Dr. George will help create the DEI vision and mission for Sylvester.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has named Sophia George, Ph.D., the inaugural associate director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

In this role, Dr. George will develop the vision and participate in the strategic planning of Sylvester’s initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as essential elements of its mission. She will oversee the development of the Plan to Enhance Diversity, a National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirement, which includes programs and services to advance the center’s commitment to equity, cultural humility, anti-racism and anti-discrimination. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will work collaboratively with human resources and the community outreach and cancer research training and education cores to synergize and optimize DEI efforts.

“Our mission statement states that we commit to be an inclusive organization where all members, staff, and trainees feel a sense of belonging, are valued and respected,” said Dr. George. “That is our baseline. For Sylvester, our commitment to diversity is not superficial. Sylvester has chosen to address this at the highest level of the organization. The leadership of the cancer center, medical school, and University are onboard.”

Dr. George will report directly to the director of Sylvester, Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., and will serve on Sylvester’s executive committee and board of overseers. The NCI is encouraging its designated cancer centers to formally address equity and inclusion by establishing roles like the one Dr. George now holds at Sylvester.

“We have built a diverse and inclusive cancer center that has made significant strides in advancing research where minority populations are well represented, to include medically underserved communities here in South Florida and around the world,” said Dr. Nimer, Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and executive dean for research at the Miller School. “Dr. Sophia George has long supported this commitment and is a leader in advancing health equity through action.”

In addition to this new role, Dr. George is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. She will continue her extramurally funded research on the study of breast and gynecologic cancers in women from the African diaspora and Africa.

Dr. George was invited to participate in the World Health Organization Global Breast Cancer Initiative, which focuses on developing best practices for United Nations members to achieve health equity in the context of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. She is a founding faculty member of the University of Miami Center for Global Black Studies, sits on the executive committee and conducts interdisciplinary work on the Reproduction of Race in Miami project led by the co-directors of the center.