MD/PhD pupil tackles meningioma successful the laboratory and advocates for diversity
By Hallie Leo
UMass Chan Medical School Communications
October 21, 2022
MD/PhD pupil Bethany Berry
MD/PhD pupil Bethany Berry plans to champion diverseness and advocacy arsenic UMass Chan Medical School’s pupil typical connected the UMass Board of Trustees. On the heels of her archetypal committee gathering successful September, Berry said that advancement is simply a process.
“Moving the needle starts with advocating continuously for things that assistance each azygous pupil find the occurrence that they came present for,” Berry said. “I’ve already learned truthful overmuch from the much elder committee members. To spot the respect that everyone has for each different is remarkable. Some radical person been moving unneurotic for 10 oregon 20 years to marque our instauration the champion of the best.”
Berry grew up successful Maine and studied biology and neuroscience astatine Williams College. She ever wanted to harvester probe and objective work, proudly exclaiming, “MD/PhD each the way!”
“I admit the duality of the MD/PhD,” Berry said. “I tin spot my interaction done face-to-face diligent interactions wherever I spot them, perceive them, and depending connected the specialty, find ways to assistance them immediately. Concurrently the semipermanent gratification of moving toward uncovering a cure oregon attraction to assistance thousands of radical I mightiness ne'er conscionable has a antithetic meaning to it.”
Berry started studying crab erstwhile she worked arsenic a probe technician astatine Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Berry is successful the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and the Cancer Biology and Neuroscience programs successful the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She focuses connected epigenetic mechanisms of meningioma, a benignant of intracranial tumor, successful the laboratory of Mark Johnson, MD, PhD, the Maroun Semaan Chair successful Neurosurgery, seat and prof of neurological country and elder vice provost for mentorship, enactment and translation astatine UMass Chan.
“I person truthful galore opportunities successful this objective and translational space,” Berry said. “This morning, for example, determination was a tumor committee wherever you tin speech implicit a lawsuit with residents and attendings from antithetic objective departments with antithetic expertise and viewpoints. In my research, I person the accidental to instrumentality tumor insubstantial straight from a country backmost to the laboratory to survey it. Understanding that the probe we bash present is tied to existent patients is simply a level of value that sometimes you miss successful probe erstwhile you’re conscionable dealing with cells.”
As a trustee, Berry aims to advocator for students and amended communication, making definite students cognize astir resources and opportunities that are available. Berry besides serves arsenic the seat of the Student Government Alliance, which aims to synergize campuswide assemblage building, diverseness and assemblage outreach efforts.
Berry is simply a subordinate of the Student National Medical Association, UMass LIGHT (Leadership Institute for Growth, Health and Transformation) mentorship programme and White Coats for Black Lives. She besides volunteers done the Cuddle Buddies programme to clasp babies successful the NICU astatine UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Related UMass Chan quality stories:
UMass Chan learners of colour predisposition offers tools to heighten pupil life, broaden support
Student-created mentorship groups radiance done UMass LIGHT
UMass Chan pupil trustee focused connected diversity, equity and inclusion
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