Black health-equity advocate named JAMA editor-in-chief
A 12 months after the celebrated medical journal JAMA was embroiled in controversy over a podcast seen as racist by critics, the American Medical Affiliation has appointed a distinguished health-equity researcher because the publication’s new editor-in-chief — the primary girl of colour to carry the place.
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a Black internist, epidemiologist, and health-equity researcher from the College of California, San Francisco, who has been a number one voice for equitable well being care through the Covid-19 pandemic, will lead the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation and the JAMA community of journals, the AMA introduced Monday.
Bibbins-Domingo is changing Howard Bauchner, a Boston pediatrician who held the place for 10 years, till he stepped down in June 2021 after JAMA aired a podcast and posted a tweet questioning whether or not structural racism exists in medication. That incident led to an outcry over what many noticed as deeply embedded structural racism throughout the journals and for having editors and editorial boards that had been overwhelmingly white.
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Bibbins-Domingo, a professor of drugs and chair of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the united states College of Drugs, co-founded the united states Heart for Susceptible Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco Common Hospital. Not too long ago named to the inaugural STATUS checklist, STAT’s compilation of probably the most influential leaders within the life sciences, Bibbins-Domingo has spent her profession centered on erasing well being disparities, significantly in cardiovascular care.
She’s going to begin her new place on July 1, taking up for Phil Fontanarosa, who has served as interim editor-in-chief since Bauchner’s departure. A white girl, Johns Hopkins College pediatrician Catherine D. DeAngelis, ran the journals from 2000-2011.
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“That is a rare time for science, medication and public well being — one the place the probabilities for accelerating developments in human well being appear limitless, whereas deep challenges to attaining optimum well being for all appear intractable,” Bibbins-Domingo mentioned in an announcement launched by JAMA. “In opposition to this backdrop, a trusted voice for science, medication, and public well being has by no means been extra essential. … I couldn’t be extra excited to hitch as editor-in-chief.”
The transfer was met with speedy applause on Twitter. “Bravo and might’t wait to your management on this function,” mentioned Utibe R. Essien, an assistant professor of drugs on the College of Pittsburgh. “That is enormous information and an amazing alternative,” tweeted Jeremy Faust, an ER doctor and editor-in-chief of MedPage Right this moment.
The transfer was lauded by a few of JAMA’s fiercest critics. “Actually excited to see this,” tweeted Stella Safo, an HIV doctor in New York who helped begin a petition drive towards JAMA final 12 months. “See now I’m gonna should rethink my present and continued boycott of @JAMAcurrent” tweeted Monica McLemore, the editor-in-chief of the journal Well being Fairness, who research reproductive well being and rights in marginalized communities.
Ray Givens, a heart specialist at Emory who analyzed the shortage of racial range amongst editors at JAMA, referred to as the choice a sensible choice. “I anticipated them to decide on a girl of colour, to protect themselves towards extra criticism,” he informed STAT. “However it was additionally the fitting factor to do.”
Added Siobhan Wescott, the director of American Indian Well being on the College of Nebraska Medical Heart, “She’s going to be a welcome breath of contemporary air.”
The seek for a brand new editor was led by Otis Brawley, a Black professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins College whose analysis focuses on closing racial, financial, and social disparities in medication. The 18-member search committee was extremely numerous and spent months in its seek for a brand new chief. JAMA is likely one of the world’s most prestigious and extensively circulated medical journals. The journals are editorially unbiased from the American Medical Affiliation.
“Dr. Bibbins-Domingo is a first-rate physician-scientist with broad and deep credentials spanning biochemistry, medical science, inhabitants science and tutorial analysis,” Brawley mentioned in an announcement. Along with her work at UCSF, Bibbins-Domingo served as a member, vice chair, and chair of the U.S. Preventive Companies Activity Drive. Brawley mentioned her work guiding such advanced enterprises “uniquely qualifies her to be JAMA’s subsequent editor-in-chief.”
Bibbins-Domingo began her profession as a biochemist and skilled within the lab of Nobelist Harold Varmus.
