Erika Newman was named the first associate director for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.
She will lead the center’s efforts to diversify the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers, and to champion an anti-racist and just culture within the cancer center.
“This is a really important time for these efforts,” Newman said in a statement. “We’ve had a rough year with the health disparities underscored by COVID-19 and the events that have prompted a larger racial awakening across the country, including the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. So, this is an opportunity for us to take a look at ourselves, to take a look at our organization, and understand how we can contribute to positive change across clinical care, research, education and training, and service to our community.”
Newman is an associate professor of pediatric surgery at Michigan Medicine.
Newman maintains a busy clinical practice with broad expertise in the care of children with solid tumors as well as a basic-science research lab that focuses on understanding tumor-specific DNA repair mechanisms as novel therapeutic options for pediatric neuroblastoma. She is surgical director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s solid tumor oncology program.
Newman is a founding member of the Michigan Women’s Surgical Collaborative, a diverse group of academic surgeons with the mission of implementing strategies that advance women surgeons across disciplines.
She also facilitated the development and implementation of the Michigan Promise within the Department of Surgery, a series of innovative initiatives aimed at improving faculty and resident excellence and strengthening the core culture to create a more open and inclusive environment.
Her appointment was effective June 1.
