Baskin to serve as Department of Medicine's first vice chair for culture and diversity

Monica Baskin, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine, will serve as the first vice chair for culture and diversity in the Department of Medicine. As vice chair, Baskin will lead efforts to develop a culture of respect and inclusion, working with each division to capitalize on the diverse backgrounds of its faculty, staff and learners.

Baskin joined UAB in 2009 after receiving a bachelor of arts from Emory University, a master’s and doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University, and serving on the faculties of the Schools of Public Health at Emory and at UAB. She leads a nationally recognized NIH-funded research program to reduce or eliminate health disparities through community-engaged research. Her current research focuses on the prevention and control of cancer, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

She has also played a leading role in galvanizing efforts to improve the health of all who live in Jefferson County. Her team produces remarkable communication tools, and she chairs the Advancing Health Equity Priority Group of Jefferson County's Health Action Partnership.

As her first priority, Baskin will meet faculty from each division and will then work with the department’s Culture Work Group to identify priorities and develop a plan to achieve those goals.