In this episode, host Shikha Jain, MD, speaks with ASH president, Belinda Avalos, MD, about the importance of DEI practices in medicine, leading molecular medicine developments and more. •    Welcome to another exciting episode of Oncology Overdrive 0:14 •    About Avalos 0:18 •    The interview 1:18 •    How did you know you know you wanted to be a hematologist and how did you end up in this space doing the work you’re doing now?  1:47 •    Jain and Avalos on the innovations and patient relationships in the field of HemOnc that drive physician interest. 3:25 •    What drove your passion to get involved in DEI and equitable care in medicine? 5:08 •    Jain and Avalos on diversity in clinical trials.  7:48 •    Jain and Avalos on the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to patient care.  9:08 •    What do you see as the biggest barriers to driving change in this space? How can we actually make changes that will result in real-world transformation?  10:11 •    Tell me about the work that you do in the spaces of women in hematology and medicine.  11:25 •    What types of things should we be doing to drive gender equity changes in medicine?  13:40 •    Do you feel hopeful about where we are going with the changes being driven by societies like ASH?  15:24 •    What else excites you about hematology and the innovation in the field now?  17:02 •    What are the biggest transformations we are going to see in hematology over the next decade?  23:26 •    Where will you be focusing your time moving forward?  27:53 •    If someone could only listen to the last few minutes of this episode, what would you want listeners to take away? 29:16 •    How to contact Avalos 30:15 •    Thanks for listening 30:44 Belinda R. Avalos, MD, is the American Society of Hematology 2025 president, and is a professor of medicine and a senior advisor to the president of Atrium Health Levine Cancer.

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Dr. Jain at [email protected]. Follow Healio on X and LinkedIn: @HemOncToday and https://www.linkedin.com/company/hemonctoday/. Follow Dr. Jain on X: @ShikhaJainMD. Avalos can be reached by contacting ASH at www.hematology.org. 

Disclosures: Jain and Avalos report no relevant financial disclosures.