Initiatives by Department & Program

The Department of Anesthesiology’s mission is to provide a culture and community where all members will grow and thrive regardless of color, religion, sexual orientation, race, gender, identity, or belief. It is our diversity which promotes a community of scholarship, research, and education where faculty, staff, and trainees are valued and treated with respect.

For more information, email Donna-Ann Thomas, MD, DEI committee Chair.

The Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) is committed to maintaining a diverse student environment, and we encourage students from all backgrounds to apply to our program. Students who join the BBS Program will receive the necessary support and mentorship both to thrive at Yale and to succeed in their future scientific careers.

Visit the BBS Diversity website to learn more or email Anton M. Bennett, PhD, Pharmacology, Director of Minority Affairs or Daniel Colon-Ramos, PhD, Cell Biology, Co-Director of Minority Affairs.

The Department of Cell Biology Standing Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion seeks to build a system of ongoing positive change to support all department members in the pursuit of their career goals.

Visit the Cell Biology DEI Committee website to learn more or email Shawn Ferguson, PhD, Committee Chair.

The Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology is committed to building an inclusive community that respects and celebrates the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all of its members. Through our recruiting activities and our efforts to foster the exchange of ideas among faculty, fellows, students, and staff we endeavor to ensure that inclusivity is a core principle that guides our growth and development.

For more information, email Michael Caplan, MD, PhD, Chair, Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

The Yale Child Study Center cares deeply about each member of our community and is committed to fostering a more equitable, and inclusive culture, conducive to sustaining and attracting diversity in all its forms. This commitment is accompanied by education, reflection and informed action to support an increased understanding of biases and how racism and other exclusionary practices impact our community. We will take intentional action to transform our policies and practices to ensure that we increase and sustain diverse perspectives in research, clinical practice, and professional training. We believe that these practices allow us to best participate and contribute to a pluralistic society, and enhance our center and the community we serve.

To learn more, email Tara Davila, LCSW, Chief Diversity Officer.

The Department of Comparative Medicine is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment for trainees, staff, and faculty. We strive to have a culture of equity, where the unique characteristics of every individual are respected. We believe that equity, inclusion, and diversity are essential for academic excellence, professional development, and a strong scientific community.

The Department of Dermatology has formalized its commitment to confronting and overcoming racial injustice/equity/representation. We are now galvanized with highly focused attention that flows through all aspects of our key activities, including teaching medical students and trainees, faculty development, delivery of clinical care, research efforts, and initiatives related to our national presence. The field of dermatology has a special mandate in this regard, since the first word in the phrase “Skin of Color” refers to the domain of our specialty.

To learn more, email Michael Girardi, MD, Deputy Chairman of the Department.

The Department of Emergency Medicine strives to create an environment and culture of inclusivity where every individual is valued, respected, and treated equitably and fairly.

The mission of the department is enhanced by recruiting and retaining excellent faculty, trainees and staff from diverse backgrounds.

To learn more, please email Dowin Boatright, MD, Officer for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Department of Genetics understands that outstanding science is driven by diversity. We strive to create an inclusive community of faculty, staff, and students whose voices and contributions are valued and respected to better represent the communities we serve. To that end, we are currently developing and implementing a range of educational and operational initiatives to catalyze the transformation of our institutional culture toward an inclusive environment that nourishes individuals of all backgrounds. Through this, we recognize diversity and inclusion as fundamental for promoting scientific creativity, innovation, and scientific discovery.

To learn more, email Valentina Greco, PhD.

The History of Medicine Department is committed to nurturing an inclusive environment enriched by diversity. We foster a respectful, equitable, accessible, and generative culture in which students, faculty, and staff thrive and develop to their fullest potential.

In early 2017, a group of trainees in the Department of Immunobiology founded the Immunobiology Working Group on Diversity & Inclusion (IWGDI). The IWGDI was formed to reflect on departmental culture, create a welcoming and inclusive community, and celebrate diversity in the department. The faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and staff who make up this group work together to not only establish practices that increase diversity at all levels of the department, but also raise awareness of issues related to diversity and inclusion. In 2020 the department created the position of vice chair of diversity to further support these efforts. Information on our mission/goals, achievements, members, and outreach can be found on our website.

To learn more, visit the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Immunobiology website or email one of our co-chairs, Sebatian Diaz or Naomi Philip, PhD.

The Department of Internal Medicine strives to create an inviting environment and institutional culture of inclusivity where every individual’s unique and diverse characteristics are valued and respected. We sustain the richness of our department by recruiting and retaining trainees, staff, and faculty from and with diverse backgrounds and talents.

Visit the Internal Medicine Diversity website to learn more.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine is committed to embracing the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Faculty and staff volunteer to participate in a departmental Diversity Council, with resources and expertise provided from DEI champions across the University, medical school, and hospital.

A monthly journal club focused on DEI-relevant topics, organized by PhD student Emily Siniscalco and involving trainees, faculty, and staff in Laboratory Medicine and Immunobiology, began in 2020 and features topics chosen by volunteer presenters.

For more information, email Paula Kavathas, PhD, Vice Chair for DEI.

The Department of Microbial Pathogenesis aims to create an inclusive environment to build and empower a diverse community to foster a culture and atmosphere of mutual respect. We are committed to engaging the voices of our community to promote equality and compassion for all. Efforts to achieve these goals are coordinated by a diversity and inclusion departmental committee, currently chaired by Hesper Rego, PhD, with representation from students, postdoctoral fellows, staff members, and faculty.

For more information, please email Hesper Rego, PhD, Diversity and Inclusion Departmental Committee Chair

Our Science: The Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry exists at the intersection of molecular biology, chemistry, and physics. We bring diverse intellectual perspectives to bear on challenging biological problems, united in our goal of understanding life processes at a molecular and mechanistic level. Our department is composed of faculty from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. With research interests in our department spanning from basic science to translational research, we function as a cohesive, productive, and nurturing department.

Our Culture: MB&B’s core goal is to train the best scientists of tomorrow, and to succeed we are committed to creating an environment where every individual can thrive. As a department, we strive to support all members of our community and to foster an inclusive and supportive space for colleagues who have been historically underrepresented in our field. By actively working to remove the barriers for scientists from underrepresented groups, we create a departmental culture that allows every scientist to achieve excellence while being their authentic selves.

For more information, email Enrique De La Cruz, PhD, Chair, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

The Department of Neurology's Committee for Diversity and Inclusion seeks to bring about department-wide cultural changes that promote a diverse and inclusive environment in which all faculty, staff, and trainees can thrive and feel valued. Through our three subcommittees, we strive to raise awareness of and eliminate racial biases within the workplace and patient care, elevate minorities to leadership positions within the Department of Neurology, and amplify minority voices, presence, and representation within the Yale and external communities.

Visit the Neurology Diversity & Inclusion website to learn more.

The Department of Neuroscience is committed to fostering a supportive environment that recognizes and respects the unique contributions of each individual member of our community. We strive to promote a culture of inclusivity through the recruitment and support of trainees, staff, and faculty from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.

To learn more, email Pauline Charbogne, PhD, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Yale Neurosurgery’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee strives to cultivate an environment of belonging. We hold core values of community, diligence, empathy, fairness, growth, integrity, and respect. Our commitment is to recruit, support, and retain medical students, residents, faculty, and staff who reflect the diverse community we serve.

To learn more email Juan Bartolomei MD, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for faculty, staff, trainees and patients as part of its mission for excellence in women’s health.
To learn more, email Sangini Sheth, MD, MPH, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.

Our collaborative departmental efforts include:

• Task Force on Clinical Care & Patient Outcomes
  To learn more, email our Task Force Lead: Sangini Sheth, MD, MPH
• Task Force on Education
  To learn more, email our Task Force Leads: Oluwatosin Onibokun, MD, MPH and Lubna Pal, MBBS, MS
• Task Force on Research and Retention
  To learn more, email our Task Force Lead: Valerie Flores, MD

To learn more about these tasks forces and our department’s other efforts, visit the Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences Diversity & Equity website.

The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science is proud to be one of the most diverse departments at Yale School of Medicine. The Department has taken proactive steps to curate our leadership's visible presence at national meetings celebrating diversity and inclusion with the National Medical Association (NMA), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and the Association for Research & Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO), and that increased presence has already translated into the most diverse residency applicant pool in memory. In addition, an active mentorship program is underway to create a candidate pipeline from the Yale School of Medicine and beyond into the Department. We aim to create an inviting and inclusive culture and to become a beacon for the brightest and most diverse minds to join us at the trainee, faculty, and leadership levels, and we have been inspired by the excitement the Department's affirmative efforts have generated even during an otherwise challenging period in medicine.

Our program is inclusive in its constituency; therefore, our definition of diversity includes underrepresented minorities (traditionally defined as African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Latinos, who have historically comprised a minority of the U.S. population). We are inclusive of all people regardless of their ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and language proficiency. Our activities are varied and have included:

• Welcoming events for new staff and trainees
• Educational faculty training activities
• Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts (training in strategies against masked aggressions)
• Defeating Unconscious Bias
• Seminar series on bias in the workplace with residents
• Diversity dinners
• Getting to know your community through food events

Visit the Pediatrics diversity website to learn more or email Marietta Vazquez, MD, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Yale School of Medicine Physician Assistant Online program commit to promote diversity and an inclusive environment by continuously engaging in education, reflection, and advocacy for the benefit of the communities in which we learn, work, and serve.

Visit the PA Online JEDI webpage to learn more or email Diane Bruessow MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, PA Online Program

The Department of Psychiatry promotes diversity, equity, inclusion as a driver of excellence and leadership in clinical work, community service, education, and research to enhance mental health and well-being and reduce the burden of psychiatric illness.

To learn more, visit the Psychiatry Diversity Committee's website to learn more or email Cindy Crusto, PhD, Deputy Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging is committed to creating an environment where all our faculty and staff feel welcome, respected and heard. We are currently in the process of recruiting a vice chair for diversity, equity and inclusion who will be charged with building, implementing, and enhancing further these attributes within the department. We currently offer an interventional radiology (IR) scholarship for women pursuing a career in IR and in diagnostic radiology, exceed the national average for female faculty.

For more information, email JC Perez Lozada, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Department of Therapeutic Radiology seeks to establish a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion to support and advance our multiple missions of patent care, research, and education. We look to build a diverse group of faculty, trainees, and staff with multiple perspectives and backgrounds to enrich our community.

For more information about our efforts, email Faye Rogers, PhD, Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Yale Urology is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across our community. Our DEI Committee is focused on several important objectives:

• To strengthen the recruitment, retention, support, and promotion of a diverse department workforce
• To foster an inclusive work environment that welcomes and celebrates diversity
  
• To ensure inclusion and equitable representation of diverse perspectives on decision-making bodies
  
• To study and educate on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine and healthcare
• To combat disparities in access, provision, and outcomes of medical education and patient care

For questions or additional information on diversity, equity, and inclusion at Yale Urology, feel free to contact Harris E. Foster Jr., MD, our departmental DEI committee chair.