We are pleased to announce that Basmah Safdar, MD, MSc, has accepted the newly created position of Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs & Development, for the Department of Emergency Medicine. In this role, Dr. Safdar will help lead the department’s faculty affairs, promotions and appointments processes. In addition, she will oversee faculty mentoring, development, and retention programs.
Dr. Safdar currently directs the faculty development program for the department and is uniquely qualified for her new role. She is nationally renowned for her work striving for equity in the healthcare workforce. After serving as President of the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), Dr. Safdar led the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Equity Taskforce, first documenting gender and race disparities in faculty salary and advancement, and then reporting on best practices and innovations to address them. Dr. Safdar is also an accomplished investigator with expertise in translational research and clinical trials, and an internationally recognized scholar in sex and gender-specific research focusing on endothelial function and microvascular health. She has published 100+ peer-reviewed publications, including first and senior-authored manuscripts in Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine, JAMA Open, Circulation, PLOS One, European Heart Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, and NEJM Catalyst among others.
Dr. Safdar earned her medical degree at Aga Khan University and masters from Harvard. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at Yale University where she served as chief resident. She is an alumnus of the Women’s Executive Leadership Program at the Impact Center (Washington, D.C.). For her excellence in mentorship, Dr. Safdar has received a number of awards, including the AWAEM Mid-Career Faculty Award, AWAEM Momentum Leadership Award and Outstanding Mentor Award by Yale Women’s Housestaff Organization.
“I can think of no one better to fill this new role,” said DEM Interim Chair, Dr. Andrew Ulrich. “Dr. Safdar has many years of leadership experience in our department and national societies. She is a tireless champion for our faculty, with a special interest in advocating for women and minorities in medicine. I look forward to working closely with Dr. Safdar to continue to enhance, develop, and promote outstanding faculty on all tracks. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Safdar and in wishing her every success in implementing innovations that will support our department’s endeavors that will allow us to continue to be recognized as national leaders in faculty development and mentorship."