The population scientist and health equity researcher will lead VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, marking a historic milestone in cancer research and care.
Monica L. Baskin, Ph.D., has been named the first Black woman to lead a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, joining a legacy of Black women in health while taking on a role connected to persistent cancer disparities. Baskin’s appointment places her at the head of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia.
The VCU announcement said Baskin will serve as the center’s next director and is expected to become the Lipman Chair in Oncology, pending approval by the university’s Board of Visitors in September. She will begin the director’s role Aug. 3, becoming Massey’s first woman director and its fifth leader since receiving NCI designation in 1975…