I always say this was inevitable (like Thanos from The Avengers). I was a biochemistry major and loved cancer biology when I did bench research early on. Then in medical school, my medicine rotation was on oncology wards, and that was the first time I thought this was the patient population I wanted to help. Oncology was the perfect blend of the science and the art of medicine, and it allowed me to cultivate skills as an empathic physician and a clinical trialist. My focus on gastrointestinal (GI) oncology was really born out of the mentorship I found in my fellowship—people who helped me realize the dire need for drug development in this space, while also teaching me how to have compassion for this group of patients.

I love this question—I daydream about it routinely! I think I would be a professional party planner (throwing parties is my true superpower) or a Bollywood dancer. I am too practical to have pursued the latter, but dancing has been my passion since I was a kid and I love how it blends creativity with performance. 

Like I mentioned, dance has been a lifelong outlet for me. It is a form of expression that I think captures any mood. I have always been a bit of a “performer,” so it quells that itch . I also use exercise—I do it daily and first thing in the morning. It is my “me time” before the kids are up and before work kicks into high gear. It has been fundamental to my wellness and helps me to feel ready to tackle any challenge. Traveling with my family is also one of my other favorite things to do—showing my kids the world and helping them realize how vast and diverse it is is something that I always try to prioritize. 

I have had so many great mentors and each of them has given me such pearls! I think one that always sticks with me comes from Dr. Jim Abbruzzese, who was my chair at MD Anderson when I first started as a junior faculty member in GI medical oncology. He would always remind me that your career “is a marathon, not a sprint.” He wanted me to know that the arc of a career is long, and your impact can span decades. I took this to mean that diligence, patience, and resilience are key ingredients toward a satisfying career in academic oncology. I try to always remind my mentees of this—breathe, reflect, and take time to be purposeful and intentional in your career choices. There are always bumps in the road, but in the end, the road is a long one and just keeping your eyes on your goals will be important.

Someone once told me that, as a woman, I could have “sharp elbows” because I spoke up for myself. Talk about bad advice and something that was imprinted in my mind when I was a young and impressionable junior faculty! This experience has driven my passion for supporting, uplifting, and amplifying women in oncology. I remind them that not only should we speak up, but our voices, our thoughts and ideas, and our contributions are critical to moving the needle in oncology.

I am just finishing Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth—it was a gift from one of my research nurses who just moved out of Tucson. She said it reminded her of me, which, after reading this book, is probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever told me. It has been a great read—it really has helped me re-center my growth mindset to remember that absolute intelligence is only one small part of success. The psychology behind grit and resilience is a fascinating area of research and I have really enjoyed learning about how to integrate these ideas into my various leadership roles that focus on developing people and helping them excel in their specific spaces.

Honestly there are a lot of places I am happiest—in my job, I try to never take anything for granted. I am happiest when I am with my family, wherever we are—at home, traveling, and even when I am just driving the kids to school and listening to their little minds at work. But I am also truly happy when I am at work, especially at meetings/conferences where I am reunited with people who are essentially my work family. These people have been my pillars of support, my safe space to think through major career decisions, and a way to bounce around ideas about research, life, and anything in between. As an extrovert, I tend to be happiest when I am around people, as they energize me. That said, the other place I am happiest is on a dance floor/stage because dance has always been my personal way to express myself, to be creative, to choreograph, and to feel alive.

I have been told that I am an eternal optimist, so someone showed me this quote and I try to live by it: “If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.” I think in my various roles, helping people see the positive, the light, the sunshine is part of my job, but it also fuels me.