Ray Blind, PhD, Ingram Assistant Professor of Cancer Research, has been named associate director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC).
Blind, an assistant professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Biochemistry, is a nationally recognized investigator in the understanding of the structure, function and signaling of nuclear lipids.
Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, the Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology, and director of VICC, supported the establishment of an office for diversity, equity and inclusion after taking the helm of the Cancer Center in 2022.
“We need people from diverse backgrounds to nurture a welcoming environment and to be successful,” Park said. “When talented physicians and researchers with different perspectives and life experiences come together with a common goal to alleviate the burden of cancer, a powerful synergy occurs. We aim to have a positive impact on the whole of humanity that we serve and make sure that no person is left behind as we advance the understanding of cancers and advance treatments.”
Blind, who identifies as Hispanic and is a first-generation college graduate, has leveraged his education to help others. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), he taught biochemistry at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of a UCSF-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation effort to improve medical education in the developing world. In addition, he served in the first Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award postdoctoral cohort at UCSF.
“Ray’s commitment, experience and leadership in diversity, inclusion, outreach and justice initiatives will help VICC continue to lead in all aspects of inclusive excellence,” Park said.