Women in Oncology: Prioritization and Passionate Legacies

Catherine E. Lai, MD, MPH, an associate professor and physician leader of the Leukemia Clinical Research Unit at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, moderates a discussion with Selina M. Luger, MD, FRCPC; Gail J. Roboz, MD; and Wendy Stock, MD, on how being female affected their careers in ways such as limited maternity leave, the pressure they felt to overcompensate in their professional lives, and the importance of setting a successful example for the women who would follow in their footsteps. They also share the scientific achievements they most want to be remembered for in the leukemia field.

Luger is an attending physician, professor of medicine, and interim director of the Penn-Vinmec Oncology Center of Excellence at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Roboz is a professor of medicine and the director of the Clinical and Translational Leukemia Program at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Stock is the Anjuli Seth Nayak Professor of Medicine and a professor in the Comprehensive Cancer Research Center at the University of Chicago Medicine.

In this episode, Luger, Roboz, and Stock discuss the unique challenges and successes that motherhood brought to their early careers. They note the importance of being selective and prioritizing a healthy work/life balance, even at the expense of certain career opportunities. They also share their satisfaction with how the dynamic between their personal and professional lives ultimately panned out.

Additionally, the 3 experts highlight some of the moments they’re most proud of from their careers, including bringing pediatric-inspired regimens to adults, running safe clinical trials with advances in drug development, and building leukemia programs at their institutions. They also reflect on the cooperative nature of clinical research and the collaborations with colleagues and patients that they’ve most enjoyed over the years.