This column is a love letter of sorts to our field, a recognition of all that we have accomplished and an acknowledgement that we need to find a path forward that supports and empowers the best of what it is to invest in cancer research.
17 and Onward
This column is a nod to my former role as the 17th director of the NCI,” writes W. Kimryn Rathmell. “It was the greatest honor of my career. This column is a love letter of sorts to our field, a recognition of all that we have accomplished and an acknowledgement that we need to find a path forward that supports and empowers the best of what it is to invest in cancer research.
Isolating science by shutting down communication risks building up silos, stymying scientific innovation and dissemination, and creating a culture that excludes rather than includes.
Being summarily dismissed, denigrated, and divided is both dehumanizing and taking place in a radical and disorienting manner. The effect is traumatizing.
Today, our world is small. It feels smaller all the time. In a few hours we can get to any point on the globe.
Knowledge is power, and this information, true for many cancers, is valuable for everyone to know—either to have an awareness of their own bodies and the factors that they can control, or to create spaces for empathy with persons they might encounter with cancer.
As cancer specialists, we have to constantly be on the lookout, alert for trends as they emerge—because they might impact the way we best deliver advice or care, or because trends may inform us about specific influences that drive cancers.
I was really excited to get to talk about the role that mentorship plays in women’s leadership development. It’s a topic that I’ve thought a lot about, and also that I’ve benefitted from, and that I think is not always applied with enough intention. There is an art to mentorship, and I want to share some of how that has helped me navigate career transitions and pivot to leadership roles.
