Binaytara Foundation Announces 2024 Career Advancement Award Recipients

This week, the Binaytara Foundation (BTF) is proud to announce its 2024 Career Advancement Award recipients: Dr. Emmanuella Oyogoa (Oregon Health & Science University), Dr. Kelly Jasmin Meza-Capcha (Baylor College of Medicine), Dr. Ayo S. Falade (Mass General Brigham Salem), Dr. Álvaro Menéndez (Hartford HealthCare), and Dr. Cynthia Eleanya (National Institutes of Health). On April 26-28, the recipients will attend the annual Summit on Cancer Health Disparities (SCHD24) in Seattle, WA. The Summit will grant the awardees the opportunity to network with prominent leaders in the field of oncology through our Career Connections Workshop.

The award winners, all in early stages of their medical careers, have already begun working to alleviate healthcare disparities, and BTF wishes to shine a light on the potential that they show in their respective fields. Dr. Cynthia Eleanya wrote her abstract on “elucidating the barriers to Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant for patients with Hematologic Malignancies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).” She wrote her abstract in an effort to begin her work on reducing disparities in cancer outcomes through both clinical research and patient care. 

When asked what inspires him to pursue equity in health care, award winner Dr. Ayo S. Falade said: “premature cancer death and unrealized potential stem from entrenched inequities based in socioeconomic status and geography. This status quo is unacceptable.” The Binaytara Career Advancement Award program’s ultimate aim is to connect underrepresented in medicine (URiM) hematology-oncology trainees and early-career physicians with some of the leading experts in cancer care. In this way, BTF hopes to improve mentorship and encourage collaboration between new and expert medical professionals, particularly those early-career physicians who have themselves seen and struggled with healthcare inequity. 

Award recipient Dr. Alvaro Menendez commented on the impact of the Summit, saying: “The opportunities for career advancement provided by the Binaytara Foundation potentiate our efforts to minimize healthcare disparities that exist in cancer care by providing mentoring opportunities from world experts.” Through such initiatives, BTF plays a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of medical professionals and researchers. The impact of this program is expected to resonate far beyond SCHD24, as the recipients bring back valuable insights and connections to their respective institutions and communities to help continue advancing equity in healthcare.