Awards, Honors, and Grants

Cinthia Cruz-Romero, MD	Camila Lopes-Ramos, PhD	Chiamaka Onwuzurike, MD, MPH	Bushra W. Taha, MD	Ritchell van Dams, MD, MHS

Five Brigham physicians and researchers received the Minority Faculty Career Development Award (MFCDA) from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Established in 1996, the MFCDA is granted annually to early-career underrepresented in medicine (UIM) individuals. It is designed to support their work and career progression at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and to increase the representation of UIM physicians and scientists in fellowship programs and faculty positions.

Recipients of the award meet several criteria, including having a professional development plan and demonstrated commitment to a career in academic medicine. The MFCDA is a mentored award of $100,000 paid out over a five-year period.

The 2024 awardees are:

• Cinthia Cruz-Romero, MD, Department of Radiology
• Camila Lopes-Ramos, PhD, Department of Medicine
• Chiamaka Onwuzurike, MD, MPH, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Bushra W. Taha, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
• Ritchell van Dams, MD, MHS, Department of Radiation Oncology

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) believes that how we come together is how we change the world. By recognizing and valuing different perspectives, characteristics, experiences, and attributes, the CDI creates and supports an atmosphere of cultural awareness, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging where every person thrives.