Newsletter Postdoctoral Association June 2019

LGBTQ Research, Advocacy, and Support at Boston Children’s by Ari Tabaac, Ph.D. Lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and queer cine and the Cen- (LGBTQ) research is a rapidly growing feld, and ter for Gender Sur- Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) is one of the gery, researches the premier sites for LGBTQ medical and public sexual health dis- health research in the United States. One exam- parities of LGBTQ ple of this commitment to LGBTQ research is the people as well as the “Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expres- psychological and sion” (SOGIE) Research Group, also known as physical wellbeing of Ariella Tabaac, PhD and Alexa Team SOGIE. Founded in early 2011 and housed transgender youth Solazzo, PhD jointly by BCH and the Harvard T.H. Chan School undergoing medical treatment. Dr. Alexa Sola- of Public Health, this research group brings to- zzo, another post-doc with the Division of Ad- gether a diverse gathering of faculty, post-docs, olescent Medicine, is a sociologist and studies medical fellows, graduate students, research as- cancer prevention and sexual health in LGBTQ sistants, and other research staf across BCH and people. Dr. Stella (Juhyun) Lee is a post-doc the Harvard Medical School afliate network, and health communication researcher at the Dana- it often features researchers from other universi- Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan ties and research institutions. School of public health, and she studies tobacco Meeting biweekly, every Team SOGIE meet- messaging and behavior change with LGBTQ ing provides an area for researchers and clini- people. cians interested or involved in LGBTQ research In addition to research, BCH is also host to a to check-in on research goals, workshop project number of programs oriented toward support- ideas, or present research fndings. Researchers ing LGBTQ-identifed faculty, post-docs, and in Team SOGIE represent a wide array of spe- staf, like the Rainbow Consortium on Sexual cializations ranging from epidemiology and psy- and Gender Diversity. The Rainbow Consor- chology to medical and biological research. For tium, which meets monthly under the direction instance, Dr. S. Bryn Austin, the Director of Team of Dr. Sabra Katz-Wise, provides a space for fac- SOGIE, conducts social epidemiology research ulty, clinicians, post-docs and medical fellows on physical activity, nutritional patterns, and eat- and other staf employed at BCH to engage in ing disorder risks in adolescent LGBTQ popula- LGBTQ advocacy that afects the hospital. For tions. Dr. Yee-Ming Chan, a pediatric endocri- nologist at BCH and member of Team SOGIE, JUNE 2019 PRIDE EVENTS studies delayed puberty, disorders of sex devel- • LGBTQ Pride Flag Raising Event. Monday June opment, and transgender youth using a combi- 3, 11:30-12pm, Outside Hunnewell Building nation of clinical and human genetics research • Annual Pride Celebration, Friday June 7 from approaches. 12:30-1:30pm in Folkman Auditorium Team SOGIE also has post-doc members who are involved in a variety of LGBTQ research • Boston Pride Parade, Saturday, June 8 from 11- 3pm. Email [email protected] if you topics. Dr. Ari R. Tabaac, a post-doctoral health are interested in marching with BCH! psychologist in the Division of Adolescent Medi- example, the Rainbow Consortium helped de- AT: How did you come into your role as LGBT velop the Safe Zone trainings at BCH, which Program Director at Harvard Medical School, help staf learn valuable communication skills for and what does this role entail? interacting with LGBTQ patients, families, and JH: In 2011, the LGBTQ students of HMS pre- colleagues. The Rainbow Consortium has also sented a well-researched, evidence-based argu- been involved in local advocacy eforts, like rais- ment for why they needed more resources. The ing awareness about the 2018 “Yes on 3” Cam- faculty council created a task force to deepen paign, which involved protecting the civil rights their own understanding of the feld of LGBTQ of transgender people across Massachusetts. health and pressing student needs. By 2014, I Another program at BCH, LGBTQ & Friends, is a was hired! At its core, my goal has been to deep- monthly support group for both LGBTQ patients en the connections between the career success as well as staf at BCH. LGBTQ & Friends is also of LGBTQ faculty, students, postdocs, trainees, engaged in local advocacy work and has a histo- and staf and improved LGBTQ patient care and ry of involvement with the Boston Pride Parade health equity. We cannot achieve one without and organizing Pride events at BCH. the other.

If you’d like to learn more about LGBTQ resourc- AT: What have you learned from this experi- es at BCH, you can head over to the LGBTQ@ ence as LGBT Program Director (or what has BCH page on the BostonChildren’sToday inter- been most rewarding)? nal website (http://web2.tch.harvard.edu/lgbtq/ JH: The current frst-year class at HMS includes index.html) or email [email protected]. 11% LGBTQ students who self-disclosed on their applications. This is up from 4% when I started To fnd out more about Team SOGIE, you can at HMS. To me, this is a clear indication that we fnd their website at: https://www.hsph.harvard. are on the right track in creating an inclusive and edu/sogie/ welcoming environment in medicine and at Har- vard. We still have a lot of work to do to live up to the promises we have made to each other. But, An Interview with Jessica the numbers help me make the case that LGBTQ people are here and ready to become the next Halem, LGBT Program Director generation of leaders in medicine. at Harvard Medical School by Ari Tabaac, Ph.D. AT: What improvements have you seen in re- cent years regarding Harvard’s dedication to Harvard Medical School LGBTQ inclusion and support both within the (HMS) is the frst medi- HMS network greater Boston community? cal school in the U.S. to JH: One way to understand our LGBTQ inclu- have an LGBTQ Out- sion work at HMS is appreciating the symbiotic reach and Engagement relationship between the workplace and health Director. This role be- equity. A more LGBTQ inclusive and friendly cli- longs to Jessica Halem, mate in our day-to-day lives can alleviate the who leads the Harvard mental and physical health disparities faced by Medical School Sexual the LGBTQ community. So, when we build more and Gender Minorities all-gender bathrooms; or we ensure LGBTQ staf Health Equity Initiative. have access to creating their own families; or we cover transgender medicine in our health insur- Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the ance; or we rewrite our dress codes for diversity Stonewall Riots of gender expression – we tell every research- er, provider, administrator, and patient – we are here, we matter, we have real needs.

AT: You have done a lot of work with cultural competency and medical education. Do you have any advice for clinical fellows who would like to get more experience working with sexu- The Stonewall Riots were a series of protests that began on June 28th, 1969 in New York City in re- al and gender minority populations? sponse to police harassment at the Stonewall Inn, JH: This June is the perfect time for everyone to a gay bar frequented by many gay, lesbian, bisex- get grounded in the rich and long history of LG- ual, and transgender patrons. During the fve days BTQ people. We are honoring the 50th anniver- of protests, LGBTQ civil rights issues entered the sary of the Stonewall Riots. Now is a perfect time public eye and sparked LGBTQ civil rights activ- to learn more about the ways medicine and the ism. Today, these events are a symbol of resistance medical community have been on the wrong side against discrimination. To honor the 50th anni- of history for LGBTQ people. From conversion versary, NYC Pride and WorldPride will host the world’s largest Pride celebration throughout New therapy, to gatekeeping in transgender health, to York City in June. See information at https://2019- mistreatment of people with intersex conditions, worldpride-stonewall50.nycpride.org/ to dictating who can be at our bedside in a hos- pital – medicine has to keep evolving and grow- ing in understanding our people and their needs. Creative Corner POSTDOC CREATION Learn more so we can teach more. Postdocs are also artists! This new section is dedi- AT: Do you have any advice for sexual and cated to show that you have gold in your hands. gender minority postdocs and allies working For this edition, Christiane Burton drew a portrait of at Harvard Medical School or its afliates (like her friend. Boston Children’s Hospital) who need support Dr. Christiane Sarah or would like to be more engaged with patient, Burton’s friend Dr. medical, or community advocacy? Salma Al-Karmi, PhD JH: I know it’s hard when you are the only queer in Chemistry. or trans person around and you often become the go-to person around our people’s issues and To learn more about needs. So, my advice to you is to take the time the beautiful story behind the drawing, you need to heal your past and pains and get please visit Chris- comfortable with your story because you may tiane’s Instagram be a powerful force for change inside of your or- page: instagram.com/ ganization. But we can’t do that work well or not christianesarah1990 be harmed by it if we don’t heal our own traumas frst. Fueling this work with optimism and hope Do you also have a creative side and want to share takes real personal change frst. I am an optimist your scientifc (or not) picture, art, drawing, comic, not because I have on rose-colored glasses but cartoon? Please send it to postdoc-publicafairs@ because I see myself as an agent of change! childrens.harvard.edu

BCH Postdoc Achievements! Recent Events If you recently published a paper or won an award and • LinkedIn Workshop: March 6 want to share it with us, contact us at postdoc-publicaf- • Alternative Career Panel: April 23 [email protected] (provide your full name, lab, title and journal for publications and information on spon- sor for awards). Congrats to the authors and awardees! Publications from BCH Postdocs BCH PDA & Yunhao Tan, Kagan lab: “Innate Immune Signaling Or- HMS Game ganelles Display Natural and Programmable Signaling Night: Flexibility”, Cell (PMID 30853218) March 21 Henry Hing Cheong Lee, Hensch lab: his research was featured on the Croucher Foundation webpage, shorturl. me/CPqO Guoli Zhao, Schwarz Lab: “Kinetochore Proteins Have a Post-Mitotic Function in Neurodevelopment”, Devel- opmental Cell, (PMID 30827899, Children’s Vector Blog: shorturl.at/dnswY) Postdoc Nicholas Chadi, Adolescent Substance Use and Addic- Spring Break- tion Program lab: “Understanding the implications of fast: April 24 the “vaping epidemic” among adolescents and young adults”, in Substance Abuse Journal (PMID 30883295) and “Depressive symptoms and suicidality in adolescents us- ing e-cigarettes and marijuana: a secondary data analysis from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey” in Journal of Addic- Upcoming Events tion Medicine (PMID 30688723) Keep up to date on upcoming events with our Hani Harb, Chatila lab: “Epigenetic Modifcations in Pla- centa are Associated with the Child’s Sensitization to Al- calendar: https://tinyurl.com/BCHPDAcalendar lergens” in BioMed Research International (shorturl.at/ • Negotiation Workshop, May 30, 5-6:30pm fpxEM) • BBQ with Longwood PDA, June Amos Gutnik, Schwarz Lab: “The light-sensitive dimer- izer zapalog reveals distinct modes of immobilization • Foundation grant applications panel, June for axonal mitochondria.” in Nature Cell Biology (PMID • Meet the Lawyers: Green Card Applications, 31061466) May 14 through June 13. Find out about dis- Arnab Rudra, Langer & Anderson labs: “Delivering the Mes- counted pricing available! senger: Advances in Technologies for Therapeutic mRNA Delivery” in Molecular Therapy (PMID 30846391, praised by the guest editor Dr. Katalin Kariko, PMID: 30905578) BCH 150th Anniversary Events: Awards to BCH Postdocs • Folkman Lecture: Dr. Rakesh Jain, Yang Lee, Chen lab: American Heart Association Post- A.W. Cook Professor of Tumor doctoral Fellowship (2019-2020) Biology, HMS. May 23, 4:30-5:30 Sarah Hersman, Anthony lab: Harvard internal fellowship pm. Folkman Auditorium. from the William Randolph Hearst Fund (2019) Aram Ghalali, Zetter & Rogers labs: Swedish Childhood • Stem cell Day: Dr. Shinya Yamana- Cancer Fund fellowship (2019-2022) ka, 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medi- Christiane Burton: inducted into the Council of Early Ca- cine, Kyoto University. Oct 21, 9 am-5 pm, reer Investigators in Imaging (CECI2), from The Academy. Martin Center.

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