Dr Ana Maria Lopez Named Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center– Jefferson Health

The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health (SKCC) has appointed Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, FRCP, as Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The new leadership role will facilitate and coordinate DEI efforts across the SKCC enterprise.

Dr. Lopez, who is Professor and Vice Chair of Medical Oncology and Chief of Cancer Services at SKCC – Jefferson Health New Jersey, is a board-certified medical oncologist and a health service researcher with a focus on health equity research who has been continuously extramurally funded since fellowship. Dr. Lopez’s health equity research portfolio includes holding simultaneous awards ($5M) as PI of both a Center of Excellence Grant (CoE, HRSA) and a Health Care Opportunities Program Grant (HCOP, HRSA). Lessons from these projects and other workforce development research will bring evidence to the SKCC perspective.

In this newly created role, Dr. Lopez will be responsible for enhancing infrastructure while utilizing institutional resources to expand the pipeline of members of diverse backgrounds. This will be accomplished through training or mentoring opportunities to encourage participation of students, postdoctoral researchers, and co-investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those groups shown to be nationally underrepresented in the research workforce.

She will work collaboratively with SKCC’s Edith P. Mitchell, MD, Associate Director for Diversity Affairs; Amy Leader, DrPH, MPH, Associate Director for Community Integration; Felix Kim, PhD, Associate Director for Education and Training Programs; Bernard Lopez, MD, Associate Provost, Diversity and Inclusion, and Associate Dean, Diversity and Community Engagement at Thomas Jefferson University; and Lisette Martinez, MBA, Jefferson’s EVP & Chief Diversity Officer, to facilitate SKCC learning, support best practices, and forge a path towards equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. These efforts will enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging in the SKCC community, support recruitment and retention efforts at all levels at SKCC, and expand partnerships with local, national, and global communities.

When asked about the significance of this role, Dr. Lopez noted, “Given the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased data on the adverse impact of racism, ageism, sexism, and all the other -isms on health outcomes, the time is ripe for evolution. The opportunity that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging bring to science is transformative. It is a privilege to partner with colleagues and communities to advance opportunities for all.”

Dr. Lopez came to Jefferson from the University of Utah, where she served as Associate Vice President for Health Equity and Inclusion for University of Utah Health and held a similar role at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Dr. Lopez currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Group on Women in Medicine and Science at the Association of American Medical Colleges and as Co-chair, Health Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Taskforce at the Society for Integrative Oncology. She recently served as Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Cancer Health Equity Committee, as a Steering Committee Member of the Group on Diversity and Inclusion at the Association of American Medical Colleges, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Medical Association.

Dr. Lopez is a former member of the Advisory Committees on Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) (NIH/DHHS), the Executive Committee for the National Sex and Gender Education Summit (American Medical Women’s Association), and a member of the Inclusion Across the Lifespan Workshop (NIH).

“We are incredibly thankful that Dr. Lopez will be bringing her expertise and unique perspective to the role of Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” said Andrew Chapman, DO, Enterprise Director of SKCC and EVP of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health. “Throughout her career, Dr. Lopez has focused on health equity, garnering a national presence in the field. Her knowledge and deep understanding will guide DEI efforts that are already underway at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, as well as expand our duty in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.”