thoracic oncology. Result(s): To date, the Florez Lab has secured research funding from several institutions and organizations, and has published 15 original articles, 11 editorials, 4 review articles, and 2 book chapters in addition to over 20 poster presentations at national and international conferences. Members have presented research findings at a wide array of national and international conferences, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and the World Conference on Lung Cancer, and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. The lab collaborates with multiple organizations, including the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19), ASCO Health Equity Committee, and the Lancet Commission: Women & Cancer. The lab is far-reaching;the #DumaLab and #FlorezLab hashtag is used on Twitter to amplify published work and advocacy efforts in improving the diversity of the oncology workforce and clinical trial enrollment. In 2021 the Florez Lab began a collaboration with Medscape and is the first lab to have a dedicated column, where we discuss issues related to social justice in medicine and cancer health disparities;the column has reached over 60,000 readers in less than one year. Conclusion(s): The success of the Florez Lab illustrates the importance of providing opportunities for, supporting, and amplifying the success of UIM trainees. Results indicate that the collaboration of UIM trainees is productive, meaningful, and necessary. Efforts should be made to continue supporting UIM trainees from all backgrounds and levels.

Patterns in Attending and Resident Remote Work Policies in Academic Radiation Oncology Departments

Purpose/Objective(s): Historically, work from home (WFH) policies were not common in radiation oncology (RO). With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and without oversight from professional organizations, many departments individually generated WFH policies. This study reports WFH policies and perceived impact on workflow and work-life balance within United States (US) academic RO departments for both residents and faculty. Materials/Methods: An IRB-approved questionnaire was developed and sent to one resident and one faculty member at each of the 92 US academic RO departments. Purposive sampling for residents and faculty was utilized. For residents, this consisted of the most senior resident and for faculty, a senior faculty member or the program director. If no reply was obtained after 3 weeks, an alternate member was selected. The survey remained open for 75 days. Categorical and continuous variables, along with free-responses were aggregated and reported. Results: 135 responses (residents n = 65, faculty n = 70) were received, representing 70.7% and 77.2% of the 92 programs respectively. A new WFH policy was reported by 83% faculty (58/70) and 92% residents (60/65), predominantly initiated within 2 months of the pandemic (60% faculty and 79% residents respectively). The initial WFH policy allowed moderate WFH for 40% faculty and 46% residents, while minimal WFH was offered for 30% faculty and 32% residents. Full WFH was reported by 14% of respondents in both categories. Policies have since contracted for 39% faculty and 62% of residents, being revoked for 11% of faculty and 22% of residents. 15/70 (21.4%) faculty and 12/65 (18.5%) residents report dissatisfaction with their current WFH policy. 18/70 (25.7%) faculty and 14/65 (21.5%) residents perceived negative sentiments from others regarding utilization of WFH. On a 4-point scale, residents and faculty reported personal/family life, research, and day-to-day productivity were positively impacted by WFH policy, while patient care was perceived as negatively impacted. No difference was reported for leadership or education. Conclusion: A variety of WFH policies have been adopted in RO. Understanding perceptions of the impact of different approaches can help to inform future policy and practice.

Mapping repertoires of collective action facing the COVID-19 pandemic in informal settlements in Latin American cities. (Special Issue: Rethinking the roles of the state and communities in urban housing and land-use management II.)

How are civil society organizations responding to COVID-19's impacts on informal settlements? In Latin America, civil society organizations have developed a repertoire of collective action, seeking to provide immediate and medium-term responses to the emergency. This paper aims to map these initiatives and identify strategic approaches to tackle the issues, given the strengths of those undertaking the initiative, and the scope, purpose and sphere of intervention. Using direct contact, a survey, and a virtual ethnography with social organizations has allowed us to identify and characterize the initiatives. The repertoire focuses on emergency measures around food security, and pedagogies for prevention, sanitation and income relief at the neighbourhood and district levels. We argue that the civil society response repertoire is diverse in form and resources but limited in scope;meanwhile the urgency of the situation and the mismatch with state action mean that crucial spheres of informality, vital to cultivating grounds for a healthy recovery phase, are being neglected.