12. Respect – Humans of Authenticity

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This is a fun episode that contains two ‘firsts’ for me. Yingxi (Cimo) Chen is the first scientist on my channel. She is a cancer researcher and health equity advocate. She serves as a commissioner at the Montgomery County Commission on Health, working with underserved communities facing health vulnerabilities. She is a good friend, and I love our chit-chat every time, so I decided to invite her to this channel.

This is also the first time I have delved deeper into the realm of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) on this platform. I am not a DEI practitioner, and I’ve been trying to expose myself to this practice over the last few years. As a learner, I believe that the positive experience that Cimo shares is the exact reason why we should promote and practice DEI much more. As a wise person* said to me once, ‘It’s not just diversity of demographics. It’s the diversity of ideas that we need to embrace.’

We discussed Cimo’s experiences navigating different cultures and advocating for health equity. I admire her passion and dedication to bridging health disparities. I also appreciate her scientist’s mind as she articulates different building blocks of ‘respect.’ I hope this episode gives you some excellent food for thought, as it did for me.