DF/HCC's IECD Program Endeavors to Establish New Partnerships with HBCU's

On April 10-11, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center’s IECD (Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities) program hosted nine Howard University Karsh STEM Scholars and provided them tours of Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, DFCI’s Cell Manipulation Core, and historical locations such as the Embrace sculpture at the Boston Common, and around the surrounding neighborhoods of Longwood Medical Area including Roxbury with a walk tour by Live Like A Local Tours Boston to learn about the rich history of the city of Boston. The goal of the 2-day visit was for the scholars to gain insight and explore graduate school programs; meet those in the programs by networking with HMS Graduate Students and HMS Black Post-Doctoral Fellows; learn how to develop competitive applications; attain an understanding of the rigor and comprehensiveness required to attend graduate school; and to also expose them to the Boston area. Scholars met with city officials at the Boston City Hall and discussed what it means to be a student in Boston, and they were also able to meet and greet 2019 American Nobel Laureate Physician-Scientist William G. Kaelin, MD (DFCI).

"Being able to offer these kinds of programs to underrepresented students locally and from other parts of the country can make a huge difference. Early exposure and experiential learning are key components in the process to showcase all that Boston has to offer. We need diversified thoughts and diversified hands to make new discoveries." 
– Karen Burns White.

According to IECD Deputy Associate Director Karen Burns White, this initiative of partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), among which is Howard University, started in 2021 when she and her group were looking to expand the IECD program. This endeavor is supported by the DF/HCC executive leadership under Deputy Director Ramesh Shivdasani, MD, PhD — who along with Burns White, gave a welcome speech to the students. According to Burns White, establishing new partnerships is key to the expansion of pipeline programs, especially those focused specifically on research. She says, "being able to offer these kinds of programs to underrepresented students locally and from other parts of the country can make a huge difference. Early exposure and experiential learning are key components in the process to showcase all that Boston has to offer. We need diversified thoughts and diversified hands to make new discoveries.”

Under Karen’s leadership, she has led the DF/HCC CURE Program, which reached 20 years in operation last year, and the Program continues to introduce Massachusetts high school and college students from underrepresented populations to the world of cancer research by placing them in real research settings within DF/HCC member institutions. Karen says that the overall vision is to enhance opportunities beyond internships,  diversify training beyond Massachusetts, and in the process, “we hope to engage, educate, and broaden the landscape of research and discovery.”