Yale surgical oncologist and scientist Nita Ahuja MD, MBA, spoke about how epigenetic changes affect gene expression on the Health & Veritas podcast.
The episode began with an overview of epigenetics and liquid biopsies, a blood test that tracks response and resistance to cancer therapies.
The thing with science is the more you learn, the more you know you don’t know.
Nita Ahuja MD, MBA
“The thing with science is the more you learn, the more you know you don’t know. I always wear my hat as a clinician first, as a doctor first, and think about, ‘What does my patient want?’ My patient wants to live longer,” said Dr. Ahuja.
Dr. Ahuja discussed her decision to pursue an MBA at Johns Hopkins and the importance of finding a balance between providing optimal clinical care while also managing a complicated healthcare environment. Lastly, she reflected on the differences between men and women as surgeons and the importance of representation in healthcare.
“Our patients are diverse and they need women, they need men, they need different gender, races, etc. The other piece is trying to ensure that our leaders have also changed and have advocated nationally to bring more women into leadership. So that has made a big difference not only here at Yale but around the country,” she said.
Health & Veritas is hosted by Howard P. Forman MD, MBA and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM. Listen for the latest news and ideas in healthcare.