CRCHD Hispanic Heritage Month Video Campaign - Transcripts

Paula Aristizabal – Spanish Video 1

Como médica investigadora de disparidades en cáncer infantil, la recomendación y el consejo que yo daría a todas las personas que estén considerando esta área es definitivamente buscar algo que les apasione y que les apasione profundamente. Y luego discutir a profundidad con los mentores para poder escoger un camino en investigación.

Para poder ser exitoso en investigación, realmente es muy importante encontrar los mentores que lo apoyen y poder encontrar un área muy específica que pueda ser factible de encontrar fondos para poder apoyar estas carreras en investigación. Mucha suerte a todos que quieren seguir esta pasión de cáncer.

Paula Aristizabal – Spanish Video 2

En mi carrera he tenido 2 momentos muy importantes como una médica investigadora. El primero fue cuando gané el Diversity Supplement con apoyo de mi mentora del Centro Para Reducción de Disparidades de Cáncer del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer. Y fue muy importante porque ahí aprendí a conducir investigaciones en equidad de cáncer. Y el segundo momento más importante definitivamente ha sido cuando obtuve mi K08 del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer y del Centro de Disparidades que fue fundamental para poder aprender definitivamente investigación en cáncer y disparidades.

Guillermo Armaiz-Pena

Hi, I'm Guillermo Armaiz-Pena from the Ponce Health Sciences University. And I want to highlight how the CRCHD has impacted my career. The CRCHD, through its diversity training programs, such as the CURE and PACHE programs, have played pivotal roles in my career as a trainee and as faculty. Furthermore, it has helped establish my independent research program with the support of R21. Moreover, the CRCHD training programs have supported my trainees through its different opportunities that include the Diversity Supplements and the Diversity F31. Without a doubt, it would have been very difficult for me and my group to be where we are without the support of the CRCHD.

Dr. Kylynda Bauer, Dr. Cecilia Monge, Gabriella Arroyo Figueroa, & Francisco Rodríguez-Matos – Spanish Video

TODOS: Hola.
CECILIA MONGE: Mi nombre es la doctora Cecilia Monge y soy de Costa Rica. Todos trabajamos en la sección de cánceres gastrointestinales. Quien dirige, el doctor Tim Greten. Una de mis áreas de investigación es las características únicas de los hispanos con cáncer de hígado.
KYLYNDA BAUER: Soy doctora Kylynda Bauer y mi madre es de Perú. Y estudió como el microbioma influye en el cáncer de hígado.
FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ: Soy Francisco Rodríguez, estudiante de medicina de Puerto Rico y estudio la inmunología detrás de los cánceres de hígado y vías biliares, quienes tienen alta prevalencia en las poblaciones latinas.
GABRIELA ARROYO: Mi nombre es Gabriela Arroyo de Puerto Rico. Soy estudiante de postbac bajo la mentoría de la doctora Cecilia, y mi proyecto se enfoca en aumentar la diversidad y inclusión de poblaciones hispanas en protocolos clínicos.
GABRIELA ARROYO y FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ: Feliz mes de la herencia hispana.
KYLYNDA BAUER: Chau.

Carlos Casiano

I am Dr. Carlos Casiano, Professor at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. The NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities has been instrumental in advancing my academic career in cancer research. Through the years, this Center has provided travel awards through the American Association for Cancer Research, as well as critical grant support to advance my prostate cancer health disparities research program. Thank you, NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, for your support and also for the support of critical programs to advance the science of cancer health disparities and promote diversity in the scientific workforce. Thank you again very much!

Pilar de la Puente – Video 1

Hi, I am Pilar de la Puente, a Spanish cancer researcher at Sanford Research. My advice to those considering a cancer research career is that they can do it! When I was an undergraduate, I did not even imagine that one day I could lead my own laboratory. But here I am. I suggest that you start connecting with people. Yes, you can email, reach out to your role models, network at events. The more the better. Making those connections will help you in your career. Very important. Do not lose perspective of what makes you happy. Enjoy and savor the little moments of success, because there will always be failures. You just need to learn from them. I absolutely love what I do, and you will do it, too. You can be the next cancer war hero. Let's celebrate our diversity together. Viva Hispanic Heritage Month!

Pilar de la Puente – Video 2

Hi, I am Pilar de la Puente and a Spanish cancer researcher at Sanford Research. And I'm a fierce advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am the Chair of the Sanford Research DEI Committee, and in this role, I have the privilege of bringing intentional awareness, promoting education, and actively engaging on DEI events to prioritize an inclusive working environment. I have proudly championed diversity in cancer research by participating in a comic book series from ECUSA entitled "Cancer Wars" with the goal to bring contemporary role models for Hispanic women. Check it out! Be a cancer war hero yourself. Honestly, I am constantly engaged in our activities, but there is still so much more we can do. Let's celebrate our diversity together. Viva Hispanic Heritage Month.

Thelma Escobar

Hi, my name is Thelma Escobar. I'm a professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington. I was born in Guatemala and raised in southern California. Although I come from a family and a community that is low income, my love for science propelled me to go to college and become a first-generation college student. I went to University of California in Los Angeles and it is there where my life trajectory changed. I learned how to be a scientist. I now run my own laboratory where we study how cells develop and what are the mechanisms that lead to cancer.

Thelma Escobar – Spanish Video

Hola. Mi nombre es Thelma Escobar. Yo soy una profesora de bioquímica en la Universidad de Washington. Yo nací en Guatemala, pero crecí en California. Y aunque crecí en una familia que teníamos bajos recursos, mi amor por la ciencia me ayudó a ir al colegio a estudiar biología.

Yo fui a la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles. Y es ahí donde mi vida cambió. Aprendí a ser un científico. Ahora tengo mi propio laboratorio. Y mi laboratorio estudia cómo las células se desarrollan y qué pasa cuando uno tiene cáncer.

David Fuentes

I was very fortunate to have received support from the CRCHD programs. The programs have provided me resources and time to facilitate training and research directions that I would have otherwise not had exposure to. This has really enabled me to establish a completely distinct line of research for my lab. The opportunities have also enabled me to establish strong collaborations with research mentors and collaborators to pursue these independent research directions. I would just like to say congratulations and thank you to CRCHD leadership for creating such a strong and productive program.

Jorge Gomez

Greetings, I'm Jorge Gomez, an associate professor in the Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri Columbia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities for their unwavering support of my research program since 2017, specifically in the realm of microbial-based cancer therapy. The generous funding allocated to my R21 projects has been instrumental in facilitating important discoveries that hold great promise for cancer treatment.

Jorge Gomez - Spanish Video

Hola, mi nombre es Jorge Gómez y soy profesor asociado en el Departamento de la Salud de la Niñez en la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Missouri en Columbia. Quiero expresar mi más sincera gratitud al Centro para Reducir la Disparidad en la Salud y el Cáncer por el apoyo a mi programa de investigación desde el 2017, específicamente en el área de la Terapia del Cáncer basada en el uso de microorganismos. Los generosos fondos asignados a mis proyectos R21 han sido instrumentales en facilitar importantes descubrimientos que proponen un eficaz tratamiento del cáncer.

Ana Patricia Ortiz

Hi, my name is Ana Patricia Ortiz and I want to highlight how through the research that we are performing at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, we are supporting diversity within cancer research. As an example, we are conducting the CAMPO study, part of the ULACNet Network funded by the NCI, where we are conducting clinical trials for the prevention of HPV-related cancers in people dealing with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean. Thus, we are supporting the recruitment of Puerto Ricans into these studies. In addition, we are leading the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Training Program, where we receive students from the US and Puerto Rico to conduct summer research within our institution. Thus through our efforts, we are not only supporting the Hispanics and underrepresented minorities participating in clinical trials. We're also supporting the development of the next generation of cancer researchers with an interest in Hispanics and minority populations.

Ana Patricia Ortiz – Spanish Video

Saludos. Mi nombre es Ana Patricia Ortiz y quiero poder hablarles de cómo a través de la investigación científica que estamos llevando a cabo el Centro Comprensivo de Cáncer de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Estamos ayudando a aumentar la diversidad en la investigación en cáncer. Entre nuestros esfuerzos, nosotros participamos del estudio CAMPO, auspiciado por ULACNet del Instituto Nacional de Cáncer.

A través de este consorcio nosotros buscamos prevenir los cánceres causados por el virus del papiloma humano en personas viviendo con VIH, tanto en el Caribe como en América Latina. Y a través de nuestra participación, nosotros apoyamos la participación de puertorriqueños en estos estudios de investigación. También tenemos un programa auspiciado por el NCI, que se conoce como CAPAC.

CAPAC busca entrenar la próxima generación de investigadores en prevención y control del cáncer que tengan intereses en las poblaciones hispanas y en las disparidades en salud. Así que, a través de todos estos esfuerzos, nosotros apoyamos el entrenamiento de nuevos investigadores hispanos, así como la participación de los hispanos en los ensayos clínicos.

Juan C. Osorio

As we all know, cancer has no boundaries. It affects people irrespective of their age, gender, race, or socioeconomical status. Therefore, I think that to tackle this problem, our research and clinical teams must reflect the complexity and diversity of our society. Through my career in medicine and in cancer research, I have made a priority to foster an inclusive environment within my research team. And I have actively supported initiatives to increase the diversity pool of researchers, of aspiring medical residents, oncologists, and physician-scientists. I think that this diversity in background and in thoughts have the power to drive innovation, to uncover novel solutions, and to challenge conventional ways of how we understand cancer and how we treat cancer.

Juan C. Osorio - Spanish Video

Como todos sabemos, el cáncer no conoce fronteras. Afecta a las personas, independientemente de su edad, de su género, de su estatus socioeconómico. Por lo tanto, creo que para abordar este problema de manera efectiva, nuestros equipos de investigación y clínicos deben reflejar la complejidad y la diversidad de nuestra sociedad. A lo largo de mi carrera en medicina y de investigación en cáncer, ha sido para mí una prioridad fomentar un entorno inclusivo dentro de mi equipo de investigación.

Y también he apoyado activamente iniciativas para aumentar la diversidad en el grupo de personas que aspiran a ser investigadores, que aspiran a ser médicos residentes, oncólogos o, en general, científicos. Yo creo que esta diversidad en la manera de pensar tiene el poder de impulsar la innovación en ciencia, en descubrir soluciones novedosas y desafiar las formas convencionales en las que entendemos y tratamos el cáncer.

Victoria Rodriguez

Hi, my name is Victoria Rodriguez and I'm a current doctoral candidate at UC Irvine's Program in Public Health. My mom is a two-time cancer survivor of both endometrial and breast cancer, and seeing her experiences and difficulties navigating through the healthcare system as a cancer survivor was the key motivation for me to get a Ph.D. and do cancer disparities research. A pivotal moment for me in my career thus far has been being awarded cancer-focused fellowships such as the Cancer Epidemiology, Education, and Special Populations Fellowship and the F31 Fellowship granted by the NCI. These fellowships have given me the training and time to conduct independent research and write first-author publications that focus on cancer disparities and treatment and survivorship. My research career is just getting started, but my hope is that my work will make treatment and survivorship experiences equitable for all while highlighting the stories and lived experiences of cancer patients and survivors. Thank you.

Alex Rojas Bie Thomsen

Originally, I'm from Denmark with a Danish mother, but my father is from Chile, who came to Denmark in the seventies as a refugee from the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. Growing up, I had a very good understanding of my cultural background, both the Danish but also the Chilean background. But I never learned to master the Spanish language. And in order to do that, I thought I needed to go and live in a place where they speak Spanish all the time. So I did my master's thesis in Barcelona, Spain, at the Center of Genomic Regulation, where I did a project on cancer gene therapy. After having lived in Denmark, Spain, I also lived in Brazil, and now I live in the USA. Here we work with and currently houses people from all around the world. And I can honestly say that here any cultural background or any language barrier that might be, it's not gonna be considered a disadvantage. As long as you're here to make a positive contribution, you are very welcome and we will make it work.

Edward Sarrain

As Hispanics, many of us are immigrants or kids of immigrants or in many cases, first-generation college students and as such, we might not have all the information we need to have a career in research. What do we need to do? My biggest advice, I would say, especially for those young people who are doing their bachelor at the moment is to talk to the professors and especially those who have research that might be of interest to you and ask them if you could help them with the research, if you could potentially work with them in the research. And many of them are very excited to have extra hands to help them with the research and the experience that you're going to obtain in their research is going to be very valuable for your future career prospects and especially if you're planning on going to graduate school. The experience is very valuable for your graduate school applications, especially PhDs.

Edward Sarrain - Spanish Video

Como hispanos, muchos de nosotros somos inmigrantes o hijos de inmigrantes y no tenemos toda la información que necesitamos para comenzar una carrera en la investigación del cáncer. Mi primer y mayor consejo que le daría especialmente a aquellos jóvenes que están haciendo su bachelor o licenciatura sería que si quieren incursionar en una carrera en la investigación del cáncer es que intenten hablar con profesores, especialmente aquellos que tengan investigaciones que les parezcan interesantes, y le pregunten que si podrían hacer voluntariar o trabajar en su laboratorio, los podrían ayudar. Y esa experiencia que pueden obtener en laboratorios en sus universidades van a ser muy, muy, muy valiosos para su futuro, futura carrera, y para sus aplicaciones en de posgrado, como doctorado, y ese tipo de cosas.

Urvi Shah

Hi, I'm Urvi Shah and study modifiable risk factors in cancer, especially multiple myeloma. As a fellow, when I developed Hodgkin's lymphoma, I had friends and family telling me what to eat and realized that there is limited dietary evidence for cancer, especially interventional trials. We also do know that modifiable risk factors such as obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic populations. And we know that they're risk factors for cancer. Therefore, we conducted the Nutrivention study evaluating the effect of a plant-based diet on the precancerous states and enrolled a racially diverse population with 43% non-white patients, which is higher than most studies. And we would like to continue to enroll racially diverse populations for our dietary trials.

Mariana Stern

Increasing diversity in cancer research is critical to eliminate cancer disparities among underrepresented minority communities. I'm Mariana Stern and I'm a professor in population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California. In 2018, with funding from the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, we launched the Care2 Health Equity Center. This is a partnership between the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Florida Health Cancer Center, and the Florida A&M University. Through our programs, we have trained more than 90 underrepresented minority scientists from undergraduates to early stage investigators. We have also trained more than 140 community health educators who are partnering with us to disseminate critical information to our Black and Hispanic communities. Through these efforts, we are hoping to contribute to the elimination of disparities among Black and Hispanic individuals.

Mariana Stern – Spanish Video

Para eliminar las disparidades de cáncer en las comunidades minoritarias es esencial aumentar la diversidad entre los investigadores de cáncer y también entre los participantes. Soy Mariana Stern y soy profesora de ciencias poblacionales y de la salud en la Universidad del Sur de California. En el 2018, con fondos del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer del Centro para Reducir Disparidades de Cáncer, fundamos el Centro de Equidad de Salud Care2.

Este centro es una alianza entre el Centro Comprensivo de Cáncer Norris, el Centro de Cáncer de la Universidad de Florida, y la Universidad A&M de Florida. Hemos capacitado a más de 90 científicos desde estudiantes de grado a investigadores independientes que recién empiezan su carrera. Así como también más de 140 educadores de salud comunitarios que nos ayudan a diseminar información en las comunidades afroamericanas y latinas. Con nuestros esfuerzos esperamos contribuir a la eliminación de disparidades en poblaciones minoritarias.

Jonathan Villena-Vargas

So I think the pivotal moment of my cancer research career was really when I realized that the first patients were treated in a Phase 1 clinical trial based on pre-clinical work that I had done prior. That really showed me that the process works. And that opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities of translational research.